Oliver Townend in bidding duel for €49,000 top lot at Tattersalls event horse sale

Oliver Townend was the underbidder on the top lot in the inaugural Goresbridge Tattersalls Ireland Select Event Horse Sale on Thursday evening (31 May).

The horse sales were held alongside the horse trials at Tattersalls and 15 horses were auctioned. The horses were chosen by event horse agent Sally Parkyn and Lt Col Brian McSweeney (ret).

The top lot was Master Class Ramiro (lot 10), a four-year-old by Ramiro B, out of a mare who is a granddaughter of Master Imp through her damline. The horse was consigned by Jason Higgins. He was the subject of a bidding duel between Oliver Townend and Chris Gould, with Chris the successful buyer at €49,000 (£43,000).

Master Class Ramiro, by Ramiro B. Photo by Laurence Dunne (jumpinaction.net)

Oliver has enjoyed success this spring with Ramiro B horses — both Kentucky winner Cooley Master Class and Badminton runner-up Cooley SRS are by him — and the stallion stands at Harthill Stud, Oliver’s breeding venture with Nina Barbour.

A further eight horses were sold on the evening, with a total aggregate price of €209,500 and an average of €23,278.

Irish four-star and championship rider Trish Ryan signed for the second most expensive horse sold, Lislan Liam, consigned by Sylvia Revill. He was lot six and went for €26,000. He is a chestnut five-year-old by the jumping sire Je T’Aime Flamenco out of a mare by Harlequin Du Carel.

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Jerpoint Eclipse, sold for €24,500, made the third best price as lot 12. He was sold by Maurice Coleman and bought by Richard Gordon. He is a four-year-old by Chinook Eclipse, out of a mare with Clover Hill and Chair Lift in her pedigree.

The horses who didn’t make their reserves were led out unsold at between €5000 and €16,500.

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Pippa Roome

H&H magazine editor and eventing editor

Pippa is a true eventing geek and has been H&H’s eventing editor since 2005. She has first-hand experience of competing up to British Eventing intermediate and international CCI2*-L level, and has worked in the industry on a top event yard. Pippa enjoys nothing more than immersing herself in the sport at the highest level, reporting from the five-stars and international championships, including the Olympics.