When the embryos are auctioned in Dublin on Friday evening, August 8, it won’t be long before the Flanders Foal Auction team boards a flight to make it in time for the foal auction on Saturday evening, August 9, at Sentower Park in Belgium. It promises to be a challenging weekend, but one filled with high expectations. A quick glance at the collections shows exactly why.

This will be the fifth time Flanders Foal Auction holds an auction during the renowned Dublin Horse Show. At the InterContinental Hotel on the corner of the showgrounds, Irish buyers and other equestrian fans gather. Last year, they pushed the average price to over €28,000.

The highlight of that auction was an embryo by Cornet Obolensky out of the highest-earning mare in history, HH Azur, who earned €4.2 million in prize money with McLain Ward. That embryo sold for €76,000. A full brother, Côte d’Azur HH Z, was auctioned by Flanders in June and purchased by Peter Charles for €88,000. Good news for the Irish: This year, an embryo by European Champion United Touch S out of HH Azur will be auctioned.

The new collection is truly a dream. It includes a:

• full brother or sister of Christian Kukuk’s Olympic champion Checker 47 (Comme il Faut)
• 3/4 sibling of Daniel Coyle’s top mare Legacy
• Chin Chin embryo out of the same dam as Olympic horse Caracole de la Roque with Karl Cook

“When you go to Ireland, you need to bring something special,” say Luk Van Puymbroeck and Gerald Lenaerts. “Buyers can call themselves the breeders and register the foals in Ireland, making them eligible for the Irish championships for young horses, a hugely popular event.” ‘Flanders’ is even offering free transport for the surrogate mares to Ireland.

The action continues the following day at Sentower Park, where the auction evening kicks off with fireworks. Up for auction is the 1.65m Grand Prix mare Irenice Horta (Vigo d'Arsouilles), who placed seventh at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon with Lorenzo De Luca, also competed under Cian O’Connor and secured top finishes in the Grand Prix of Rome and Dublin. The 17-year-old mare, known for her unlimited scope, is accompanied by her young, stunning filly by Cero Blue TN (Chacco Blue), who will also go under the hammer.

Irenice Horta has six offspring, two of which are already jumping at 1.60m level: H5 Origi Horta with Carlos Hank and Morris Horta with Martien van der Hoeven. Her son Peanuts Horta competes at 1.50m level with Vladimir Tuganov. The story doesn’t end there: Irenice’s dam is Erenice Horta (Diamant de Semilly), who jumped successfully 1.60m GP with Edwina Tops-Alexander. Adding to the prestige, a colt by United Touch S out of Irenice’s full sister will also be auctioned.

Nearly all the famous Belgian damlines are once again represented: Roosakker, Qerly Chin (de Muze), Klapscheut and Van’t Ruytershof, joined by top families from Germany, the Netherlands and France.

Expect high interest for the colt by Chacco Blue out of the same dam as multiple Global Champions Tour GP winner Vangog du Mas Gargier (1.70m GP with Olivier Robert). Or consider a gorgeous Emerald son out of the dam of Alibi de la Roque (1.60m GP with Julien Epaillard), the full brother of Hello Senator (1.65m GP, sired by Carambole) or a stunning filly by Balou du Reventon out of the half-sister of world champion Cumano.