In and "inner French" bidder duel between Xavier Marie and Marc Feller for Sankt Hülfer, the latter won the battle with an offer of 300,000 Euros. This Frenchman has purchased many horses at the auctions in Vechta in the past, the last time in the fall of 2006 when he also bought the top priced horse, Royal Denior for 320,000 Euros. He came to the 68th Elite Auction accompanied by his Parisian trainer, Marina van den Berghe and, for the first time, his ten-year old daughter Anne, who had fallen in love with Sankt Hülfer before he was knocked down. This three-year old brown stallion bred by Maren Kools in Diepholz is from the first crop by the dressage horse Vice World Champion and Bundeschampion, Sir Donnerhall.
 
By the time the 68th Elite Auction at the Oldenburg Horse Center Vechta ended, a good number of the horses had been sold abroad. The 56 riding horses were knocked-down for a total of 1,983,000 Euros (average price 35,411 Euros) and 29 of these were sold abroad. The five riding ponies brought a total of 45,000 Euros (average price 9.500 Euros) and four were sold abroad.
 
Although Xavier Marie didn't win the duel for Sankt Hülfer, he did buy the licensed stallion Lord Mecklenburg, the best jumper stallion at his licensing, for 115,000 Euros. This bay stallion (by Licanto-Ramiro’s Match) was born in 2004 in Josef Auge's breeding stables in Güstrow. Xavier Marie's Haras de Hus also purchased two horses for 80,000 Euros: the gray gelding, Song Seng (by Scarlatti-Sandro Hit, breeder: Alfons Frehe-Siermann, Mettingen) and the bay gelding, Ange Gardian (by Argentinus-Ile de Bourbon, breeder: Josef Frech, A-Waldneukirchen). The Canadian world class rider Evi Strasser paid 101,000 Euros for the licensed stallion Fin de Siecle (by Florencio I-Walt Disney I, breeder: Johannes Veenhuis, Friedeburg). A compatriot of hers purchased Seiltanz (by Sunny-Boy-Royal Dance, breeder: Doris and Arend Boeckhoff, Westoverledingen). Royal Dario Fo also has a long trip in front of him. New customers from Venezuela paid 75,000 Euros for this Royal Diamond-Don Gregory son bred by Andreas Wempe in Cappeln. It was also another first time in Vechta for a group of Turkish buyers who paid 25,000 Euros for Baltic Show (by Balou du Rouet-Ramirado, breeder: Horst Rumpf, Lienen), and a buyer from Switzerland received the knock-down at 60,000 Euros for the licensed stallion Fiorelli (by Florestan I-Donatelli, breeder: Oliver Kotschofsky, Visbek).
 
Laurenti will remain in Germany. This four-year old dark bay Laurentio-Walldorf son (breeder: Erich Alberding, Essen) was sold to the dressage stables of master rider, Dr. Uwe Schulten-Baumer. A Stedinger-Donnerschwee son called Simenon (breeder: Hans-Ludwig Beilken, Bremen) will be off to Heiner Schiergen for training. Donna Dorina (by Don Gregory-Rosenkavalier, breeder: Wilhelm Sieverding, Cappeln) is intended for one of Norbert van Laak's pupils. The Luettgen family from Gut Mödrath in Kerpen purchased the Dimaggio son Divan Japanais (dam by Absinth, Josef Niemann, Emstek) for 100,000 Euros.
 
The most expensive Weser-Ems riding pony, 2nd Reserve Champion Stallion, Charlott's Boy (by Charivari-Diamond Hit, breeder: Ulf Tönjes, Ganderkesee), was knocked-down to Canada for 11,000 Euros.  By the way, Alois Pollmann-Schweckhorst's 13-year old daughter Lena sat in the saddle of Roy’s Pialotta (by Halifax-Brillant, breeder: Janine Ebert, Dötlingen) sold to the USA for 10,000 Euros.
 
"What a great start in the auction year 2008!“ commented Uwe Heckmann, the auctioneer, when the auction was over. "We easily broke the two million sound barrier with the turnover achieved today. Not just the four most expensive over 100,000 Euros but above all the strong middle field was a great success." The President of the Oldenburg Verband, Wilhelm Weerda, was also ecstatic. "Numerous new customers from at home and abroad made the trip to the auction in Vechta. It is also very satisfying that so many of the horses will be in the hands of very good trainers, so we will certainly hear from them again in top level sport."  
 
The 44th Summer Mixed Sales with riding horses and elite foals will be held on June 7th.

Results:

• Riding horses
• Riding ponies