The chestnut mare Argentinia (by Acorado x Frappant) was the price highlight of the 117th Elite auction in Verden, Germany, October 14, 2007. American bank executive Perry Thomas, long time sponsor of US team rider Debbie McDonald, purchased the mare for 400,000 euro.
Argentinia is bred by Stefan Aust from Arnstorf, Germany, and will more to River Grove Farm in Sun Valley, Idaho, USA.
Ten horses in total sold over 100,000 euro at this auction. The second most expensive horse was Cristobal Colon, a Conteur x Wolkentanz II x Alabaster offspring. The black gelding sold for 230,000 euro to a Westfalian buyer. Rodrigo, the bronze medallist in the 3-year old division at this year's Bundeschampionate, sold for 200,000 to Westfalia. This chestnut gelding is by Riverside x Hohenstein x Davignon.
Three horses sold for 110,000 euro. The dark bay gelding Summersby (by Sandro Hit x Davignon x Argentan) sold to Australia. The chestnut gelding Wisconti (by Wolkenstein II x Calypso II x Graphit) sold to Luxembourg, while the liver chestnut gelding Stuart Little (by Shakespeare in Love x De Niro x Warkant) sold to the U.S.A.
92 horses were presented at auction and sold for an average price of 45,967 euro. 45 of them will stay in Germany, 47 will be exported. 10 will move to the United States, followed by Canada and Sweden with six horses and Great Britain and France with each four horses 53 of the 54 foals put up for the auction were sold at an average price of 6,213 euro.
21 foals were purchased by foreign customers, five of them will travel to Switzerland, four to Great Britain and three to Finland and Austria.
Photos © Tammo Ernst
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