Levistan and Stepdancer were the show jumping and dressage price highlights of the 118th Hanoverian Elite Auction in Verden on Saturday, April 12, 2008. French mogul Xavier Marie, who is the fashionable equestrian shopaholic of the moment, paid once again the highest knock down price of the auction. His French stud farm Haras de Hus paid 310,000 € for the four-year-old grey stallion Levistan by Levisto x Argentan (breeder: Werner Kaiser, Lüchow).
The new owners of the jumper Levistan, exhibited by the Meyer show stable in Verden, are planning to use him for breeding first, but later on also for competitions. The bidder's duel with Tjark Nagel was very exciting - he made his bids for the Belgian stud farm Zangersheide.
The 2007 reserve Bundeschampion of three-year-old mares and geldings Stepdancer by Sandro Hit x De Niro (breeder: Friedhelm Vehlber, Rahden - exhibitor: Sonja Knoop, Meppen) was the most expensive dressage horse. A dresssage stable in Baden-Württemberg purchased the big-framed dark-brown gelding for 170,000 euro.
43 Hanoverian horses will stay in Germany, 41 will be exported, most of them to the United States (10 horses). 84 offered horses were sold at an average auction sales price of 34,536 €.
Two Londonderry offspring sold for over 100,000 euro. The licensed stallion Lauries As, by Londonderry out of a Pik Bube I x Golden Miller, sold for 110,000 euro to Australia. La Rhani, a Londerderry x Sherlock Holmes x Fabriano mare sold to 130,000 € to Germany.
29 horses of the foal collection will stay in Germany. 21 foals were sold to foreign countries, most of them to Italy (4 foals). The colt Laurentano by Lauries Crusador xx - Brentano II (breeder and exhibitor: Hans-Werner Klindworth, Ahlerstedt) was the top-priced foal and sold at 16,000 €. The average auction sales price was 6,498 €.
The Verden Spring Auction was considerably influenced by the fact that the new auction manager Dr. Günther Friemel assumed office from his predecessor Rainer Kiel. The last Elite auction under Kiel's 24-years work finished with an extremely satisfactory result. The outgoing auction manager Rainer Kiel auctioned off the last horse of the auction himself. A parade of persons who were active for the Hanoverian Society under his direction, made this Elite auction become a special event, and they emphasized that Rainer Kiel did not only foster the work of his predecessor Hans Joachim Köhler, but that he also developped and improved the auction business.
Photos © Tammo Ernst
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