The 2010 Lusitano Collection™ moved their 25 stallions and 5 mares from their temporary stabling to The Jim Brandon Equestrian Center so their horses will have a chance to become familiar to their surroundings prior to The 2010 Lusitano Collection™ International Horse Auction held from February 24th to 27th. The breeders, trainers and staff at Interagro Farms and Coudelaria Rocas do Vouga will welcome hundreds of interested buyers and spectators to tryout and view their magnificent animals prior to the formal auction.
Ranging in age from three to six years of age, the horses from this year’s Collection offer equestrian athletes a wide range of colors, sizes and abilities. American riders will be pleased to see more 16-hand-plus horses than ever before! Two large standouts for dressage and breeding are stunning buckskins with flowing black manes and tails: the mare Carmelita Interagro and the stallion Zoom Do Vouga both over 16 hands. Another big-boned Lusitano, grey Abastado Interagro is a proven dressage horse with an attractive pedigree who is appearing in the eight-horse quadrille performance during the Reception Showcase along with Briosa Interagro.
Several Collection horses show tremendous jumping potential, mainly due to their bloodlines from the best known pure-bred Lusitano show jumping stallion, Novilheiro, who formed a formidable partnership with John Whitaker and went to grade A in one season. Among them are the grey stallion Bizet Interagro at 16 ¼ hands, the black stallions Blackstone Interagro and Black Tie Interagro, and the multi-talented Bocage Interagro, a large, four-year-old grey stallion who shows promise in dressage, moves like a hunter and demonstrates scope in jumping.
Guests will have an opportunity to preview all 30 horses under the spotlights and on the giant inflated screen during the Showcase Reception on Friday evening, February 26th. On Saturday night, attendees will dine at candle-lit tables with cuisine catered by Christafaro’s, well known in Palm Beach for its fresh, healthy, contemporary menu served with a creative flair. Colorful heart-pumping entertainment will be provided by Paulo Gualano’s performing company which includes female samba dancers wearing brilliant headdresses and tiny bikinis and “The Rhythm Beaters,” men who create a pulsating, contagious beat with their drums. A native Brazilian, Gualano has provided percussions for Gloria Estefan’s recording of “Destiny” and has worked with Quincy Jones.
The exciting auction of the Lusitanos will be led by seasoned equestrian auctioneer Tom Biederman, who comes with ten years of experience from Fasig-Tipton Company, North America’s oldest Thoroughbred auction company. Catalogues and DVDs were mailed to interested buyers, and hundreds of fans viewed photos and videos of the Collection horses on the Lusitano Collection web site, on You Tube and on Facebook.
Managing Director of Interagro Farms Cecilia Gonzaga notes, “Horse lovers and equestrian athletes possess the same interest and passion for horses as in the past, but their ability to shop has been transformed with the new technology. Our goal is to make it easier for people to become familiar with Lusitanos, but nothing can compare with sitting on the back of one our horses. It’s like sitting on a cloud!”
For more information about The 2010 Lusitano Collection™ International Horse Auction, go to www.lusitanocollection.com.
Related Links
Quadrille Performance Reunites Lusitanos
The Lusitano Collection™ Partners with Equestrian Aid Foundation
The 2009 Lusitano Collection Auction: An Event to Remember
The 2009 Lusitano Collection Gallops Into Florida this Winter