I’m having a discussion with a client (I’m her veterinarian) about where one finds upper level event prospects - here or in Europe. Clearly one can find them in either place, but for simplicity and efficiency, where would you start?
Assume a budget of $20-30k, 3-6 years old, assuming import costs will not come out of that budget. Are there breeders over here that are reliably producing this sort of youngster? She’d like something soon to take to Florida with her.
I’d start in Aiken or Southern Pines
I’m in New Zealand. I’d be looking here and Australia for sure
Phyllis Dawson has some really nice ones right now!
I’d contact David and Karen O’Connor. 
A lot of eventers have headed to Ocala, so that may be the place to go. My friend got a lovely young eventer from Denise Rath, Grey Fox Farm, in Ocala. Denise knows a lot of people in the business, and is a good matchmaker.
Is she wanting to buy this year? The Goresbridge Go For Gold Sale was last weekend in Ireland, and its a very select sale of well started prospects. It’s an annual sale in November with very high quality offerings and many perks for overseas buyers. Take a look at their graduates page for the kind of horse that they have on offer.
http://www.goresbridgegoforgold.com/
There’s also an auction company in England called Brightwell’s that selects horses from all over Europe for select (Elite) sales of sport horses. They have one coming up in December for dressage, jumping and eventers. They also started a sale at the Blenheim Horse Trials this year that was supposed to have been good.
http://www.brightwells.com/equine/HorsesAndPonies/DressageAndShowJumping/DressageAndShowJumping/Default.aspx
However, looking at the Brightwell’s catalog, they only have about 5 horses that they are categorizing as eventers, and those horses are all pure WB with very little TB. Michael Jung has said that he thinks TB isn’t necessary in today’s eventing until you get to the 4* level, but there he thinks you definitely need at least 50% and more is better.
If I were looking and not in a huge hurry and could afford the import fees, I’d wait for next year’s Goresbridge sale.
Upper level event riders in the US ride either imported horses that have been well started before import or they ride OTTBs. There are almost no event horses bred in the US except TBs that make Rolex.
I know you said she’d like to find something to take to Florida this winter, but that seems like a lot of money to put into a horse that might not make it.
In Holland they recently started a yearly eventing sale named KES (KWPN eventing sale) during Boekelo (October), this year this type of horse was sold:
http://www.military-boekelo.nl/Programma/KWPNEventinghorseSale/Veilingpaarden.aspx
http://www.kwpn.org/marketplace/auctions/kwpn-eventing-horse-sale/
You are just one week to late for this auction:
But they offer also horse during the year. Quite a few of those that were sold there went already to WEG.
And friends told me about the sale in Boekelo aswell.
Small rant from an event breeder…
I would start in the US. Just because it is bred elsewhere doesn’t automatically make it better. There ARE breeders in the US who produce event horses and nice ones at that. AND, you support the people who are the backbone of the sport - without them, you won’t have young horses to ride.
Off the top of my head, I would say here in Area 2, Phyllis Dawson, Wits End Eventing ( although they may be area 3), Clear Blue Farm- Laurie Cameron in NJ, Kurt Martin has a lot of young horses , although mostly imports, Courtney Cooper knows where to look for some and has nice ones come through there, Bruce Davidson, Melissa Studenberg of Kealani Farm- are just a few.
Ask some of the upper level riders that actually ride young horses where they get theirs - Doug Payne is a perfect example of bringing up youngsters from backing to advanced. He gets them from the US.
Outside of Area 2, Megan Moore of CEO Eventing in KY always has nice horses. Try looking at the Facebook group Event Horse Breeding in North America - you will find out that many of the successful event bloodlines that are worldwide can be found in your backyard
Sorry, rant over…
The horses at the Lesch sale brought much, much more than the ones at the Goresbridge sale which I find interesting.
Remember that these folks are looking for an UL prospect. Whether they should have one is a whole nother question, but US breds haven’t shone in the ULs lately.
Fortunately or not so fortunately, event horses are made. It is about heart, partnership and horsemanship. We don’t do so well here in the US because we try to buy our way, not build it. Hence the reason we don’t see a lot of young US bred horses out there . It takes too long to develop them for our riders. The’do rather go buy something than train it…
By the way, at that time that horse was only five years old.
http://www.horsesinternational.com/breeding/top-horse-top-event-horse-auction-goes-56000-euros-belgium/
This horse was sold in 2013 at the KWPN eventing sale for Eur 50,000:
http://www.horsetelex.nl//horses/pedigree/1554482
This year’s most expensive horse went for Eur 36,000, this is his pedigree:
http://www.horsetelex.nl/horses/pedigree/1538120
[QUOTE=elizabeth Callahan;7860244]
Fortunately or not so fortunately, event horses are made. It is about heart, partnership and horsemanship. We don’t do so well here in the US because we try to buy our way, not build it. Hence the reason we don’t see a lot of young US bred horses out there . It takes too long to develop them for our riders. The’do rather go buy something than train it…[/QUOTE]
This is true. there was an article on Michael Jung posted here. He and his family take on young horses and make them from scratch. His father said that they do not jump a horse under saddle until the horse has lengthening and shortening down pat; then they don’t jump XC jumps until the horse has show jumping courses down pat. I figure we’re talking about at least two to three years of just the basics before the horse attempts solid jumps.
Can’t imagine how many Americans are willing to forego testing their young horses XC for two or three years after they have been started.
Ireland.
They have the horses and, most importantly, the young horse producers.
http://www.irishhorse.com/sport-horse-sales/about-us/
http://www.fernhillsporthorses.com/cms/
http://www.irishhorsegateway.ie/irish-eventing-horses-irish-horse-gateway/
Don’t go anywhere unless you do thorough research.
How about looking in FL? Clayton Fredericks, Daisy Trayford, Joe Meyer, Leslie Law, Denise Rath, and Matt Flynn are all in Ocala. Liz Halliday-Sharp has just partnered with Richard Sheane to import a bunch. Matt Flynn usually has a barn full.
There are also a lot of Cooley horses from Ireland in the pipeline.
http://www.richardsheane.com/
Here are some horses that he has sold.
http://www.richardsheane.com/cooley-graduates/
He’s planning to start a Cooley USA branch.
US breeders/trainers with UL prospects
[QUOTE=notsureyet;7859195]
I’m having a discussion with a client (I’m her veterinarian) about where one finds upper level event prospects - here or in Europe. Clearly one can find them in either place, but for simplicity and efficiency, where would you start?
Assume a budget of $20-30k, 3-6 years old, assuming import costs will not come out of that budget. Are there breeders over here that are reliably producing this sort of youngster? She’d like something soon to take to Florida with her.[/QUOTE]
I’ve seen some really nice UL prospects with these breeder/trainers:
Jane Sleeper
Megan Moore
Emily Rusiyak
Wynn Norman
Last Laugh Farm in PA comes to mind too.
I’ve also seen some serious UL prospects on facebook groups Event Horses for sale and Eventing Horses for Sale.
Tiana Coudray’s UK based farm has a few I wouldn’t mind seeing here in the States.
An educated buyer can find it in North America, if they know what they’re looking for and what they’re looking at.
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