Scott Brash on song in Opera Loving Verona

This week there was another round of the FEI World Cup qualifiers in Italy for the show jumpers. Galileo equalled Danehill in the number of Group or Grade 1 winners he has sired. Auction houses in both Europe and the USA have been busy preparing for the main breeding sales of the year. Two Danish dressage riders get personal bests.

FEI World Cup Series

This weekend saw the fourth round of the FEI World Cup Qualifier (western European) in the famous opera city of Verona in Italy. This was a showjumping CSI 5* competition with 38 runners. After Lyon, last week, the dressage riders had a week off. There were 16 clear rounds to go onto the jump off of which 8 jumped double clears. The winner was Scott Brash from Great Britain  riding Hello M’Lady in 35.55 seconds with the second being Darragh Kenny from Ireland  riding Romeo in 36.06 seconds. The third place was taken by Switzerland’s Steve Guerdat riding Alamo. There were 8 riders from the home country, the best of which was Emanuel Gaudiano who came fourth. The rest of the field had a very international look with riders from most of the main showjumping countries in Europe competing as well as riders from the USA and Egypt.

WBFSH Showjumping Stallions

In the 2019 list of top showjumping sires released this week, Chacco Blue tops the list for the thrd consecutive year. His best performers of the year were Explosion W, Calisto Blue and Chalou. The most improved stallion to get to the top ten was Mylord Cathago, who rose from 25^th place in 2018 to 10^th place this year.

Racing and Bloodstock Sales

On Saturday at Flemington Park, Magic Wand won the Grade 1 Mackinnon Stakes. Her sire Galileo has now sired 84 Group or Grade 1 stakes races winners worldwide. The only other stallion to achieve this record feat was Danehill. Surely, it won’t be long before Galileo sires the winner of 85 races and hold the record on his own?

This week saw a host of stallion stations setting the prices for their charges for the 2020 season. Many of the fees so far being published are the same as for 2019, however, there are some changes. It is also a time when announcements are made of where colts are going to stand at stud. Too Darn Hot and Masar have been sent to Dalham Hall Stud, under the Darley Stud Banner; Classic winning colt Phoenix of Spain has joined the ranks at The Irish National Stud; Calyx, Ten Sovereigns and Magna Grecia have all booked their rooms at Coolmore Stud in Ireland. In the USA, Grade 1 winner on both dirt and turf Yoshida has gone to WinStar Farm and Breeders Cup winners, Vino Rosso and  Mitole have both gone to Spendthrift Farm.

It is also the time of year when horse breeders busy themselves with selling their horses at various venues. Sale catalogues have been spewing through our door for the last week! The breeding sales so far, in the USA have looked pretty strong. One notable piece of news was the retirement of auctioneer Terrance Collier, who has been an auctioneer at Fasig Tipton for 43 years. He retired from the Kentucky based firm following his last sale of the day, a $1.4 million mare Transplendid, to a round of spontaneous applause. His retirement was not expected.

Sport Horse anticipated Auctions

The sport horse auction sales circuit comes to both Holland with the VDL Select Foal and breeding stock sale next week and the Brightwells select sale of show jumpers and dressage horses at Addington in the UK in early December.

P.B’s for Danish Dressage Riders

In dressage, with no FEI World Cup Qualifiers this week, there were no major competitions, but there were several riders gaining personal bests in CDI 3*’s. In Kentucky, James Koford riding Adiah won his third US Dressage Final Championship. In Europe, Lone Bang Larson of Denmark riding Bakkleys Onandt gained 76.655% and a personal best; also Daniel Bachmann Andersen riding Blue Hors Zepter gaining 78.717% also achieved a personal best. This was the first CDI Daniel had ridden in for virtually a year.

Photo courtesy Team GBR

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