Sale review 2011 september 24

Brightwells 58th Fayre Oaks Sale Royal Welsh Showground 24th and 25th September 2011 The 2011 Brightwells Fayre Oaks Sale bucked the trend of general decline in the horse and pony market. 394 Welsh mountain ponies, Welsh ponies section B and Welsh part-breds sold for a Sale total of £256,290 averaging £650.48.

Compared with last year, the Saturday average was up to £571 from £481, the Saturday night “High Flyer Sale” average was £3,725 up from £3,644 but the Sunday average was slightly down to £538 compared with £567 last year. 23 were sold for £2,000 or more and 74 for £1,000 or more. 43 were sold for export: 24 to Holland, 6 to Spain, 5 to France, 3 to Germany, 2 each to Sweden and Denmark and 1 to the USA.

Thistledown Arctic Fox Copyright www.esphotography.co.uk

Top of the Sale at £10,300 was Mrs Alford’s five-year-old ridden skewbald part-bred mare Amesbury Dolly Mixture who was bought at this Sale for £3,500 last year. In the meantime Dolly Mixture has qualified for the Horse of the Year Show to be held in Birmingham on 4th – 9th October and she was bought by Sam Wilson of Tiptree, Essex.

Top section B at £9,000 was Sandy Anderson’s three-year-old colt Thistledown Arctic Fox who has been a major prizewinner since his yearling days; this year he was champion at the Royal Bath and West and at the recent International Welsh Pony and Cob Show. One of the most exciting section B youngsters of recent years, he was bought by Mrs Bates of Hackleton, Northants.

Second-highest section B at £4,500 was the six-year-old grey stallion Moelgarnedd Hebog consigned by his breeders David and Eirian Williams of Bala; winner of many championships in hand and under saddle, he has also proved to be a very successful sire and was bought by Mrs Minns of Hildenborough, Kent.

Hywel and Yvonne Davies of the Cadlanvalley Stud, St Dogmaels, Cardigan went to the Sale hoping to buy back the stallion Cadlanvalley Landlord which they had bred and sold to Holland but he did not appear so instead they bought the Dutch-bred six-year-old palomino mare Shamrocklake Irish Cornflower in foal to Landlord for £2,600.

There was good demand for chestnut ridden section B geldings, the five-year-old Yrenfys Llwynog sold for £2,400 to Mrs McClurg of Co Antrim, Belfast; the six-year-old Blaencrymlyn Del Boy sold for £2,300 to R de la Rosa Garcia of Spain and the four-year-old Gwithian Master Harry sold for £2,200 to Mrs Pope of Downley Common, High Wycombe.  Top section B foal was Robert Hensby’s chestnut filly Laithehill Azalea sold to Mrs Hooker of Rettendon, Chelmsford for £2,200. Azalea has very similar breeding to the palomino yearling filly Laithehill Concerto which Mr Hensby sold for £6,000 on last year’s Sale and she has had a very successful showing season this year.

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Top section A at £5,500 was Diana Thomas’ twelve-year-old stallion Dyfed Prophet who has been a successful sire whose stock has sold to Holland, Belgium, Germany and Sweden. He was bought by the Davies brothers of Eisteddfa Fawr, Brynberian, Crymych who run over 4,000 sheep on the Preseli mountains.

Next at £5,000 was another male, Cathy Pearse’s three-year-old colt Uphill James Fox who stood first at the Royal Welsh Show as a yearling and again this year. He goes to the Rookery/Wernderris Studs established 54 years ago.

Sandy Anderson’s Thistledown ponies appeared amongst the tops again, this time with the six-yearold grey section A mare Thistedown Ladi Di; a prolific winner in youngstock classes, she was bought by Mr Murphy of Morayshire for £4,500.

Two section A females which sold for £3,000 were Mark and Liz Kilbey’s three-year-old grey filly Malmswood Clarissa and Ceri Fell’s ten-year-old roan mare Windleway Fame who also had won at the Royal Welsh as a yearling. Clarissa sold to Mr and Mrs Wilson of Gelligaer and Fame to Mr Butler of Yoxhall, Staffordshire.

Uphill James Fox

Sean Bridges of the Padstow Stud, Plumstead, London was under-bidder on the chestnut stallion Fronbach Destination when he was sold for £3,700 on the 2009 Sale but was delighted when he succeeded in securing him for £2,500 this time. Cynthia Trodd of the Romanyriver Stud, Chipping Sodbury bought the six-year-old stallion Colne Taboo for £2,100; he was offered for sale from Holland having sired top foals in Holland and Sweden.

Betty French of the Forlan Stud, Chippenham has topped the foals on this Sale many times; this time she had £1,900 for the black filly Forlan Cara Mia who has gone to the Coffeepot Stud, County Durham to be a future wife for their top young stallion Ceulan Cariadwr.

Dai Harris of the Pennal Stud, Blaenpennal, Aberystwyth paid £4,000 for a complete set of Welsh Pony and Cob Society Stud Books.

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