Successful Auctions at Ellerstina and Las Lagunas del Polo
The auctions are non-stop in Argentina as each breeding programme shows off their stock. This week it was the turn of Ellerstina to show the polo community what they’ve got to offer. One of the top polo pony breeding programmes in the world, the Ellerstina auction is always highly anticipated and one of the highlights of the Argentine season and this year it did not disappoint. With some exceptional bloodlines on offer from Ellerstina’s line-up of Open mares the offers were flying in, with the highest sale for the filly Open Insignia, for US$140,000. Ellerstina were also offering exclusive sales such as the stallion Open Messi, who was sold for US$155,000 to Los Pingos. After the fillies, foals and stallions came the embryos. Sold while still in utero these little bundles of pedigree went for US$40,000 and upwards to those players and patrons in it for the long game.
Another highlight of the auction season is most definitely the Domadores Remate at Las Lagunas del Polo, an auction that gives the best horse-makers in Argentina a chance to show off their skills in a hugely dynamic forum. Unlike the majority of the auctions where the ponies are sold unbroken, the Domadores Remate sells two and three-year-olds that have been backed and schooled by the very talented gauchos. This is their chance to demonstrate what they can achieve, bringing the horses into an arena filled with lights and music and giving a dramatic show with quick stops, changes and rein backs that truly show the skill of the Domadores and the agility of the ponies. Although the prices are low compared to the likes of the Ellerstina auction, the event was more of a spectacle rather than a selling platform.
Photograph: A Domadore shows off one of his projects at the auction. By ©www.imagesofpolo.com
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