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Next auction is proposed for 29 or 30 October. Here is an editorial on the first auction: Sunny and 26deg! No, it's overcast and about 18deg with a very chilly wind! Oh well, doesn't matter we are here to see the very first Yarra Valley Performance Horse Auction at the Glenbrae Equestrian Centre in Wandin. On driving through the gate all seemed well organised: polite and unassuming parking attendants, warning signs for horses crossing and a nice row of yards containing some of the days Lots for sale, owners buzzing and potential purchasers putting them through the mill. We strolled up the path to the indoor where we could see a small number of Saddlery market stalls displaying their goods on tables and a little marquee with a new range of saddles. We climbed up the very short slope of stairs that was beautifully lined with standard roses and had a look around the stalls. I bought a bargain pair of Jods so my shopping satisfaction was high. The saddle man showed me through his three types of saddles and we discussed prices and other technical details. They were very nice saddles! I'd just purchased a new one so was not in the market but would definitely try one out if I was looking to buy. We then went to the entrance of the indoor where a very nice young lady assisted us with registering our names for a bidding number and took our seats ready for the forthcoming lots. The whole length of the arena had been lined with white flowering carpet roses and the auctioneers stand was surrounded with wine barrels on which more white roses stood and every available space around the stand was filled with roses, there must have been hundreds of them! Needless to say the place looked fantastic - certainly better than I'd ever seen it. We'd missed the morning parade of lots but were right in time for the auction to start and it promptly did at the advertised time of 11am. The auctioneer gave his welcome speech and explained a little of the formalities of the day and the first lot was called in. A little appaloosa mare ridden stock style. Not a bad type, bidding went to a mere $500 and was passed in. Lot 2 was scratched and Lot 3 was a lovely big broodmare in foal to an Irish sporthorse called Kings Gold -it sold. The purchasers were given a bunch of roses and a bottle of Premium Long Gully Wine! Then came the babies, a very nice 4mnth old warmblood colt passed in at $1400, then a Jive Magic yearling, looking very unkempt and unhandled, not bad type but the presentation did it no justice at all and didn't even attract a bid. Then some more yearlings from various warmblood, paint and Thoroughbred sires all quite nice types and mostly well presented. We felt that the crowd seemed to be very unsure of the bidding process and were unwilling even to get things started? If you were looking to buy yourself a youngster, there were about 18 horses from a wide range of warmblood, paint, TB and Arab sires that could have been purchased at reasonable prices. A nice break for lunch gave us a chance to stroll around the yards and the stables, which we discovered, had more lots housed. A site map for the public would have been good to let people know where everything was. There was a numerical list in the catalogue that gave lot numbers and yard numbers but this wasn't easy to follow and did not give directions. We asked some of the staff for information about some lots and general questions about the auction and they were very pleasant and helpful. Lunch was basic but adequate and my only complaint was the long wait and long queue that seemed log jammed in the narrow entrance to the food bar. Prices were very reasonable. We had a chat to the rose man and plan to visit his farm soon and managed to get a great deal on purchasing some of the roses that were used for the display on the day. We seated ourselves again for the ridden
section and once again a prompt start to the second half of the
auction. There were some lovely horses shown, some obviously nervous
and some obviously quiet and well trained. Once again some could
have been presented in a more professional manner and maybe the
closed-pocketed crowd would have become a little less tight with
the purse strings? There was a ridden horse that came in unridden
which I think sent warning signals to the crowd, justified or
not? The vendors in a few cases seemed to have no idea about how
to show and sell their horses and did not allow them to even canter.
There was a jump set up that I think only one horse used. We found
the auctioneer efficient but a little dull. He did his job in
very quiet manner and just needed to get into the crowd, rev them
up and have a rave about the lots coming in. There were a lot
of horses passed in through sheer lack of buyer enthusiasm, maybe
the Christmas budget was exceeded and the credit card at it's
limit? There were some very nice horses not getting bids worthy
of half the type or talent. The auctioneer seemed frustrated with
this and I'm sure the vendors would have been. Through the day
it was announced that some of the lots passed in were sold through
negotiation outside so I guess that those vendors were satisfied
in the end. A couple of great buys on the day were the dressage/allrounder
horses Lot12, Lot 17, Lot 21, Lot 25 and Lot 32 all either beautifully
bred, presented or trained or all three! Would I go again? yep,
a great and interesting day out. This is a re-vamped concept that
will grow with time and like Europe, become, the major way for
serious breeders and or trainers/competitors to sell their stock
"live". For the purchaser there are always risks but with all
the horses auctioned through this particular service a mandatory
"Health Declaration" applies and horses can be inspected and vet
checked at any time prior to the auction and including on the
day. It still means that if something does go wrong that you have
to take the matter up legally, but you have the declaration to
back you up. As well as that aspect what better way to see many
horses in the one place? Beats driving the state as far as I am
concerned. |