54/ DECEMBER 2019 THE RIDER


USET Foundation to Host “Take Me To Tokyo” Gala


The Auction by Arqana “Yearlings & Performers” Opens New Chapter in the Sport Horse Trade


Paris, France - Bringing to- gether yearlings and per- formers of a quality never seen before at auction, “The Auction by Arqana, Act II” proved to be a commanding success under the mighty dome of the Cirque d’Hiver in Paris. Defying the transport


strike and taking advantage of the ability to bid online, all the big names of show jumping attended this new kind of event. For once, it was not at a competition held over obstacles, but around a sales arena that they clashed. The 10 horses sold (out of 18 presented, i.e. 55%) achieved an aggre- gate of 1.952 million Euros, a sign of the strong interest that


the selection had


Wellington, FL – The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation will hold a special benefit event on Friday, January 17, 2020, at Deeridge Farm in Wellington, FL. The “Take Me To Tokyo” gala will raise critical funds to sup- port the U.S. Equestrian Teams headed for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games. “We are so excited for


the 2020 Olympic and Par- alympic benefit, ‘Take Me To Tokyo,’” said Bonnie B. Jenkins, Executive Director of the USET Foundation. “This country is fortunate to have some of the most tal- ented and dedicated ath- letes, and the opportunity to represent the United States on an Olympic Team is the culmination of years of sac- rifice and hard work. We are so grateful to the many friends and donors that help make these dreams come true and medals possible. “The funds raised at


the ‘Take Me To Tokyo’ gala will directly benefit our U.S. teams and help bring us closer to meeting our funding goal necessary to ensure our teams are pre- pared and ready to reach the podium in Tokyo,” contin- ued Jenkins. “Take Me To Tokyo,”


hosted by honorary chair- men Joan and Lou Jacobs, and benefit committee chairmen, Gloria Callen, Pam Keenan, Elizabeth Ju- liano, Beth Meyer, Caroline Moran, Rowan O’Riley, Robin Cleary Parsky, Bar- bara Roux, and Akiko Ya- mazaki, will begin with a cocktail hour starting at 6 p.m.


Dinner will be served


at 7 p.m., inside a newly de- signed VIP tent at Deeridge Farm, adorned with bam- boo, cherry blossoms, and décor reminiscent of Japan, at which time the evening’s program will commence with the keynote program, silent and live auctions, dancing to the sounds of The Danny Beck Band, and more, all while celebrating and supporting equestrian sport’s top U.S. athletes. The event will also in-


clude the presentation of the USET Foundation’s most prestigious annual awards, including the R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award; the Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy, given to a young rider who exemplifies both horseman- ship and sportsmanship; and the Whitney Stone Cup, awarded to an active com- petitor who displays consis- tent


excellence in


competition and high stan- dards of sportsmanlike con- duct.


Interested individuals


are encouraged to purchase tickets and tables as early as possible and no later than Friday, January 10, as the event is expected to sell out. Tables and reserved


seating are available on a first come, first served basis.


For additional informa-


tion on “Take Me To Tokyo” and to purchase a table or ticket in support of the USET Foundation and the U.S. Equestrian athletes headed to the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics and Par- alympic Games, visit www.uset.org/2020-take- me-to-tokyo-gala.


aroused among profession- als around the world. The owners who had the final say on these future champi- ons were French and Bel- gian, as well as American and Dutch. The 14 performers


aged five, six, and seven in- cluded horses that were ab- solutely remarkable in terms of their achievements, ge- netics, and physical quality. The top price of the evening went


yearlings at sport horse sales, this is the age group most often represented at the Thoroughbred auctions organized by Arqana in Deauville, France. The se- lection gathered by The Auction’s experts was of great quality, as reflected in the top price of €70,000 reached by Savannah de Muze (lot 14), a beautiful daughter of Emerald out of a daughter of the great Athens silver medalist, But- terfly Flip. At the end of this his-


toric event, Eric Hoyeau, the President of ARQANA, said: “After a successful first experience in the em- bryo sector, we set ourselves a major challenge with Act II: To transpose the methods that have founded AR- QANA’s reputation in the racing sector to the sport horse market. Quality, pro- fessionalism, and trans- parency were the key words of this project. Its success is indebted to the sellers, who entrusted us with horses of a quality rarely seen at public sales, and also to Christophe


to DAKOTA DE


L’ARDRAIS (lot 11), who was sold for €560,000 after a merciless bidding battle. The handsome son of Urlevent du Bary, ranked seventh in the Belgian Six- Year-Old Championship, was described by expert ad- visor Virginie Coupérie Eif- fel as, “Great class, he could be a top championship horse. He has very good bal- ance, power, and that clev- erness which the top French horses have.” Another


eagerly


awaited highlight was the daughter of Emerald, NOORTJE VAN HET HOUTERHOF (lot 5), who commanded a final bid of €400,000. The Belgian Six- Year-Old Vice-Champion was the talk of the trials, along with the Champion herself, CONMITAGE (lot 9), on which no less than 25 bids were placed before the hammer fell at €226,000 for the daughter of Conthar- gos.


The drop-dead gor-


geous PINKI PAY (lot 4) boasted a title of Five-Year- Old Champion in Italy and was another to raise many hands until selling for €270,000.


High-Potential Yearlings, Such as in Thoroughbred Sales


While it is rare to find Conmitage. Jessica Rodrigues Photo


A night to remember at Cirque d’Hiver. Jessica Rodrigues Photo Performers: DAKOTA DE L’ARDRAIS at the Forefront


Ameeuw and his team, who made light work of strikes and other logistical con- straints to orchestrate this magical evening. Lastly, thank you to the buyers who supported this innovative approach. The market for high-level performers is a narrow one by definition. The vendors legitimately have high expectations for such quality horses, while it takes a real crush from the purchasers to go to these price levels. All things con- sidered I find the clearance rate very encouraging for an inaugural edition. To use a comparison with the Thor- oughbred industry, we are not so far off the ratios ob- served at our “Arc Sale,” an auction of top-level horses in training. I wish all buyers every success with their horses and look forward to seeing everyone on Febru- ary 15 in Deauville or in Hong Kong for Act III.” Christophe Ameeuw


commented, “This spectac- ular evening is an important step towards our common goal to transform sport


Top-selling horse, Dakota de l’Ardrais Jessica Rodrigues Photo


horse sales like the market for racehorses or the art world. I would like to thank the experts, the owners, and the clients who gave their trust in our project.”


About The Auction by Ar- qana


results from a partnership between


The Auction by Arqana Christophe


Ameeuw, owner and CEO of Ecuries d’Ecaussinnes and President of EEM, and Arqana, France’s Number 1 racehorse auctioneer and a leading European auction house. Created in 2019, The Auction


by Arqana


launched a groundbreaking program of auction sales dedicated to world-class show jumpers. Combined with the in-


novative concepts of live in- person and online auctions, dedicated to sport horses at the forefront of the interna- tional show jumping scene, we aim to become the world’s leading equestrian auction house and to offer a unique platform for world- class performers, embryos, equestrian art, photography, real estate, and valuable col- lections related to the horse. Inspired by the worlds


of Art and Horse Racing, The Auction aims to bring transparency and credibility to the equestrian trade, and to create a meeting point for buyers and sellers and attract new investors into the equestrian sector.


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