2011 New York Stallion Service Auction
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Coverage by Tuffy Owens
The supporters of the New York Morgan Stallion Service Auction turned out on Saturday, January 29, at the Saratoga Hilton in beautiful Saratoga Springs, NY, to bid on a stellar group of some of the best Morgan stallions in the country. Headed up by co-chairmen Steve Herz and Bob Marshall, the committee of the NYSSA consists of Diane Garrow, Lynn Peeples, Karen Saville, Doug Sluiter, and Carol Stone. Administrative Secretary Pam Turner was also on hand, keeping track of all of the paperwork and payments. John Bennett once again served as auctioneer, assisted by Ivan Beattie, who once again provided a wealth of knowledge as the pedigree reader. Doug Sluiter and Tuffy Owens assisted Bennett as bid spotters. The program sponsor, Purina Mills, had representatives on hand as well, District Manager Joe Haefle welcomed all of the attendees to the 22nd edition of this auction.
New for this year’s event was a $5,000 bonus program for the 2012 Weanling Sweepstakes. This prize money will be distributed among the eligible weanlings that finish in the top ten in that event. To be eligible for the bonus, the weanlings must be owned by the winning bidder at the auction or the stallion owner. This program rewards the stallion service donors as well as those who participate in the live auction. This bonus money is in addition to the quarter of the auction funds that are allocated to that same event. The remainder of the funds are split between two under saddle classes that will be held in 2016, when the horses are four-year-olds. One class is for Hunt and Western horses, the other is for Classic, English Pleasure, and Park horses.
A total of $34,655 was raised over the course of the three hours of live auction. While attendance in the ballroom was slightly lighter than in past years, the phone bids came fast and furious, with the phone crew making calls to interested parties as those particular stallions were coming up. Topping all others, fetching the highest price of the night was Astronomicallee, owned by C.A. Lee III. Shirley Haas was the winning bidder on the service to this remarkable young stallion, who has sired some of the best young horses in the show ring today, including Park Saddle Reserve World Grand Champion Cedar Creek Flambeau and Pleasure Driving World Grand Champion Cingate Starry Night.
Doug Sluiter made the final bid on the breeding to Man In Motion. Owned by the Cojacar family and standing at Waterford Farm, Man In Motion was the notable sire of two grand World Champions in the young horse divisions this past year. City Kitty was a star everywhere she went in 2010, including the winner’s circle in the 3-Year-Old Park Saddle World Championship. LPS Out Of Bounds took her rounds of honor as the 2-Year-Old Pleasure Driving World Champion as well as Junior Mare World Champion.
Finishing in the top three, Roberto Cavalli’s service went to Mark Fisher. The impeccable son of Hollybrook Stage Rage and the great producer, Schiaparelli, Roberto Cavalli was the Grand Champion Stallion at New England for Kathleen Pierce’s Kinzu Morgans. In 2009, he was the 3-Year-Old Stallion Grand National Champion. Just five years old, the promise of his bloodlines and conformation led him to be the third highest-priced service on the night.
Also receiving a lot of support was another Waterford stud, Town Assets. Like Man In Motion, Town Assets is also a son of Man About Town LPS. He fetched the next top bid from Eli Lapp. Town Assets is entering his 10-year-old year and has already sired World Champions like CHMH Spice Town Girl, Two-Year-Old Pleasure Driving World Champion in 2009 and Amateur Pleasure Driving Reserve World Champion as a three-year-old just last year.
Another son of the grand mare Schiaparelli, Cartier capped off the NYSSA top five. Mark Fisher apparently believes strongly in this bottom line, as he was the winning bidder on this one as well. Cartier is by Cedar Creek Harlequin. He was Four-Year-Old Pleasure Driving World Champion in 2004 and earned the English Pleasure Reserve World Grand Championship in 2008. Owned by Gay Gove, Cartier stands at Taylor River Farm.
Steve Herz had the winning bid on Stand And Deliver, who received the sixth highest bid. Seventh was Treble’s Tanqueray, purchased by Amy Bessey. Master Suite earned eighth, with John Lapp the winner, while Olin Miller was the top bidder on De La Renta in ninth. Issues N Answers capped off the top ten for John Aubin.
Also featured in the evening’s list of auction items was a laundry list of things donated by supporters of the NYSSA. Topping that list was a full page color ad in the Saddle Horse Report. A months training at each of Fairview Stable, Scottfield Stables, and Hobby Knoll Stable also brought top dollar from the crowd. A quarter of custom-cut premium Highland beef was donated by Ledyard Farms, with Jeanne Mellin’s custom color pencil animal portrait bringing a good sum as well. A package from Marsha D’Arriaga and prints from Howie Schatzberg and Terry Young were also highlights.
And now the wait begins for the 2012 Weanling Stake and the bonus prize money to be awarded to the talented weanlings produced because of this great program.
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