Hanoverian Stallion Licensing and Auction, 2015

The new world record price for a sport horse at auction was set at the 2015 Hanoverian stallion licensing in Verden, Germany. By Rocky Lee (a son of Rock Forever), out of a Rouletto/Wendenburg mare, the large, elegant, uphill-moving stallion was knocked down for 1.2 million euros to Andreas Helgstrand of Helgstrand Dressage, Denmark. The record crowd roared its approval as the gavel fell.
Rocky Lee sale topper
The Verband must now update their auction display board to reflect one more digit! When the bid went over a million, the board had to be rebooted to continue posting the bids. The under bidder on the stallion was the Danish stud farm Helgstrand once rode for, Blue Hors.
The catalog number 102 Rock Forever grandson is lovely in all regards, with beautiful gaits, a kind, relaxed manner and enormous presence combining into a breathtaking stallion. His sire, Rocky Lee is out of a Justinian xx mare; Rocky Lee stands at and is trained at Jo Hinnemann’s Krusterhof in Voerde/Rhineland. He is ridden by Stefanie Wold, and has collected his first wins and high placings in advanced dressage competitions.
Top-priced stallions
One of my favorite things about attending auctions and licensings in Verden is staying at the Hotel Hoeltje in the Verden town center. Just slip through a passageway between the beautiful old buildings and one is in the town center. The cobbled center is closed to cars and is a lovely place to stroll and window shop or have a drink or a meal. A nice walk loops through town and along the Aller River, past the John Lennon memorial; in 1966 he filmed part of an anti war film in Verden. And of course, the abundance of horse breeders in the area makes in a perfect place to stay a few days.
The top-priced jumper was by Comme Il Faut, out of a Calido I mare, and was knocked down for 65,000 euros. I really liked the Contendro I’s, the Lordanos and the Perigueux’s. And of course the Stakkatos are always impressive. My favorites of the jumpers were the Stolzenberg colts, both of whom were licensed, one as a premium who sold for 45,000 euros.
A per usual at stallion licensing auctions there were predictable high sellers, some that one thought would sell higher but didn’t, some that seemed to over sell and others that appeared to be bargains. In the dressage stallions, I really liked the Belissimo M sons, the Bon Bravours and of course the Danciers always look fabulous. The Devereauxs also impressed, as did the Floriscounts and For Romances, one of which was purchased by the Landgestuet Celle. I also quite liked the Londontimes. Not that there weren’t plenty other excellent stallion, these just stood out for me. And, of course, my favorites are always those stallions that I know to have excellent quality frozen semen that results in conceptions!
Final auction results
I mainly go to the stallion licensings to get an idea of the stallions' strengths and consistencies. There’s nothing like seeing several sons of a stallion at the same time and same stage of development to get a good idea of what he sires. I don't claim to be an expert, but I am always happy to share my observations with others.