“I am incredibly pleased with the result of this auction. It has far exceeded my expectations,” says Holger Hetzel just before midnight, immediately after the end of his 15th International Sport Horse Sales at his stables in Goch, to the press representatives.

Nineteen 5- to 7-yr-old exceptional showjumping talents were sold for an average price of 195,000 euro by auctioneer Volker Raulf in the presence of about 700 interested clients and guests. The highest bid was made for the 6-yr-old Danish bred gelding, aptly called Halleluja (Warrant x Pythagoras). This grandson of the world-famous showjumping horse sire Numero Uno changed hands for exactly 500,000 euro, his new owner being Ulli Horrig, with whom Hetzel has a very special relationship. Several years ago this Rheinland entrepreneur was Hetzel’s first sponsor, thus enabling him to take his first steps on the way to the international showjumping sport.

There was plenty of international interest for the nineteen auction horses. Besides buyers from all over Germany, the event was attended by clients from Kuwait, the Netherlands and the USA. Also 18 year old Alexia Apostolescu from Rumania, the week before winner of the CSI2* Grand Prix of the Global Champions Tour Finals in Prague, the world’s most prestigious showjumping event, found what she was looking for. This former national basketball player purchased two horses at the auction. For 260,000 euro she acquired the 7-yr-old Sugar Boy (Contendro Boy I x Valentino) and for another 190,000 euro she got hold of the 5-yr-old Holsteiner So Beautiful (Connor x Calido I).