World Champion showjumper up for auction after Rio

Jeroen Dubbeldam’s World and European Champion showjumper Zenith is among a group of horses to be sold via an online auction in The Netherlands after the Olympic Games.

The six horses are being sold through BVA Auctions for the Showjumping Fund of the Netherlands (SFN) on September 21. The horses can be bought either on location at BVA Auctions in Amersfoort, The Netherlands, or online.

As well as SFN Zenith NOP, leading jumper Aquila SFN is also up for auction. Under Wout Jan van der Schans, Aquila SFN has been a consistent performer on Nations Cup teams and won the 3* Grand Prix in Luxembourg earlier this month. Both horses are longlisted for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Formerly known as Springpaarden Fonds Nederland, the SFN was created in 2006, and was the brainchild of Dutch equestrian journalist Jacob Melissen.

It was Jacob’s initial vision to create a financial fund, open to Dutch equestrian fans, who wanted to invest in keeping some of the finest Dutch-bred horses on home soil and made available to Dutch riders.  Five of the country’s leading horse dealers, Emile Hendrix, Willy van der Ham, Egbert Schep, Teus van den Brink and Johan Heins, advise the SFN Board on the horses the Fund should buy and which riders they should be given to. Only when all five agree unanimously will an investment go ahead.

The SFN has achieved exceptional results, not only through the world class SFN Zenith NOP, who will be the highest profile lot offered at the September sale, but also Aquila SFN. Under Wout Jan van der Schans, Aquila SFN jumped one of only two double clears in the 2015 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in Dublin and again at the 2016 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup in La Baule, also winning the 3* Grand Prix in Luxembourg earlier this month.

Another former star of the SFN, Utascha SFN who was sold in December 2013, competed at the FEI World Equestrian Games and two FEI European Championships, as well as numerous Furusiyya FEI Nations Cups.

SFN Board president Henk Rottinghuis said it was hoped that investors would be rewarded with a good financial return from the auction. “The first SFN has been hugely successful and has not only contributed towards an unprecedented period of success for The Netherlands in the sport of show jumping, but has also given the original investors a great deal of emotional pleasure in supporting the horse and rider combinations.”

Rottinghuis said the original SFN always had a lifespan of 10 years, and the board would soon launch SFN II.

The horses in the auction are:

SFN Zenith N.O.P., a 12-year-old son of Rash R, out of a Jalisco B line mare, has surpassed the expectations of the SFN, who acquired the gelding as a seven-year-old. SFN Zenith N.O.P. and Jeroen Dubbeldam have been regulars on the 5* Grand Prix circuit in recent years, with highlights including team and individual gold at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Caen 2014, team and individual gold at the FEI European Championships in Aachen in 2015, and team gold at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Final in Barcelona, also in 2014.

Aquila SFN, A 5* 10-year-old gelding with Wout-Jan van der Schans, has represented Holland in Nations Cup teams, most notably when one of only two combinations to jump double clear in Dublin in 2015 and in La Baule in 2016. Aquila SNF was the recent winner of the 3* Grand Prix at CSI Luxemburg in early June, again as one of only two to jump double clear.

Chuck Blue SFN will be offered from the stable of Emile Hendrix, where he is currently ridden by Niels Knape. A nine-year-old gelding, with world-class breeding, Chuck Blue SFN has been competing in 1.40m classes with continued success.

Djumpsina SFN, an eight-year-old daughter of Zurich, moved to the yard of Gerco Schröder at the end of 2015 following a successful career to date in the Dutch young horse classes. Schröder will bring the mare on over the summer, giving her valuable competition experience before she goes up for auction.

Eloma’s Blue SFN, who under Wout-Jan van der Schans was joint winner of the KWPN six-year-old championships in 2015, finishing sixth in the World Championships six-year old final in Lanaken. The seven-year-old stallion has a promising future and will continue to progress through the age class ranks in 2016.

Ferrari SFN, the youngest horse to be offered for sale, and will continue to train on in 2016 under Hester Klompmaker. The six-year-old stallion, by Thunder van de Zuuthoeve (by Argentinus) is an exciting prospect for the future.

www.sfnauction.com