Take five professional horsemen, add ten top international show jumpers and what you get is an intriguing new concept that promises to turn the page on the conventional horse auction.
For several years, Tal Milstein, Eric Grenier, Ilan Ferder, Daniel Bluman, Sören Kühl, Gilbert De Roock, and Carlo Pfyffer had bounced around the idea of presenting a very select group of horses in a new and innovative way. All experienced and well-known horse dealers, scouts, and producers of horses, they came together as friends and professionals and organized “The Ten”.
It is to be an auction event that promises to turn heads: “The Ten” will present ten show jumpers at auction on Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at Azelhof Horse Events in Lier, Belgium. Learn more by going here, and read on to find out ten things about The Ten:
- Together, Tal, Eric, Ilan, Daniel, Sören and Carlo spent eight months working with their various connections, scouting all over Europe to find the ten horses that would fit the criteria for this auction.
- The rule was that all five members of the team had to approve the horse for selection. If one person didn’t like the horse, it was a no go.
- Why just ten horses? In its first effort, the team wanted to start out with a small, very select group of horses to see how it went. What’s more, The Ten has a nice ring to it!
- The team owns all ten horses in partnership, together, and every horse has been in their various training program for months. “We needed the horses to be in our program so that we know exactly what we’re putting in the auction,” Bluman explained.
- The horses are aged between 5-7 years old and have all have been competing internationally.
- Each horse ranks high on a specific quality score criteria of carefulness, pedigree, scope, rideability, type and vetting. The formula for scoring each horse is outlined in detail here.
- The horses are available to be tried on the afternoon of the auction. The nighttime auction itself will include a presentation of each horse in hand.
- The Ten is more than just an auction, it is billed as an event; dinner, a party, and a concert will revolve around the auction itself.
- VIP tables for the event at €1,000 per table are already sold out and phone bidders are lined up as well, indicating high interest in The Ten.
- What kind of prices will The Ten attract? For the answer to that, you’ll just have to wait and see! You can watch The Ten via online livestream at ClipMyHorse, beginning at 8:30pmCET.