Vacaville, CA – September 6th & 7th marks the return of the Pacific Sporthorse Selection to the Christiane Noelting Dressage Center in Vacaville, CA. This will be the third year that the innovative sport horse auction, fundraiser, and educational event is held.
This year, the collection of elite dressage horses and hunter/jumpers will be joined by several quality event prospects. The group includes recently started young horses as well as proven competition horses. Many of the horses have been imported from Europe especially for the auction.
“Our vision is to provide a much needed venue for buyers looking for excellent horses to see an entire collection of suitable candidates” says Christian Hartung, president of Sporthorse-Online, LLC, organizer of the Pacific Sporthorse Selection (PSS) Auction. All of the horses have a vet-check and x-rays available for prospective buyers and their veterinarians to review.
The PSS is modeled after the European Auction tradition where breeders of top quality horses compete to have their best horses selected by discriminating experts for presentation at prestigious auctions. Buyers know that these auctions will present a large selection of quality prospects to choose from. For example, 8 auctions are held each year in Hanover, Germany where more than 1000 sport horses, foals, broodmares, and stallions are sold!
“Buyers no longer have to travel around the West Coast or to Europe to find their future partner. We are bringing the horses to one place for buyers to try.” says Christian. The pre-vetting further simplifies the process for buyers who are often faced with disappointment when a prospect they have chosen does not pass the vet check.
A new addition to the weekend’s activities in 2014 is the “PSS University,” a 2 day series of educational talks on equine related topics. Co-hosted by the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the California Dressage Society, lectures and demos range from equine acupuncture to pilates for riders. “The talks we offered in past years were so well received, that we elected to expand them this year into a full continuing education weekend” says Ellie Johnson, one of the organizers of the PSS.
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There is no admission fee to attend the weekend’s lectures. Instead, organizers suggest a $10 donation to support the young rider program, CDS Club 100.
The Pacific Sporthorse Selection hosts a fundraiser for breast cancer as well. Fundraising for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) will take place during the Gala evening held on September 6th along with wine tasting and lively entertainment (tickets are required.) Exciting items that will be auctioned off for charity include a breeding to the world famous stallion “Sir Donnerhall,” a new Schleese saddle, and some beautiful artwork.
“We have worked hard to make the PSS an event that gives back to the community” says Ellie. “To date the event has raised over $11,500 in donations to BCRF and CDS Club 100 and we are really proud of that!”
Auction horses are available to watch and try beginning on August 23rd through September 6th. Descriptions, photos and video clips of all the horses are also being posted online in mid August.
Excitement is building as the team prepares for what they hope will be even more successful than last year. More information and tickets to the Gala may be found online at www.sporthorse-selection.com
