For the third consecutive year, a horse has been sold for more than €1 million at an auction at the Sentower Park equestrian centre in Oudsbergen, Limburg. An Irish family bought the eight-year-old gelding Kommandant.
For Sentower Park manager Laurens Meynaerts, it came as no surprise that Kommandant fetched the highest price.
“At eight years old, he was the oldest horse in the collection, but also the most experienced,” he says. “He has shown the most at a high level, which made him an extremely attractive choice for serious sports enthusiasts.” The Coolmore family paid €1.2 million euros for the horse. “They have been active in stallion breeding since 1850 and see a great future for Kommandant. Their plans are to first let him settle in quietly,” Meynaerts says. “They want to grow step by step and eventually break through in international top-level sport.”
Our horses are treated like kings and queens
Tuesday was the fifth edition of the Aloga Auction. For the past three years, a horse has been sold for more than €1 million at the event, with the highlight last year being the sale of a horse called Dark Chocolate for €2.3 million.
Horses are fetching increasingly high prices. “It’s about much more than just the sport. Horses are seen as products that increase in value,” says Meynaerts. Welfare is a priority at the park, he adds. “Our horses are treated like kings and queens. We also have to do everything we can to keep them in the best possible condition so they can perform at their best.”
This article was written in collaboration with journalism student Emma Van Baelen from PXL university college.