“There had not been a sale of this depth and quality in twenty years” (photo: hamishNIVENPhotography)
Ever since they announced the intention to reduce their numbers, there has been much speculation as to when and what form the Summerhill sale of breeding stock would take.
It’s now official: the sale will be held on Sunday, 14th May in the School Of Excellence at the farm.
In a statement on Thursday, 6 April 2017, Business Manager, Ferdi Heinen said that in his recollection, there had not been a sale of this depth and quality in twenty years, when the two July heroines Devon Air and Tecla Bluff, as well as the dams of Jet Master, Royal Chalice, Promisefrommyheart and Covenant were sold at Summerhill.
“The timing of the sale represents a convergence between the maturation of our old partnerships which in some cases date back 30 years, and the owner’s intention to make space for their other projects. Clearly in this day and age, it is a rare opportunity to acquire the stock of a farm that has been at the head of the national breeding scene for much of the first two decades of the new century.”
According to Bloodstock Manager Tarryn Liebenberg, the catalogue of 106 mares includes 40 Black-type winners, performers or Stakes producers and 74 siblings to Stakes horses. And for the first time in years, there is a weanling entry of 80. “Out of respect to our good friends at Backworth Stud, the catalogue will only be published online after their sale next week. We’ll keep the public informed in that regard”, added Heinen.
