ENGLISH TEXTS
G. How did the first months at the head of this new agency go?
P. A. It was complicated, but I was well supported by Michel Houyvet, who had experience. The capital came from Goffs Ireland and Fasig- Tipton. At the time, only one employee remained, taken on when the Office du Pur- Sang was acquired. Goffs France required me to stop riding over jumps. And for good reason, if I had been injured in a race, half the staff would have been out of action! Pierre Charles Le Métayer, Bertrand’ s father, also helped us by accompanying me to the stand on sale days. We had to prospect for yearlings, not to mention that the accounts had not been kept before our arrival. We had to roll up our sleeves to prepare for the August sale. The yearling market was very difficult for us because the major consignors were all shareholders in the Agence Française. Needless to say, they weren’ t going to sell with us. Among our clients, we had a few loyal to the Office du Pur-Sang and all those disappointed with the Agence Française. Initially, our sales were held in Deauville. Then the Société d’ Encouragement dealt us a blow by prioritizing rentals to the Agence Française and forcing them to sublet to us at exorbitant prices. We then moved in particular to Clairefontaine, with dismantlable boxes.
G. How did Goffs France find its place in this unfavorable context?
P. A. We were pioneers in many respects. We seized the market for horses in training because, before us, those sales mostly consisted of horses destined for retirement. We notably organized the Arc de Triomphe Sale in the riding arena of the Polo de Bagatelle, with an international clientele. These were the first sales featuring horses entered to run the next day. Among the sporting successes, we can mention Irish Bird, a superb mare owned by Daniel Wildenstein, who later produced two stallions, Bikala and Assert, both winners of the Jockey Club( Editor’ s note: in 1981 and 1982). Sanedtki, a multiple Group 1 winner, also passed through Goffs France. I also clearly remember the sale of François Mathet’ s estate in the rotunda of the Chantilly restaurant. Everyone thought we were crazy, but the horses entered through the glass doors and everything went smoothly.
G. What did Goffs bring to French soil, drawing on its experience across the Channel?
P. A. When Goffs arrived, a buyer would pay if he felt like it, and the seller was paid a year later, or sometimes never. Goffs introduced a 45-day payment guarantee for vendors. The Agence Française was forced to find a solution. For the first time at sales in France, spotters appeared, though clients were not really used to that. We also developed the sales of 2-year-olds in training, the first session of which took place in Évry.
G. What assessment did you make of those ten years at the head of Goffs France?
P. A. It was difficult but very formative. The sales became more professional over the years and the team grew. Three people I recruited at the time are still there: the very talented Éric Hoyeau, Sylvain Gosselin, now Financial Director, and Rosa Gresset, who handles administration. We brought rigor to management, with very few unpaid accounts, unlike other agencies. I must admit I was proud when Goffs, the small company, bought out the big one, the Agence Française.
BY CÉCILE ADONIAS
GERMANY
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BBAG, THE SHOWCASE OF GERMAN BREEDING
Baden-Badener Auktionsgesellschaft, better known as BBAG, was founded in 1984 following the merger of the two historic German auction companies. These were based in Baden-Baden and sold horses in the parade ring of the racecourse. The sales complex was established in 1991 with eighty boxes. Over the years, it was expanded to include two hundred and fifty boxes, plus access to the adjoining racecourse stables, bringing the
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