ENGLISH TEXTS want to sell a young horse, a 2-year-old jumper at the July sales, for example, you need to have prepared him beforehand with a consignor for a month and a half,” notes Dominique Boulard.“ It has become a profession in itself. If you bring him in raw with a bit of pedigree, you will attract interest, but you will find it harder to sell. That was not the case when I started; it has intensified considerably with the development of trade.” With the emergence of online sales, competition is also more present than when he began. In his view, this is a positive development:“ It is good for breeders, for agencies, it stimulates sales. It is good for everyone and prevents people from resting on their laurels.”
BY CÉCILE ADONIAS
OSARUS
AN AGENCY IN CONSTANT EVOLUTION
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Founded in 2008, the Osarus agency is led by Emmanuel Viaud. Initially focused on the South-West market in order to provide new outlets for industry professionals in this region, Osarus has continuously developed and reinvented itself over the years. Thus, the first sales organised by the agency were exclusively reserved for horses born and bred in France or classified as“ FR”, and the very first took place at the Béquet racecourse in La Teste-de-Buch in September 2008. With the support of all stakeholders in the region, the sale expanded to attract both French and international buyers and vendors. The € 1 million turnover mark was surpassed in 2011 for the fourth edition of the sale, then € 3 million in 2013, eventually reaching € 4 million in revenue in 2017. This sale has produced numerous winners and black-type performers in France and internationally. As service to the industry forms an integral part of Osarus, several sales were launched alongside the yearling sale. A horses-in-training sale was created on the eve of the Prix de Diane and was first held in 2011 at the Maisons-Laffitte racecourse. The same year, a National Hunt-focused session was organised at the Lion d’ Angers racecourse. This was followed by the creation of a Breeze-Up sale in 2012 at the Pornichet racecourse. It was held there for three years before being moved to the La Teste-de- Buch racecourse in 2015, and will return there for the 2026 edition. In 2023, Osarus positioned itself in the Purebred Arabian market by launching the very first Breeze-Up dedicated to this breed. A new sale focused on the National Hunt market was also introduced the same year during the“ 3 Glorieuses” at Craon, along with a sale of racing ponies. Among the most emblematic Osarus graduates, Cavale Dorée finished third in the Breeders’ Cup
Juvenile Fillies Turf( Gr. 1), Trueshan became a leading international globetrotter, while Gemix, Punch Nantais and also Theleme and Gold Tweet distinguished themselves at the highest level over jumps on both sides of the Channel— to name but a few. In addition to these Flat racing activities, Osarus successfully entered the trotting market in 2015 and had attracted the British agency Tattersalls, which became a majority shareholder in 2014 in order, notably, to provide payment guarantees and strengthen commercial opportunities between the two countries. Over the years, Osarus has built a multidisciplinary calendar, testing the market and creating new commercial opportunities, fostering conviviality and developing a distinctive identity of its own, establishing itself within the European sales landscape during its most successful years.
BY SERGE OKEY
AUCTAV
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PROGRESS ACROSS THE BOARD
In early December, horses sold under the Auctav hammer passed the milestone of 600 wins. Founded in 2021, the agency led by Louis Baudron reached a decisive milestone two years later by making Haras de Bois Roussel its new flagship. Auctav likes to describe
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