ENGLISH TEXTS of breeding sales. In 1975, Albert Viel, son of Paul Viel, envisioned the creation, under the patronage of the Association du cheval anglo-normand( founded in 1909 by Paul Viel), of the Association des Éleveurs Normands( AEN), whose main mission would be to organize public auctions. The AEN was established in 1986. Beyond being managed by breeder associations, another common point between the AETCE and the AEN is that the yearlings presented are not pre-selected. In Caen, the first sale took place in autumn 1986 with 88 lots catalogued. It was already a success, as a certain Ursulo de Crouay, later a seven-time Group 1 and twelve-time Group 2 winner, was purchased for 6,000 francs. From then on, momentum built steadily. In 1987, the sale expanded to four days( two in spring, two in autumn), and by 1994, three sessions were dedicated to yearlings. In 2009, the event surpassed the mark of 500 yearlings presented, and a fifth day was added. Graduates branded“ Ventes de Caen” continued to flourish: Nancy Menuet, Nouba du Saptel, Quemeu d’ Écublei, Rapide Lebel, each at least a Group 2 winner. The roll of honor kept growing, eventually producing a dual Prix d’ Amérique winner: Idao de Tillard. In 2018, 767 catalog numbers were yearlings. The event then expanded to nine sessions( including foals and broodmares). Such abun- dance proved difficult for the market to absorb: the following year, only eight dates were scheduled. Success peaked in 2021, with turnover rising 14 % from the previous year to exceed € 3.4 million— a figure that continued to grow, reaching € 4.9 million in 2025. This growth was reflected in a significant increase in average prices: from € 6,197 to € 8,064(+ 30 %) for yearlings and from € 3,693 to € 5,000(+ 35 %) for foals over the same period. The Ventes de Caen are the meeting point for all breeders— large and small, established and newcomers alike. Dates that no one wants to miss.
ARQANA Trot: The Undisputed Leader Created from the merger of the two market leaders, Agence Française du Trot and Trotting Promotion, ARQANA Trot naturally became the new standard-bearer when it was founded in 2012. The agency now operates across three distinct sites, each serving a specific segment of the market. The Elie de Brignac sales complex in Deauville hosts the traditional selected yearling sale in early September as well as breeding stock sales. The Cabourg racecourse is mainly dedicated to horses in training, while Vincennes stages the racing segment of the prestigious Prix d’ Amérique sale. In 2022, ten years after its creation, ARQANA Trot exceeded € 20 million in turnover for the first time( the first year in which it offered 10 catalogues, compared to an average of seven previously). As in the Thoroughbred sector, the yearling market is crucial, accounting for nearly 50 % of total turnover. In 2022, the average price in this segment was € 27,000, confirming Deauville as the venue where the highest bids are recorded. To maintain its competitive edge and encourage breeders to consign to Deauville, ARQANA Trot created, in collaboration with the SETF, the Yearling Cup, a € 150,000 race held on the Paris cinder track, open exclusively to horses that have passed through the Deauville ring. While the agency experimented between 2020 and 2023 with certain concepts— Pop-Up sales, race-sales— it has since returned to its core model. The French trotting racing system is often considered the best in the world, a distinction that sets it apart from the Thoroughbred sphere. French sales agencies, and particularly ARQANA Trot, have virtually no competition. Proof of this lies in the organization, since 2024 in partnership with the Scandinavian agency Select Sales, of a session dedicated exclusively to foreign yearlings( Italian, Swedish, Danish, American). Further evidence, if needed, of the leadership position held internationally by French trotting and ARQANA. A leadership position that newer agencies are attempting to challenge by targeting different segments.
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