ENGLISH TEXTS more international clientele. Organized during key events such as the Grande Semaine de l’ Élevage in Fontainebleau or alongside 4 * and 5 * competitions, they bring together riders, breeders and bloodstock agents from around the world. The auction evenings held during these events have, over the years, become must-attend highlights of the season, closely followed by industry professionals. At the same time, the advent of live web bidding has strengthened the international reach of auctions. While some are now conducted exclusively online, the live streaming of physical auctions enables buyers to bid remotely, without geographical constraints. A decisive development: during the latest Ventes Fences sales, several horses were purchased online from Germany, Switzerland, Ireland and Italy, illustrating the additional opening to the international market made possible by organizing a physical event that is also broadcast live on the web.
The figures Transparency regarding auction results is not yet standard practice. Some sales publish full results online the same evening or the following day, while others release no figures at all. In 2025, the record price of € 450,000, set twenty-five years earlier at a Ventes Fences sale during the Arc de Triomphe auction, was broken with a top price of € 600,000 for the five-year- old stallion Celektric D, sold at the Deauville Classic Auction. At the Flanders Foal & Embryo Auction, an appaloosa foal with outstanding bloodlines, C-Bra van het Bokt, sent bidding soaring when it was sold for € 402,000. While some spectacular results capture attention, they should not obscure the more nuanced reality of the auction market. Audience excitement, competition between buyers and the prestige of the event all contribute to driving prices upward. Contrary to common belief, not all horses sell for exorbitant prices, and auctions are not aimed exclusively at a particularly wealthy clientele. The 2025 edition of the Nash sales provides a perfect illustration. With total turnover of € 925,000, bidding reached particularly accessible price levels, with an average of € 19,000 on the first evening and € 23,578 the following day. These figures confirm that auctions remain a gateway to the market for a wide range of buyers, well beyond the very top-end segment alone..
BY MARIE-HÉLÈNE BLANCHET
ARNAUD EVAIN
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FOUNDING PART- NER OF VENTES FENCES
Galorama. What prompted you to launch the Fences sales in 1989?
Arnaud Evain. It was the meeting of two paths. On one side, there was Marcel Rozier, who wanted to do something in the new facility he was opening in Bois-le- Roi. He had approached Éric Nègre, saying that something should be organized during the Grande Semaine de l’ Élevage in Fontainebleau, where there are many foreigners, many clients and a lot of trade. He had seen auctions at Eric Wauters’ in Mechelen and had the idea of inviting people to dinner and having horses jump in front of them. On the other side, with Bernard Le Courtois, we were somewhat tired of seeing foals in Poitiers sell for 1,000 or 2,000 francs. It was really low-end. We thought we might organize a quality foal sale in Deauville, alongside the thoroughbred sales— it wasn’ t yet ARQANA. Then, in November 1988, we met with Marcel Rozier and Bruno Souloumiac to discuss our respective projects and said to ourselves:“ Why not do it together?” A sale with foals and show jumpers. That’ s how the Fences sales were born.
G. What memories do you have of that first edition?
A. E. We experienced it like a flash. We weren’ t really aware of the risks we were taking, but we were very enthusiastic. We were fortunate to have Baby Love Fontaine, the full sister of I Love You, who sold for 220,000 francs to Mr. Lamotte( Élevage d’ Helby). There was also Barbarian, who would later compete at
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