ENGLISH TEXTS
the Sydney Olympic Games with Philippe Rozier. In the first year, we had not yet set up a selection tour, but from the 1990 sale onwards, we organized one. Baby Love’ s good result opened the doors of many stud farms and enabled us to source the quality we wanted the following year. A virtuous circle was then established: first find good horses— because without good horses, there are no lasting sales— then sell them well.
G. At the first edition, was it easy to attract the public?
A. E. Yes, because it was a very convivial evening. People watched horses jump, enjoyed themselves, with absolutely no obligation to buy. The first year, we had to invite a lot of people, but from the second edition, organized over two days, the room was full. Each partner had two guest tables and the others purchased their seats.
G. Today, you offer more three-year-olds than foals, and the sale takes place over four evenings. What led to this evolution?
A. E. We try to adapt to the market, to adjust supply to demand. In a way, the Internet is currently doing the opposite, with an overabundance of supply and online sales organized every other day. The problem with an auction is still having three clients left for the final lot. If everyone has already found what they were looking for, the last horses— even qual- ity ones— no longer attract interest. There must always be buyers leaving frustrated on the final evening. In the 1990s and 2000s, sales were going well, so we gradually moved to three evenings, then four.
G. Is it within this logic that you developed other sales, on different dates and in other locations?
A. E. Yes. Today, we organize five physical sales. Two sales of three-year-olds, with a few foals: one in Deauville at the end of June – early July, and the main sale in Fontainebleau during the Grande Semaine de l’ Élevage. We also offer three performer sales linked to competitions: the Printemps des Sports Équestres sale in April at the Grand Parquet, the Deauville sale in August, and a sale we launched last year in Barbaste at the end of September, which we expect to continue.
G. The performer sale is a recent development.
A. E. Indeed. It responds to demand from both sellers and buyers. It also relies on the expertise of our younger partners— Laurent Guillet, Emmanuel Portet, Benjamin Ghelfi, Thierry Rozier and Juan Ramos— who are very active on the young horse circuit and international competitions. They transposed the three-year-old sales model to five- to sevenyear-old horses, maintaining the same principles: conviviality and supply slightly below potential demand.
G. Do you still manage to leave that“ unsatisfied client” at the end?
A. E. Yes. The day we feel demand weakening, we will present fewer horses. That’ s what thoroughbred sales do, and we take inspiration from them. Maximum is not always optimum.
G. Despite the physical format, is it now essential to offer remote bidding?
A. E. Absolutely. Today, nearly half of the horses receive remote bids. Last year, around 15 % of sales were concluded online. There is real synergy between in-person and digital formats.
G. How do you see the evolution of sales between the early days and today?
A. E. Some things remain unchanged: professionalism in selection, transparency and after-sales service, to which we attach great importance. When a buyer is disappointed for one reason or another, we always try to find a solution. On the other hand, much has evolved. The Internet did not exist at the time, and in the 1990s, the“ champagne effect” played a significant role. There was a more bling-bling aspect, which has somewhat faded. Today, purchasing remains a convivial moment, but it has become more thoughtful and more professional.
G. What is the future of the Fences sales?
A. E. To continue defending selection and in-person events amid the cacophony
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