Olympic mare Ornellaia is coming home, to the delight of her former partner John Whitaker.
The 20-year-old For Pleasure mare was top lot at the first Flanders Foal Auction of 2025, selling for €136,000 (£116,000) to the British-based Old Lodge Stud. Her first filly, Coeur d’Or Z was also sold, for €66,000 to a German journalist and breeder.
“Flanders Foal Auction answered many pressing questions with its first foal auction of the year,” a spokesperson for the sale said. “What is the value of a 20-year-old Olympic mare who delivered her first foal? Do global political unrest and wars affect auction prices? And does interest in jumping foals with proven pedigrees remain high? The outcome exceeded expectations, with an average price of €30,765.”
Ornellaia, who represented Britain at the 2016 Games with John, and at the 2021 young rider Europeans with Sienna Charles, where the team won bronze, was the first lot of the night, at Sentower Park in Belgium. Bidding was up to €75,000 before the auction even started, but it was Old Lodge Stud, founded by the late Prince Torki Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al Kabeer of Saudi Arabia and now led by his son, Prince Sultan, that won the night.
“My daughter pointed out that Ornellaia was going to be auctioned, and that got the ball rolling,” said John, who rides for Old Lodge Stud and was watching the sale online.
“That mare still means so much to me. She has such a great mentality, always happy, ears always forward. I really like her. I’m pleased she’s going to such a nice place, and that we’ll be able to see her and her future foals.”
Another British Olympic medal-winner was in bidding action at the sale; Peter Charles secured the first offspring ever sold out of the grand prix mare Azur HH. The Cornet Obolensky colt, Côte d’Azur HH Z, will move to the Charleses’ Heathcroft Farm.
Flanders Foal Auction has four more sales this season, the next of which is at Peelbergen on 28 June.
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