First Ever Thoroughbred Auction in Havana

With measured and elegant movements Zabriena cantered through the gateway with experienced rider Maikel Carmenate at the reins. At that moment someone in the stands was waiting to make her his. Carmenate had cherished her, ridden her and tested her strength, and was determined she would not go for less than her worth. And the bidding began. First 7,000 €, then 15,000 then, as established by the rules, the bids went up 1,000 by 1,000.

The sale of Zabriena capped at 23 000 euros, the highest bid of the auction. Chilean Caceres Leopoldina carried off the golden mare (Tenerife VDL x Gershwin, born 4 July 2004), declared by the auctioneer to be a horse with all the attributes to win grand prize in any competition in the world.

The First Havana Elite Auction for jumpers became a great opportunity to acquire internationally ranked horses of the famous Royal Dutch Blood. The bidding, held at Lenin Park′s Equestrian Center, was organized by the Equestrian Club of Havana, VDL Stud and the travel agency ECOTUR SA.

Guillermo García, president of the Flora and Fauna Enterprise and recognized as the man behind the revival of equestrian sports in Cuba, made the welcome to all those present from Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala and the Netherlands.

The quality of those sold at auction, he said, was the result of the brotherhood between Cubans and Netherlanders and especially the standards of a group of youngsters, almost children, dedicated to training and forming horses for national and international competitions and for the enjoyment of all lovers of the equestrian modality.