Paul and Emile Hendrix, Neil Jones and Yves Houtackers are the renowned horsemen behind Stichting Dutch Sport Horse Sales. Each year the DSHS selection consists of talented 4- and 5-year-old jumping horses. The previous edition was exceptionally successful. With a record price of € 280.000, the top-quality Corland x Emilion grey Ariantha goes down in the books as the auction star of the last seven editions. The success of the horses auctioned is a big compliment to the selection committee, the members of which we would like to introduce to you further.

Yves Houtackers runs his own show jumping yard in Weert, Limburg. He gained his experience and knowledge at the yards of big names in the equestrian world, such as the top Swedish rider Malin Baryard and the World Cup winner Marcus Ehning. Yves himself has had many successes in the show jumping sport and strives to offer the buyer a well-ridden and honest horse.

Yves Houtackers: ‘Dutch Sport Horse Sales came about thanks to the late Mr A.M. Gordijn. Every year he put his facility, Dressuur- en Springstal De Ijzeren Man, at the disposal of the Limburg Foal Auction. The indoor arena looked absolutely first-rate during the foal auction and it was of course a shame that everything had to be dismantled again the next day. At the time of the foundation of DSHS, Neil Jones and I were both based at De IJzeren Man and that is how we came to work together with Paul Hendrix to organise a sports horse auction.’

Paul and his brother Emile Hendrix together run one of the most well-known show jumping and dealing yards in the world. Through their knowledge of top-quality horses they have built up a worldwide clientele in the horse trade. Paul and Emile are true horsemen and strive for perfection. They have an eye for tracing the best young horses and for offering them to the right customer.

Paul Hendrix: ‘With these sportspeople, we took on Mr Gordijn’s idea and started an auction for young dressage and jumping horses. We carried on with the jumping horses. The success of the auction quickly overtook us; the horses that we selected for the previous auctions have been so successful internationally that we want to set the auction up even better and even more professionally, so that we can concentrate on selecting the better top-quality horses, because there is a demand for them’.

Neil Jones, of English origin, has built a reputation for himself as ‘Neil Jones Equestrian’. With his many years of experience at the top level in equestrian sport, he has become a leading horse dealer. Neil strives for satisfied customers who are happy to return to him.

Neil Jones: ‘The horses sold during the previous editions are extremely successful internationally. That is why we are all very enthusiastic in continuing with DSHS. We work with a professional team of people around us and strive for ever more perfection, that is why we try to take a further step forward every year.’

Paul Hendrix: ‘DSHS’s strong point is that the horses are purchased and trained by us as part of the long preparatory phase. We know the horses inside-out and know what we are selling’.

Yves Houtackers: ‘Because we offer a very small, select group of horses we can give guarantees. When you include horses from elsewhere in the auction, then it is more difficult to advise the client because you don’t know the horse well enough. We know our horses and that makes it easier to sell the right horse to the right customer’. ‘That is why it is so unique that the horses are in our possession, that way we can offer the customer after-sales service after the auction’, adds Neil Jones.

The selection committee is confidently looking forward to the eighth edition of Dutch Sport Horse Sales. The current collection looks very promising. The horsemen proudly announce that the Dutch Champion of 5-year-old jumping horses is included in their selection of talented 4- and 5-year-olds. This Dutch Champion Bestinov (Ustinov x Indorado x Indoctro) will be auctioned under catalogue number 24 during the Dutch Sport Horse Sales which will take place on Wednesday 28^thSeptember 2011.