Top lot at Monart elite sport horse sale heads to the US as ‘strong demand’ reported
The top lot at last week’s Monart Sale was knocked down for €31,500 to a US buyer.
Joe Pagan, founder and president of Kentucky Equine Research – an international equine nutrition, research, and consultation company serving horse owners and the feed industry – bought three-year-old MBF Santuro, by the Canturo son L’Extreme BH, out of a mare by Casall, who was being sold by MBF Sporthorses.
The Monart Sale consists entirely of three-year-olds, primarily destined for eventing. Buyers could attend in person or view horses through videos online on Monday and Tuesday (3-4 November), with the actual auction taking place online on Wednesday and Thursday (5-6 November).
“My wife and I attended the sale. This was our first time at Monart in person, but we were very familiar with the sale through the years. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience, particularly staying at the Monart Destination Spa,” Joe told H&H.
“We were interested in a number of horses initially, but narrowed our bidding to two horses. We were outbid for the first horse on Wednesday and bought this one on Thursday. We liked his conformation and were impressed with his way of going. We thought he might be a good young eventing prospect.”
Joe added that MBF Santuro will remain in Ireland to be started, before hopefully heading to the US next summer to begin his eventing career. He said it is “yet to be decided” who would start him or ride him once he is in the US.
- View the sale results
Niall Griffin, managing director of the Monart Sale, said: “We’re very pleased with how the 2025 sale performed. It proved to be a real stand-out year, with outstanding quality on show and strong demand across all our markets.”
The sale reported a 73% clearance rate and an increase in average price compared to 2024. Seventy-nine horses were sold, with buyers including British five-star rider Sam Ecroyd’s father James, who bought three horses, Turkish championship rider Kumru Say, who purchased two, and Naomi Brotherton, mother of rising British star Barnie Brotherton.
The sale made “substantial investments this year to elevate the quality and experience of the sale, and there’s more in the pipeline for 2026”.
Expanding international reach through increased investment in marketing and social media paid off, attracting buyers from Poland, Scandinavia, Italy, the United States, Canada, Argentina, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium. The sale also reported “a welcome rise” in homegrown buyers from Ireland.
“Our vendors put in tremendous work and showcased their horses beautifully,” added Niall.
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