BBC programme coast and country auction on welsh cob sale

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blodwyn1

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Very very disappointed with this programme on the Builth Wells welsh cob sales!
As usual the commentary was useless and they did not feature any of the top lots and instead gave the impression that all foals sold for very little. The top lots made £10,000 So the programme was very biased. Most of the start of it was showing part breds while the commentator was talking about the qualities of Welsh cobs!
 
Don't let my comments stop you watching it! I have emailed a complaint to the BBC saying how disappointed I was. Perhaps if more complained they would research their topics more thoroughly. If I was buying for a RDA stable i wouldnt be buying foals from an auction!
 
blodwyn1 said:
Don't let my comments stop you watching it! I have emailed a complaint to the BBC saying how disappointed I was. Perhaps if more complained they would research their topics more thoroughly. If I was buying for a RDA stable i wouldnt be buying foals from an auction!
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I am asking a genuine question here and not having a pop.
why not buy an rda foal from auction?
 
I have to say I wouldn't be thinking of buying a sec d as a Rda horse necessarily but they were obviously thinking long term in buying foals.
Not sure if warrants a complaint to bbc but that's up to you.
I enjoyed the programme and found it interesting.
No disrespect to sec d's as i have one but each individual is different and some may very well be suitable as Rda horses.
 
I watched the program, the lady with the RD A initially wanted one ridden pony to bring on and a youngster for the future. The pony they featured that she was keen on went over her budget, it didn't mention any others she liked. Then she bought the two foals
 
If I was buying for a riding for the disabled I would want a well established horse that had a steady temperament. Buying foals does enable them to rear them correctly but doesn't guarantee that they would be suitable in the long run. One of my D mares would be ideal for RDA as after all she carries me! I was disappointed at their coverage and not covering the top end of the market gave a very biased view .
 
blodwyn1 said:
If I was buying for a riding for the disabled I would want a well established horse that had a steady temperament. Buying foals does enable them to rear them correctly but doesn't guarantee that they would be suitable in the long run. One of my D mares would be ideal for RDA as after all she carries me! I was disappointed at their coverage and not covering the top end of the market gave a very biased view .
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I do see your point, however, the owners of the Rda school may well have been thinking long term. They wouldn't be thinking of using the foalsls for years of may have been thinking of selling at a later date to fund other horses
 
blodwyn1 said:
If I was buying for a riding for the disabled I would want a well established horse that had a steady temperament. Buying foals does enable them to rear them correctly but doesn't guarantee that they would be suitable in the long run. One of my D mares would be ideal for RDA as after all she carries me! I was disappointed at their coverage and not covering the top end of the market gave a very biased view .
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I watched it and enjoyed it, but i dont know that much about auctions or welsh cobs. A lot of these programmes are dissappointing if its your chosen subject!

I did nt really have any thoughts about the folk buying foals for the rda..I just assumed they knew what they were doing!
 
18 minutes in .... what the hell is that person doing on the back of that cob? Hahaa looked like something out of the Thelwel cartoons, lol!
 
Antw23uk said:
18 minutes in .... what the hell is that person doing on the back of that cob? Hahaa looked like something out of the Thelwel cartoons, lol!
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The strangest riding I’ve seen! Certainly wasn’t doing the pony any favours.
 
I hope the buying of the foals intended for the RDA was a personal purchase. The RDA is a charity for the provision of riding/driving/vaulting not for keeping young or retired horses/ponies and doing so contavenes their charity rules.
 
rabatsa said:
I hope the buying of the foals intended for the RDA was a personal purchase. The RDA is a charity for the provision of riding/driving/vaulting not for keeping young or retired horses/ponies and doing so contavenes their charity rules.
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I should imagine she will buy them herself nice and cheap, let them grow up in a field she owns (very little cost to keep) and then put some effort into them before they go on to either make the RDA grade or be sold!

Regardless of being a charity or a riding school you need to prepare for the future and have nicely bred horses and ponies coming into the job without the purchase costing you a fortune by buying 'ready made' stock!

Think guide dogs for the blind?
 
I thought it was realistic. the majority of foals sell for very little, the top prices are only for a handful of animals. what is the point of only showing those? that gives a false impression and further adds to the myth that all equestrians are rich people. If the breeders of these welsh and welsh pbs didn't breed so many low value animals in a market already with over supply then then prices would rise generally. ETA just watched a little of the prog. some one went for £2000 another at £700. hardly dirt cheap! I only paid £200 for mine at Builth as a foal.
and the Oliver guy has too many horses apparently. so why keep breeding! its all about money.
 
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Just caught up on it. I enjoyed the program, it would have been nice to see some of the high price ones go through but I believe it portrayed the sales realistically. The majority do not fetch huge prices.
 
Downton Dame said:
I thought it was realistic. the majority of foals sell for very little, the top prices are only for a handful of animals. what is the point of only showing those? that gives a false impression and further adds to the myth that all equestrians are rich people. If the breeders of these welsh and welsh pbs didn't breed so many low value animals in a market already with over supply then then prices would rise generally. ETA just watched a little of the prog. some one went for £2000 another at £700. hardly dirt cheap! I only paid £200 for mine at Builth as a foal.
and the Oliver guy has too many horses apparently. so why keep breeding! its all about money.
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I thought it was fairly well done as a programme about auctions rather than an equestrian programme it had to be a broad example of who buys and sells, showing the top end would not have been realistic, they showed a mid range although the sellers of the 4 year old were rather unrealistic hoping for £4k for a just backed pb pony.

As for the breeders they may have a few less than ideal youngsters but they are not bin end breeders aiming for high quantity low quality stock, they are generally aiming to breed top end foals and like any breeding programme there will always be the less perfect ones to either sell at lower prices or cull, the Oliver guy was part of a family who had been breeding for many years, they were not in it just for the money they were breeding top quality stock, they were kept in excellent conditions, they were happy to take home the best ones if they didn't reach the reserve, they are "addicted" to keeping and breeding lovey ponies and are very unlikely to ever make it pay in real terms.

Someone has to produce foals to supply the market, I would far rather support a breeder who gives thought to the end product, has taken care of the foals from conception to sale, than support the real bottom end of the market which seems to still be a popular way to buy because the buyer thinks they are getting a bargain.
 
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