Remaining (in person) horse sales in Britain

[stangs]

Off the top of my head, there's Beaulieu, Chagford, Builth Wells, and the NWA as breed sales; Brecon and Llanybydder as regular low level sales (anyone been to either and know what the standard of horse is like these days?); Tattersalls and Doncaster for racers. STAGBI sales I think are all online since York stopped, but not sure. Don't know any of the Scottish ones.

What others are there?

Also - do people have advice for others looking to buy at one of these sales? Thinking that it could be good to have one resource of information for people interested, there's not much recent info around if you're not already in the know.

 

[Archangel]

I go to Llanybydder as it is just down the road. Some smart horses have started to go through, going for £5k+ and some middle and then some that have had a hard life. Ring 2 is youngsters and feral ponies.
You can pick up a good Welsh D there on a good day and I would take a punt there without too much worry. They may restart now restrictions are lifting. There is a Llanybydder group on FB and Evans have their own page.
You need to buy a lot number which is about £5 from memory but you can use it all year. If you want to bid you have to barge to the front and get a good view of the auctioneer. It goes very fast and with a Welsh twang so you need to get your ear in to keep up. It is quite a crush.

I haven't been to Brecon because I know I would come home with a truck load of feral ponies.

Leominster have a lot of sales., you can get some good sorts in the general sale. That is another sale I would take a punt on a horse at.
Be interesting to see what prices they go for when they restart in this mad market.

What are you looking for? There is an online racehorse auction as well but can't remember the name. How I end up at all these sales when I don't want any more I will never know.

 

[piebaldproblems]

There's Holmfirth, the type of sales people should stay far away from if they're susceptible to pity purchases . Currently shut because of the pandemic. I'm not sure if they'll start the horse sales again. From their FB, it didn't seem like they were getting many entries end of 2019/start of 2020.

 

[Snowfilly]

Exeter was still going last summer and probably will pick up again this year. Always a mix of dodgy types being offloaded, feral moor ponies, too slow pointers and decent horses that deserve somewhere better. I’ve brought a few from there.

There’s a couple of once a year sales in Devon as well although I’m drawing a blank on the names, as well as the drift pony sales.

 

[rara007]

I guess the shetlands are still going at reading but that’s a guess?

 

[rextherobber]

Beaulieu was online too

 

[throwawayaccount]

Is beeston still doing horse sales? Haven’t been there for a few years now.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Is beeston still doing horse sales? Haven’t been there for a few years now.

The site is currently being redeveloped as a housing estate.

 

[Frano]

Used to have horse sales at Carmarthen on a Thursday, at the cattle market or show ground, , always Appleby or Stow

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Melton Mowbray Horse Sales. Apparently they were still going last year so may still be on.

 

[ycbm]

Is beeston still doing horse sales? Haven’t been there for a few years now.

Stopped years ago, I have bought there and visited regularly.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I guess the shetlands are still going at reading but that’s a guess?

Sadly not. In Oct 2020 T&S announced that after 50 yrs they were no longer going to have the SPSBS sales ?

NWA held the annual FPS sale the last 2 lockdown yrs in October (2020 was registered bidders only and no spectators) and have other native lots after on same day.

 

[neddy man]

Can't think of one anywhere near me in Yorkshire, years ago we would be of to look at auctions every couple of weeks, Lepton, Pannel, Huddersfield in the centre, then transferred to outskirts then transferred to Holmfirth, York, Shipley, Kirkby Steven the Friday of Appleby fair, Derby, Clitheroe, Leicester sales, now nothing at all ,very sad.

 

[Meredith]

Quote. Archangel…
.Leominster have a lot of sales., you can get some good sorts in the general sale. That is another sale I would take a punt on a horse at.
Be interesting to see what prices they go for when they restart in this mad market.

I think Brightwells ended the horse sales last year
https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/end-of-an-era-as-brightwells-horse-sales-come-to-an-end-709525

 

[Kaylum]

York is not starting again - it was too much hassle and the numbers had dropped even before covid.

Can't think of one anywhere near me in Yorkshire, years ago we would be of to look at auctions every couple of weeks, Lepton, Pannel, Huddersfield in the centre, then transferred to outskirts then transferred to Holmfirth, York, Shipley, Kirkby Steven the Friday of Appleby fair, Derby, Clitheroe, Leicester sales, now nothing at all ,very sad.

Yes we also had Rufforth before they moved to York.

 

[stangs]

I haven't been to Brecon because I know I would come home with a truck load of feral ponies.

Does Brecon get in a lot of feral Welshies then?

 

[millitiger]

I went to the Brecon sales in December.

Mostly young coloured ponies shetlands.
Some older, generally rougher, horses that have had a hard life.
A handful of Welsh, mostly smaller sections but a few section Ds… mostly uncut.

you need a hard heart to walk around the pens, I wanted to buy all of the older horses and bring them home for a happy retirement but obviously couldn’t.

I came home with a Welsh D weanling colt, nicely bred, well handled and very nicely put together… I got him for 550 Guineas.

 

[tda]

Clitheroe do horsesales, went to a dales pony dispersal sale a few years ago, the rest of the entries were similar standard to holmfirth

 

[Cloball]

There's horse sales in Ruthin and St asaph, I think they are backup and running now in person, it's mostly Shetlands and Welsh As with a few young uncut Welsh Ds. At least these are the ones they put online. Pre pandemic there were often poorer looking horses pitched up on the day. I know a number of people with pity purchases.

 

[spacefaer]

Brightwells no longer do any horse sales - no Malvern, no Leominster. I imagine they were not cost effective as entry numbers had been low for a few years.

 

[jofwigby]

Melton no longer running

 

[neddy man]

York is not starting again - it was too much hassle and the numbers had dropped even before covid.

Yes we also had Rufforth before they moved to York.

Good sales there when Roger had it , I'd forgot about there.

 

[neddy man]

Clitheroe do horsesales, went to a dales pony dispersal sale a few years ago, the rest of the entries were similar standard to holmfirth

Both are not doing sales at the moment.

 

[Vodkagirly]

North West auctions run some. I saw a native pony sale advertised. Never been thought.

 

[Spotherisk]

Exeter was still going last summer and probably will pick up again this year. Always a mix of dodgy types being offloaded, feral moor ponies, too slow pointers and decent horses that deserve somewhere better. I’ve brought a few from there.

There’s a couple of once a year sales in Devon as well although I’m drawing a blank on the names, as well as the drift pony sales.

Newton Abbot?

 

[abbijay]

The North West & Wales Shire Foal Assoc and the Midland Shire Foal Assoc both still sell in person in the autumn. THere may be other heavy horse ones up and down the country but these are the ones not too far from me and in my special area of interest.

 

[Orangehorse]

It is a shame about Brightwells. I know several really good hunters came from there. People from Wales used to sell through Leominster as they knew there were going to be buyers there, rather than try to sell privately when they live half way up a mountain.

 

[dorsetladette]

Salisbury had a horses sales I think. not sure if still going now. Beaulieu Rd is online now and will probably remain so for a while as the site was the victim of arson last year or year before.

 

[stangs]

People from Wales used to sell through Leominster as they knew there were going to be buyers there, rather than try to sell privately when they live half way up a mountain.

Presumably, this is why sales are going stronger and are more regular in Wales than anywhere else.

 

[Gloi]

Clitheroe do horsesales, went to a dales pony dispersal sale a few years ago, the rest of the entries were similar standard to holmfirth

Heard Clitheroe is restarting soon.
Edit. First sale March 12th