Buyer's guides

Buy your next horse with the confidence of a professional.

Written by the people who select, vet and sell the horses and ponies. How the auction works, what the vettings mean, which horses hold value — and how to be ready for Auction V.

Auction 2026 4 min

Auction V · 28 December 2026: what's coming and how to be ready

34 lots, catalogue revealed in November, bidding on 28 December. The dates, the format, and a four-week plan so you are the buyer who is ready.

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Pedigree & selection 5 min

How Greg Broderick selects a horse: type, canter and a safer bet

Greg Broderick on what he would look for if he were investing in a young horse himself today — in his own words — and why a nice type with a good canter is the safest investment in show jumping.

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After the purchase 5 min

Buying from abroad: how your horse travels from Ballypatrick to your yard

UK, mainland Europe or the United States — what happens after the hammer, how long it takes and the paperwork Ballypatrick can arrange for you (at cost, not included in the hammer price).

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Investment & value 6 min

Three-year-old prospect or proven horse? How to choose at Auction V

Price, timeline, risk and reward for the three types of horse (and the ponies) in a Ballypatrick catalogue — and a simple way to decide which one belongs in your yard.

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Buying at auction 5 min

Reading a vetting and X-rays before you bid: what matters, what doesn't

A full set of X-rays and the clinical vetting are attached to every Ballypatrick lot, so you can review the details of each horse in advance before deciding to bid.

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Buying at auction 7 min

How to buy a show jumper at an online auction (without leaving anything to chance)

The exact sequence a serious buyer follows from the catalogue reveal to the horse stepping off the lorry — registration, vetting, bidding tactics and what happens after the hammer.

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Auction V · 28 December 2026

See the 2026 catalogue the hour it goes live.

One e-mail when the catalogue is revealed in November, one when bidding opens. Nothing else.

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