UAE: Dh600,000 Bid Turned Down As Several Prized Arabian Horses Leave Auction Unsold

Several prized Arabian horses walked out of the Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) auction ring unsold on Friday night, as breeders held out for higher offers despite cautious bidding from buyers.

One of the evening's highest bids, Dh600,000 for Lot 11, JS Al Sultan, a five-year-old stallion with a decorated pedigree and prize earnings exceeding Dh450,000, was turned down by the owner, who refused to part with the horse at that price.

Organised in cooperation with the Emirates Arabian Horse Society, the auction featured 33 horses descended from champions of international competitions, but bidding moved slowly compared with the week's camel and falcon sales . In several cases, opening offers started high, dropped, and then stalled below sellers' expectations.

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Unlike the camel and falcon auctions earlier in the week, where bids escalated rapidly, the horse sale moved at a less enthusiastic pace. In several cases, bids started high and dropped before settling on a final offer, often below the sellers' expectations.

From the 15 horses observed in the ring, many were ushered out unsold. Auctioneers repeatedly reminded the crowd of the animals' rare bloodlines and competition success, but buyers appeared hesitant to commit at the listed prices.

Passion for horses

Among those evaluating the lots was Mohammed Al Ali, 41, a breeder who has been competing in Arabian horse beauty pageants since 2014.“I developed a passion for horses from looking at the beauty of one horse, and since then I've been enrolling Arabian horses in beauty pageants,” he said.“Every year I enter around seven or eight competitions. The prize money could range between Dh50,000 and Dh100,000, depending on the level of the championship. The Abu Dhabi show is the strongest worldwide.”

Al Ali, who previously purchased an Arabian mare at auction for Dh300,000, said he was still considering his options on Friday night.“Today we have seen high-level quality horses with strong pedigrees,” he said.“I have not made any bids yet; I am evaluating first. If I like a horse that has not been sold, I can go backstage and speak to the organisers.” Nonetheless, Al Ali left the auction before even viewing the seven remaining lots.

Looking for 'a very good horse'

Younger bidders were also active in the stands. Seventeen-year-old Hamad Al Hammadi attended his second auction, bidding on behalf of his 19-year-old cousin.“He always makes me bid on his behalf,” Hamad said with a laugh.

The cousins, part of a family with a farm that breeds endurance horses, said they are now exploring investments in beauty horses.“I took this on from my father and grandfather,” Hamad said.“We enter horses in races, and now we've decided to try investing in beauty horses, so we came to check them out.”

By the final quarter of the auction, the cousins had made two unsuccessful attempts; one bid of Dh7,000 and another of Dh45,000.“We are willing to pay up to Dh100,000 for a very good horse,” Hamad said.“We look at the neck of the horse, face and eyes, bone structure, physique; until now we have not found a horse that we really want to take home.”

While the event highlighted the elegance and pedigree of Arabian horses, the evening closed with more cautious buying than spirited bidding, leaving some of the finest animals to return to their stables.

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