Apologises for those of you that were trying to follow our progress in Ireland via my blog, the WiFi was a disaster and the sales went on late. We bought 7 horses in total. Trade was strong and solid throughout both days. We worked hard and managed to pick our way through. Thankfully, we bought when they were there to be bought, if we had sat back and waited to see what trade was going to be like I don't think for a second we've had managed to buy 7 horses.
The scoping issue was very unsatisfactory for us as the vendors got together and decided not to allow it in rather union fashion. One vendor told me that any horse found to have been scoped would have been thrown out of the sale. This was obviously bollocks as we scoped many and bought some of them too. This issue isn't going away and a common ground needs to be found. National Hunt store sales, to my knowledge are the only sales in the world that purchasers are expected to buy without the use of a scope. Obviously, many vendors who allowed us to scope agree with us, others felt rail roaded into not allowing us. Reading between the lines, those against it are only interested in hiding something or filling orders. Many trainers, including the champion NH trainer in Ireland believe it is time for change and that purchasers should in fact be allowed to scope. I asked one certain trainer who I knew had bought 6 store horses privately before the sale if he scoped them. He said he did, I then asked him why he didn't just listen to them on the lunge, he had no answer and agreed that we are right and a scope should be used as it is at all other sales across the world and in private sales. Tattersalls naturally have to keep a leg on each side of the fence and proved to have no backbone at all. Goffs said it was between the vendor and the purchaser, that was the perfect scenario in my mind. Now a whole can of worms has been opened and as aforementioned, a common ground needs to be found. Gigginstown asked our vet to scope a horse as his full brother, which they owned was rotten in his wind, this is a strong message that they too are now thinking of scoping horses as part of their buying strategy. Vendors are individuals as are purchasers and it should be each of them to decide what they would like to do as individuals.
I feel like a crap father, I've been away all week and have spent the whole of today working. Sholto is desperate to do something as the girls are out so I'm off................
