Following this, the Summer Sale Auction will offer 32 horses, mainly younger and generally at lower prices.
Henryk Smolarz, director general of the National Support Center for Agriculture (KOWR), said at a press briefing that this year's Pride of Poland auction in Janów Podlaski is not aimed at breaking sales records but at rebuilding the prestige of Polish Arabian horse breeding.
The event, part of the Arabian Horse Days from August 9 to 12, seeks a return to Poland's renowned breeding traditions.
Marek Trela, advisor to Janów Podlaski Stud and its former long-standing president, noted a significant decline in the prestige of Poland's Arabian breeding over the last eight years.
This year's auction, he said, will feature good, young and award-winning horses, chosen carefully to ensure the stud's genetic bank remains rich.
Trela added that while superstars are not on offer, spotting potential future champions among the horses could greatly benefit the stud.
The auction has introduced robust measures to prevent the non-fulfillment issues seen in past years.
Anna Stojanowska, advisor to the director general of KOWR for Arabian horses, detailed a two-step security process including a deposit and credit card hold for all registered bidders.
The events also include the 46th National Purebred Arabian Show, with about 100 horses participating in various classes judged by an international jury, laying the groundwork for future breeding and sales successes.
Last year, the Pride of Poland auction achieved over EUR 2.1 million in sales, with the highest bid at EUR 810,000 for a mare from the Michałów stud.
Established in 1817, the Janów Podlaski Stud Farm is Poland's oldest state-owned horse breeding facility. This historic stud has played a crucial role in the development of the Arabian horse breed for two centuries, despite suffering lootings by Russia in 1914 and 1939.
The annual Pride of Poland auction is renowned as one of the world's most prestigious events for the sale of purebred Arabian horses.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP
