ERIC GOOSSENS, BREEDER OF HIGHEST PRICED CONNER DE LA VIE Z, SEES HIS EFFORTS REWARDED AT FOAL AUCTION BORCULO

Aug 30, 2018

Conner de la Vie Z (Cumano x Heartbreaker) was the highest priced foal at the jumping foal auction. For the amount of 40,000 euros he has been sold to the US. His breeder Eric Goossens states he is very happy with the new owner, who wished to stay anonymous. ‘He goes to a good stable. If this foal will be good enough I’m sure we will see him back in five years at the World Championships in Lanaken.’

Only very exclusive foals

Goossens, owner of the Belgian Haras de la Vie stud, owes a lot to Conner’s dam Tuut Tuut de la Vie, arguably his best broodmare. Goossens: ‘She already produced three 1.60m horses and two approved stallions. That’s really fantastic and there is more to come. I have frozen semen stored of Chacco Blue and Cumano to use for the ICSI technique. Nice for the future. Conner has also been breed through ICSI. So it was certainly not easy to do. It costed quite some money and time’, thus the Belgian breeder, who saw his efforts rewarded at Foal Auction Borculo. ‘It’s a conscious choice to focus purely on top quality, especially since my accident. I have been paralyzed for six years and can’t ride horses myself anymore. If you need someone else to do that the costs are too high. Therefore I only want to breed very exclusive foals and try to sell them immediately.’

Goossens acknowledged that his breeding product belonged to the favourites in advance. ‘But the question is always whether or not such expectations are met. I’m thankful towards the organization that everything went so well. In my opinion this is all very professionally organized and I hope to be back here next year.’