Organising an auction for the best-quality young horses during the World Breeding Championship for Young Horses, it has been a yearlong dream for Judy Ann Melchior. When discussing this with partner Christian Ahlmann and friend Jens Baackmann, it turned out they shared the same dream. Together, they decided to bring their collective vision to life. For all three, it was clear: the auction immediately had to be the best of its kind, featuring only horses of the highest quality. Horses unequalled in terms of sport qualities, mentality and health. This auction is now a fact and so Zangersheide is incredibly proud to present the ‘Zangersheide Quality Jumpers - Powered by MBA’!
“Behind the scenes we’ve been preparing for this auction for years now”, Judy Ann begins to explain. Together with Christian and Jens the idea to develop an auction with well-bred, top-schooled showjumpers with next level potential has now come to life and the trio is excited to share that the first edition of this auction will take place during the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses 2024.
14 horses, aged between five and nine-years-old, have been selected to go under the hammer on the 19th of September at Domein Zangersheide. Next to the already impressive line-up of auctions featuring high-quality foals and extra talented three-year-old jumpers, equestrians can now look forward to another auction with only the best of the best!
Top-tier jumpers
“All three of us had been playing with the idea to add another dimension to the existing auction program. We all come from different angles but with the same objective, to create an auction that would be an added value for now and the future”, Christian continues. “Over the years we have all gained valuable experience and by combining our knowledge in terms of breeding, top sport and trading, we’ve been able to secure a never-before-seen collection of top-tier jumpers.”
Top sport genes
“Some of the selected horses come from our own breeding and have especially been preserved for this auction. For example, we have a granddaughter of Grande Dame Z, and a son and grandson of Cha Cha Z. The jumpers in the collection do not only descend from top sport horses, but they are also developing their own sport careers. For instance, two selected mares have competed successfully in previous editions of the FEI WBFSH Jumping World Breeding Championship for Young Horses.
One Vision
“As a team, we complement each other. We know what is required to guide a horse all the way to the top of the sport. We each have our own perception on what we prefer in a horse. All our opinions combined completed our common goal: to assemble a diverse collection of showjumpers with only top-quality horses. Horses that have the potential to become Grand Prix-winners and Championship contenders. We all stand behind each horse, their potential and value for the sport.”
Preserve talent
“To ensure their qualities and nurture their talent, these horses have been developed gradually. The horses have passed extensive veterinary checks, reflecting our belief that achieving high rankings requires both peak health and prime condition. To maintain the well-being of these future stars and to prevent stress-inducing situations, we have prolonged the trial period to several weeks, preventing any risk to their future by avoiding over-jumping in a brief span” concludes Jens.
If you have any questions about the horses or would like to try one of the horses, please reach out to a member of the MBA team: Judy Ann: +32 477 47 02 60, Christian: +32 470 30 12 91, Jens: +32 470 30 16 23.
About the MBA team (Melchior, Baackmann, Ahlmann)
Judy Ann Melchior was active at the highest level of the sport and has been breeding with her former GP mares like Cha Cha Z, Grande Dame Z and As Cold As Ice Z for years already. No one knows the mares and stallions they were paired with better than Judy, resulting in exceptional horses like the phenomenal AY CARAMBA Z, a grandson of Judy’s Cha Cha Z, winner of the bronze medal at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky!
Jens Baackmann has been an international rider at the highest level for years. He travels the world and combines the sport with his own trading yard. Jens is a genius when it comes to matching horses and riders, and in many cases he is the first port of call for the acquisition of a new super star. He is often the architect of new dream combinations in the sport, as he has proven with many duos at the highest level!
Christian Ahlmann has been the world wide number one for a significant period during his career, has won three Olympic medals, and has achieved victory in a remarkable 194 international classes. Christian has top knowledge of the sport and has the talent to bring a home bred horse to five star level, a feat he has successfully demonstrated in the past. He is keen to make the most of his expertise by helping other riders find the best-matching horse. This turning point in his career has led Christian to offer two of the world's best 7-year-olds, the homebred ECLAIRE Z and the approved stallion CODEX DIAZ Z, to the market.
Explore our exclusive collection via this link. For general information please send an email to auction@zangersheide.com or call us at +32 89 73 00 11.
If you have any questions about the horses or would like to try one of the horses, please reach out to a member of the MBA team: Judy Ann: +32 477 47 02 60, Christian: +32 470 30 12 91, Jens: +32 470 30 16 23.