Arqana Vendors In The Spotlight: Q&A With Haras du Chevotel

[Wandering Eyes]

The spotlight turns to Haras du Chevotel stud manager Hugo Namur, who is next up in TDN Europe's consignor Q&A, which provides an insight behind some of the vendors in the build-up to the August Yearling Sale in Deauville. 

Haras du Chevotel is based in the heart of Normandy and has been associated with quality breeding for many years. 

One of the younger guns on the sales circuit, Namur runs through the farm's consignment, offers what young stallions he is taking note of and much more. 

Tell us a bit about the background to your draft. You are one of the younger guns on the sales scene.

We are a small farm which has been consigning horses for 11 years now. Each year, we sell one or two in August or in October. This year, we had two for August, but one of them got sick, and we will surely sell that one in October, but he will be unable to be sold at this sale. That is the colt by Space Blues out of Oriental Road (lot 179). So the one remaining is the Night of Thunder out of Tres Americanqueen (lot 290). Still, not bad. He's a very beautiful colt, with some size and is well-proportioned. He has a beautiful way of moving, and a beautiful pedigree. I think he'll do well. 

What young sires are you most looking forward to seeing the progeny [yearlings or foals] of this season?

You know, we only have 10 or 12 mares, so we go to very few stallions. Personally, I really like Space Blues. He has his first two-year-olds this year, but I like him a lot, and Ghaiyyath (Ire), who has his first three-year-olds this year. But we're not really using very fast, commercial stallions. So I'm not that interested in them.

In your experience, what type of horse does particularly well at the August Sale?

You really need a horse who is well-made, with a beautiful way of going, a great pedigree and one who walks well, because today people are really looking at that a lot more than they used to.   

What is you best memory on the sale ground at Arqana?

It was the first year that we sold horses in August. We sold a filly for 500,000 euros to Sheikh Hamdan al Maktoum, bought by his bloodstock agent (Angus Gold). That was a great moment. That was a crazy memory for us, going with a filly like that who made 500,000 euros. It was really a big moment for us. Magnificent. 

And when you do get that all-important result in the sales ring, how do you like to celebrate? And with whom? 

Honestly, we celebrate the failures as well as the victories. It never stops and you know that if you have a setback, that can turn into a success, and when you have a success, you know that can turn as well. So the best thing to do is to always enjoy a good meal and try to have a good time. We work a lot with the same bloodstock agent, John Tyrrell from Ireland, who the bosses have worked with for 25 years. And you know, we are really a little guy in the midst of big guys. So, we try to create our own little mix of horses. We keep some of them to race. We sell some. And that's it. We try to do our best. 

Predictions for the yearling sale market? 

Every year, we say that it's going to stop, that the market will go down, and all of that. But I have the impression that there will always be people who have money and who are interested in investing. So, I think that the good market that has been ongoing for several years is going to continue. But I think stallions are becoming much too expensive, and at some point, that's going to have to stop. We have to pay attention to that. Too much is the enemy of good, and unfortunately, the economy encourages the desire to make money, and that's understandable. But I think we have to pay attention to that. 

If you weren't involved in bloodstock, what career path would you have taken?

I think I would have worked in real estate. I really like everything that has to do with stone, wood and architecture. So yes, it's a little bit different, because there, you have to talk to people. Whereas here, I'm talking to horses and it's good because they don't respond. But yes, I think I would have done something like that. 

Tell us something that people don't know about you?

That I exist. 

Do you have any superstitions or good luck charms?

No. I try not to do that. 

Best piece of advice you ever received?

To be someone who is honest and can be relied upon. 

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