Karaka Sales

World-class venue, world-class horses
3:47 PM Wednesday Aug 11, 2010

New and returning visitors to New Zealand thoroughbred sales are always warmly welcomed.

Buyers from all over the world have discovered the advantages of New Zealand's perfectly located, user-friendly venue at Karaka and sales supported by a united industry with a long history of selling its best horses at public auction.

Check out the sub-menus for the NEXT SALE AT KARAKA and some of the FAMOUS KARAKA GRADUATES.

It's a lovely sale to work at, maybe the best sales ground in the world I've been to...

Leading international buyer Demi O'Byrne said in 2004, "It's a lovely sale to work at, maybe the best sales ground in the world I've been to... It is easy to see the horses, the hospitality is great and the stock I've seen at this sale have been very good."

New Zealand's National Yearling Sale was the brainchild of Charles Robertson, given the task by Wright Stephenson & Co. of setting up a specialised stud stock department, for sheep and cattle, but also horses.

In 1924 the company sent Robertson to North & South America in search of new livestock markets. Sometime during this period, he came up with the idea of a single national thoroughbred sale and, more importantly, pursued it.

The national yearling sale concept was welcomed by New Zealand breeders, and generously supported by the Wellington Racing Club, which made its facilities and land available at nominal cost. On 21 January 1927 the idea became a reality, with the inaugural Annual New Zealand Thoroughbred Yearling Sales at Trentham Racecourse.

For the first four years separate catalogues were issued by the two firms conducting the sale, but from 1931 Wright, Stephenson, and later, Wrightson Bloodstock gradually assumed the dominant role, although Pyne, Gould, Guinness remained joint auctioneers until 1979.

Wrightson built the magnificent Karaka Sales Centre, opened in 1988, and eight years later sold the business to New Zealand Bloodstock Ltd, owned by international businessmen and highly successful breeders, Peter & Philip Vela.