Leading online thoroughbred auction platform gavelhouse.com will branch into the international market next month with the launch of gavelhouse.com South Africa.
In partnership with Klawervlei Stud, gavelhouse.com will conduct an online sale of around 160 thoroughbreds from 15 to 21 June, with an announcement to be made in due course as to the format and frequency of ongoing gavelhouse.com South Africa auctions.
Klawervlei Stud sales and marketing manager Grant Knowles reached out to gavelhouse.com recently, citing concerns that their annual on-farm auction was not going to be possible.
“With so much uncertainty in the world at the moment we felt an online approach may be the way forward,” Knowles said.
“We are excited to have entries from leading stud farms in the Western Cape and we look forward to partnering in this initiative with them.”
Gavelhouse.com general manager Haylie Martin is looking forward to launching the user-friendly and cost-effective trading option in South Africa.
“We are excited to be showcasing our platform in another jurisdiction, going global is something we have wanted to do for some time now,” she said.
“There is no doubt that COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of online sales around the world, and this has pushed us to explore more opportunities offshore while also prompting others to approach us.”
The gavelhouse.com South Africa site will use the enhanced Gavelhouse Plus platform that is set to launch in New Zealand in May. Features will include a more stringent buyer approval system, the ability for listings to have up to 20 photos per lot, video footage, Arion pedigrees and veterinary reports where applicable.
Since its inception as an online auction platform in April 2016 gavelhouse.com has rapidly become an integral part of the trading landscape for breeders and trainers in New Zealand.
With more than 2700 horses sold on the site over the past four years and more than $13.6 million traded, earlier this year gavelhouse.com achieved an Australasian online record by selling Group One winning mare Hasahalo to the China Horse Club for $670,000.
