Frequently asked questions

Entirely online. There is no live auction and no auction location to travel to: you register to bid, follow the lots and place your bids from anywhere in the world, on a phone, tablet or computer.

You are bidding on an implanted embryo – an existing pregnancy, already carried by a recipient mare. The winning bidder buys the foal that this pregnancy is expected to produce in 2027.

Yes. Each lot page carries the full pedigree, the sire and dam with their sport records, photographs and, where available, videos. The veterinary report for each pregnancy is available on request, starting one week before the auction starts.

Register through the Register button at the top of this site. Registration is free and opens before bidding starts on 28 November 2026. We recommend registering well in advance: registrations are checked before they are approved, and you cannot place a bid until yours is accepted.

Click the lot you are interested in and use Place bid. Your bid is binding from the moment it is the highest bid & accepted. The current highest bid is shown live on the lot page.

Each lot opens at a published starting bid, and bids rise in fixed increments in the Euro currency shown on the lot page. For the Embryo Edition I auction the starting bid per lot is € 5.000,00 euro. The bidding increments are as follows:

• Between € 5.000 and € 20.000 with an increase of € 500;
• Between € 20.000 and € 50.000 with an increase of € 1.000;
• Between € 50.000 and above with an increase of € 2.000.

If a bid is placed during the final three minutes before a lot is due to close, the closing time for that lot is automatically extended until three minutes after the most recent accepted bid. This continues until no further bid is received within the final three-minute period.

Yes. The auction is open to buyers worldwide. Buyers outside the European Union should allow for customs formalities when planning the collection of the recipient mare.

Yes. You may bid on as many lots as you wish, but please bear in mind that each bid is binding: if you are the highest bidder on several lots, you buy all of them.

The winning bid is the hammer price for the embryo and the foal it is expected to produce. A 10% buyer’s commission is charged by Ashford Auctions on top of the hammer price, excluding VAT. Applicable VAT and the refundable €3,000 recipient mare deposit are charged in addition. Transport is arranged and paid for by the buyer.

Yes. VAT on the hammer price depends on the buyer’s country and VAT status. For purchases subject to Belgian VAT, 21% VAT is charged on the hammer price. The 10% buyer’s commission is also subject to 21% Belgian VAT. The €3,000 recipient mare deposit is charged separately. All applicable VAT will be clearly shown on the invoice.

Successful bidders receive an invoice shortly after the auction closes. The invoice includes the hammer price, the 10% buyer’s commission, applicable VAT, the €3,000 recipient mare deposit and any other applicable charges. Payment is due upon receipt, and the recipient mare with implanted embryo is released once payment has been received in full.

The foals from this edition are expected during 2027. The expected foaling date for each pregnancy is given on the lot page.

The pregnancy continues to be carried by the recipient mare. Risk relating to the embryo and pregnancy passes to the buyer immediately upon allocation of the lot. The recipient mare remains the property of her owner and is released for collection once payment has been received in full.

Collection and transport are to be arranged by the buyer, with recipient mares to be collected from their current location in either Belgium or France. We are glad to put you in touch with experienced transporters within our network. Ashford Farm does not offer the option to board the mare during the remainder of her pregnancy.

Each pregnancy is veterinary-confirmed approximately one week before the auction. From allocation of the lot, the pregnancy is at the buyer’s risk and no guarantee is given that it will result in a live or viable foal. We strongly recommend arranging appropriate insurance with cover from the moment of allocation. We have a working relationship with Catherine de Buyl Insurances. Please click here for information on insuring your purchase.

The buyer is free to choose the name of the foal, subject to the rules of the chosen studbook. As the foal originates from the Ashford breeding program, the buyer may choose to include the initials AF in its registered name, but this is not mandatory.

Risk relating to the embryo and pregnancy passes to the buyer immediately upon allocation of the lot. From collection onwards, the buyer is responsible for the day-to-day care, veterinary care and associated costs of the recipient mare and, following birth, the foal.

The recipient mare remains the property of her owner and must be returned after the foal has been weaned, and no later than seven months after foaling. She must be returned in good general condition and with her original passport.

The buyer is responsible for arranging and paying for the recipient mare’s return transport to Ashford Farm.

The €3,000 deposit will be refunded once the recipient mare has been returned on time, in good general condition and with her original passport.

The buyer is free to register the foal at the studbook of their preference, subject to the rules and registration requirements of the chosen studbook.