Open Letter: Save the Breeding Lands of Nonant-Le-Pin

An exciting nominations fundraising auction will be held on the eve of the Arqana Breeding Stock Sale on Friday, December 5 in the Deauville sales ring, followed by a cocktail hour. It is organized with the generous participation of Arqana. 

Please save the date and be sure to attend to do your Christmas shopping for nominations! All sales will profit the ongoing plight faced by breeders based in and around Nonant-le-Pin: to put an end to a dangerous and illegal landfill project in the heart of a region of more than 150 stud farms, which potentially threatens the livelihoods of thousands in the industry. The land on which this mega dump is placed is right above irrigation waters for the whole region.

Nominations to some of Europe’s leading sires stationed at the Aga Khan Studs in France and Ireland, Haras de Bouquetot, Haras de la Cauviniere, Haras de Colleville, Haras d’Etreham, Haras de la Reboursiere and Haras du Quesnay in France; Darley and Newsells Park Stud in England, and Mr & Mrs Brereton Jones’s Airdrie Stud in the USA, to name but a few, will be put up for auction, as well as a few other worthy surprises. A full list of nominations will be published shortly.

In 2013/2014, the cost of numerous legal battles, regional and national political lobbying, environmental expertises and overall mediatic awareness was very high ( €1,000,000) and borne collectively.

The 2013 Arqana fundraiser helped raise €372,000, hence 75% of the money necessary to pay for all costs for this year. But 2015 will be a pivotal year, as many battles have been already won, but the “Goliath” (Guy Dauphin Environnement, a subsidiary of recycling giant Ecore Group) faced here has strong financial means and is not giving in without a fight, despite blantant evidence of wrongdoing. “David” needs the help of its community more than ever, to end this raging war in 2015.

Derek Iceton, Chairman of the International Thoroughbred Breeders Federation said the federation “condemns the massacre of the agricultural economy, which is regarded as a historical equine hub renowned on a global scale.”

Please consider giving generously to our cause, be it by way of nominations to your stallions for the auction sale or direct donations to the Association.

The auction sale that we are organising targets nominations of a value of 15 to €20,000 or more. All nominations will be guaranteed by Le Centaure insurance agent. Of course, other value prizes are also accepted for the auction; last year, a luxury safari holiday went for €10,000 to one generous donor! Please contact us directly to fix the terms of your donation. 

Unable to attend the auction sale yet willing to participate in this worthy cause? Personal donations are equally more than welcome and can be arranged by contacting the Association directly on +33 6 48 31 67 53, or emailing sybille.gibson@wanadoo.fr. 

For more information, please visit the following website http://saveourhorses.fr or watch the
following video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsWbJa_Cjzs 

Sincerely,
Association Sauvegarde des Terres d’Elevage