A registered 14-year-old Arabian mare, Silvretta Neen, a proven endurance horse from some of the best Arabian breeding lines of the past five decades, fetched the highest price of R55 000 at auctioneer CdP Auctioneers’ open horse and chicken auction on 21 February 2026. The auction is held bimonthly at the Ditsong Willem Prinsloo Agricultural Museum near Pretoria.
By Johan Norval
Her breeder, Dr Hercu van Niekerk of the Silvretta Stud on the farm Kililene near Modimolle, says he has since stopped breeding and now has only one horse left that the family still uses for endurance rides.
The online buyer was Xander Human from Riversdale, who plans to use Silvretta Neen’s genetics in his breeding programme. Human also paid R20 000 for the 20-year-old mare Silvretta Beate, who will likewise be used for breeding purposes.
Van Niekerk is a South African pioneer in the field of veterinary medicine in endurance riding and has achieved four-star veterinarian status with the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI). In 2018, he was honoured for 50 years of service as a practising veterinarian and still serves as a consultant.
He has experienced many aspects of South Africa’s horse industry since his youth, when he grew up on the Generaalsdraai farm near Wonderfontein, riding a horse-drawn cart to school in the mornings.
Van Niekerk has also completed the national Fauresmith Endurance Ride, which spans 200 km over three days.
In addition to his horse breeding activities, Van Niekerk’s Silvretta Meatmaster flock has been named Limpopo’s Logix regional winner for the past three consecutive years.
CdP Auctioneers sold 40 of the 50 horses on offer at the auction. The auctioneer was PW van Heerden.
