© PSI

EQ Life spoke with Andrea Beatty of Saffron Stables, Arcadia NSW. Andrea is the breeder of SPH Dante (Welfenadel x Dormello), and until recently was the owner. SPH Dante sold for a record price at the PSI auction in Aunkum, Germany of €2.8 million. SPH Dante is a seven-year-old Australian-bred dressage gelding.

“I live on 10 acres in Arcadia, NSW. My horses are a long held dream- my day job is a lawyer to pay the bills. I imported 5 mares from PSI over the last few years, SPH Sonata Hit is competing Prix St Georges/ Inter 1- and was first of my imported breeding. I also bred Magnus Spero, who is now New Zealand's leading Grand Prix dressage horse.

SPH Dante is the first foal of Donner Carina- my mare who was PSI DJWTS Champion of Champions 2005 and 2006. I have bred 3 foals from her, she also has a 2 year old filly (by Royal Hit) and a 4yo filly (by Sandro Hit). Donner Carina also is due to foal any day now to Ampere. She is under the foaling supervision of Gill Rickard at Illawarra Equine Clinic- who do all my breeding!

We still have more Welfenadel semen so will try to breed another Dante or 2 in the future, we had no idea what fabulous horses we are breeding now in Australia- until I bought Dante to Germany in May and saw the world young horse champs.

Ulf Moller of PSI made an offer to buy Dante at PSI DJWTS 2014 - my trainers Rodney Martin and Matthew Dowsley said I should accept it. And then I cried much of the way home from Melbourne to Sydney! But I had shaken hands with Ulf so the deal had to proceed. And of course Dante had a perfect vet check!

Dante is a real character, he is super playful and a happy guy… At dinner time all Carina Foals are like this- really special characters. When I bought Carina from PSI in 2004 I also picked a foal. When I got the paperwork- I saw she had the same dam as Carina! On the plane home I thought this will either be a brilliant thing or a mistake! I think horses are much about their dam line!

Donner Meyer is the sister- a brilliant dressage horse- Novice Champion at the Australian Nationals but then injured in a truck fall when transporters put her in a mare and foal bay and she fell. She has had 3 super foals- the eldest is 4 and she is in New Zealand. She has had 2 stunning Bellisimo m fillies.

I try and match my mares to preferably Grand Prix stallions or ones that show they have the capacity even though competitions are given up for stud duties. We only breed small numbers so all my foals get quality care and handling. I am very hopeful for Australian breeding and I just hope our vets get a little more pragmatic with vet checks....

Dante’s sire, Welfenadel was imported by Lesley Ann Taylor of NSW. She sold him back to Germany. But he is one of the most exceptional Al stallions to be imported to Oz.

PSI are hosting horses and dreams meets Australia in April 2015, it is an international dressage comp and fabulous. Maybe Dante competes there!"

Myself and Weekend Feeling




My Mum, Maureen Beatty and Rodney Martin at Hof Kasselmann Hagen on Friday 5 Aug 2014. Rodney was Dante's trainer and mum is our "team manager" who cleans all our comp gear and packs the float when I am busy at work!


  SPH Donner Cara- Dante's 4 year old sister and even more beautiful

Dante in his stable at PSI Auction on Sunday 7th December 2014