The Silk Road Journal · Buying · France · UAE and the Gulf
Buying a Horse at the Arqana December Sale 2026: a Guide for Gulf Owners
Every December, about a thousand mares, fillies and foals walk through a small, elegant sales ring by the sea in Normandy. Buyers from all over the world come for French families, sensible prices and very good oysters. Here is how an owner in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh or Doha buys well there, without learning French tax law the hard way.
Faisal, his Uncle Who Bought a Yearling in 2009 and the Accountant Who Hates Surprises are invented. Facts are sourced at the end; dates and terms can change, so anything marked "check official site" should be checked at arqana.com. Nothing here is financial, tax or legal advice, and no horse in this article is for sale.
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The Arqana December Breeding Sale is listed from 5 to 8 December 2026 in Deauville, France (check official site). It sells broodmares, fillies and foals, not horses ready to race in Dubai this winter. On top of the hammer price, Arqana charges buyers a 6% commission plus VAT (10% on covered mares, 20% on foals and most other horses), and payment is due straight after the sale. In 2025 the sale turned over about €47.2 million with a median of €28,000, so there is real choice for a budget from US$50,000. Register with the sale company well before you bid, get an independent vet on every horse, and plan where the horse will live before the hammer falls, not after.
Faisal (invented, 52, runs a group of clinics in Abu Dhabi, has owned two horses in training through a partnership) watched a French-bred filly win at Meydan last winter and asked a very reasonable question: "Where do the French buy their mares?" His Uncle Who Bought a Yearling in 2009 said: "Newmarket, obviously." He was half right. A lot of them are bought in Deauville, in December, in a ring that feels more like a theatre than a cattle market.
We have already covered the Tattersalls December Sales in Newmarket and the whole November-December sales season. This guide is only about Arqana in December, and only for owners who live in the Gulf.
What is the Arqana December Sale?
It is France's main winter breeding-stock auction, held by Arqana at its sales ground in Deauville, Normandy. For 2026 it is listed from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December, in four sessions, with roughly 1,000 lots (check official site).
- Where: Arqana, avenue Hocquart de Turtot, Deauville, on the Normandy coast, about 200 km west of Paris.
- When: listed as four sessions from 5 to 8 December 2026: Saturday and Sunday from 10:00, Monday and Tuesday from 11:00, French time (check official site). France is three hours behind the UAE in December.
- What: broodmares (many sold in foal to a named stallion), fillies in or out of training that are ready to start breeding, foals born in 2026, and sometimes stallions or stallion shares.
- Who sells: French and other European studs, and owners selling fillies at the end of their racing careers.
- Who buys: breeders from France, Ireland, Britain, Japan, America, the Gulf and beyond, plus "pinhookers" who buy foals to sell again as yearlings.
Arqana also runs an online December sale and other auctions through the year. This guide is about the ring sale in Deauville. For every sale we buy from, worldwide, see the sales we buy from.
What did horses sell for last year?
In December 2025 the sale turned over €47,187,300, with an average of €70,852 and a median of €28,000, according to Thoroughbred Daily News. Turnover and average were down on 2024, while the median went up.
| Arqana December Breeding Sale | 2025 | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover | €47,187,300 (down 13%) | A big, busy market, with a lot of choice |
| Average price | €70,852 (down 16%) | Pulled up by a few very expensive lots |
| Median price | €28,000 (up €2,000) | Half of the horses sold for this or less |
| Top price | €2.6 million, for a filly | The very top is a different world. Ignore it |
The median is the number that matters for most buyers. The average is what the newspapers print. If Faisal's budget is US$50,000 to US$150,000, he is shopping in the busy middle of this sale, not at the top, which is exactly where an agent's homework pays off. For more on reading sale results, see bloodstock sale prices 2026.
Mare, filly or foal: which suits a Gulf owner?
A mare in foal suits an owner who wants to breed and is happy to keep her in Europe. A filly out of training suits an owner starting a small breeding plan. A foal suits a patient owner who wants a racehorse in two years' time. None of them will race in Dubai this winter.
| What you buy | What you get | When it races | Suits you if | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broodmare in foal | The mare, plus the foal due in 2027 | The 2027 foal could race from 2029 | You want to breed, and accept that results take years | Board and vet bills from day one; pregnancy is never certain |
| Filly out of training | A young mare, ready to be covered in 2027 | Her first foal could race from 2030 | You like her race record and family and want to start a line | Choosing the right stallion and paying the covering fee |
| Foal (weanling) | A horse born in 2026 | At two, so from 2028 | You want your own racehorse, raised your way | Two years of costs before a race; more can go wrong in a young horse |
| Horse to race this winter | Not really this sale | - | You want Meydan or Riyadh now | Look at horses in training instead: see below |
If you want to race at Meydan this season, this is the wrong sale. Read buying a horse to race in Dubai 2026-27 and horses in training instead. If you are not sure which age suits you, read yearling, breeze-up or horse in training?
Faisal's Accountant Who Hates Surprises asked one question: "When does it make money?" The honest answer is that a mare or a foal is a long, expensive hobby with lovely days in it. Some owners do sell foals and yearlings well. Many do not. Owning a racehorse or a broodmare is a passion, not a way to make money.
What does it really cost on top of the hammer price?
Arqana adds a 6% buyer's commission (before tax), then VAT on the price plus commission: 10% for covered mares and fillies due to be covered next season, 20% for foals and most other horses. Then come vets, transport, insurance, boarding and, if you use one, your agent.
A worked example: a €50,000 hammer price
| Item | Mare in foal (10% VAT) | Foal (20% VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Hammer price | €50,000 | €50,000 |
| Arqana buyer's commission, 6% | €3,000 | €3,000 |
| VAT on €53,000 (see the note below) | €5,300 | €10,600 |
| Total to Arqana, before any VAT relief | €58,300 | €63,600 |
| Our fee: 5% of the price, minimum US$5,000 | US$5,000 (the minimum applies here) | US$5,000 (the minimum applies here) |
About VAT and export. Horses that leave the EU, for example to the UAE, may be treated differently for VAT, and some buyers who are VAT-registered businesses may also be treated differently. Arqana's page says it handles the export formalities with the French administration once you have paid. The rules are technical, so ask Arqana and a French tax adviser before the sale, not after it (check official site).
- Currency: Arqana sells in euros. Ask for every cost in one currency, and check the exchange rate on the day. US$50,000 is very roughly €40,000 to €45,000, depending on the rate.
- Payment: Arqana says auction purchases are cash sales and the full price is due straight after the sale, by bank transfer, cheque or a France Galop account. Move the money in advance if your bank is slow with euro transfers.
- Agent payment from Arqana: Arqana publishes that it pays 5% of the purchase price to the bloodstock agent or trainer who acted for the buyer. That is open and published. If we ever receive it on your horse, you are told in writing before the sale.
- Travel help: Arqana's buyer page says it offers travel reimbursement to foreign buyers who spend €5,000 or more per sale, after payment (check official site for the terms).
For the full yearly picture, read what a racehorse really costs, or try our cost calculator.
How do you register to bid from the Gulf?
Register with the sale company well before you bid. First-time buyers send Arqana a Payment Reference form, and anyone bidding for you needs a Purchasers Authorisation sent to Arqana before the sale.
- Payment Reference form. Arqana asks first-time buyers to register with this form before the sale, by email, fax or post. It gives no deadline on the page, so do it at least two weeks before 5 December.
- Purchasers Authorisation. If an agent or trainer will bid and sign for you, Arqana needs this form before the sale. The horse is still bought in your name.
- Bank and identity checks. Expect your bank to ask questions about a large euro transfer to France. A letter from your bank before the sale saves a nervous phone call after it.
- Where the horse goes. Decide before the sale: a stud farm in Normandy, Ireland or Britain, or shipping to the Gulf. Book the farm or the shipper in advance. December is busy.
- Racing plans. If a foal will later race in France, you will need owner approval from France Galop; in the UAE, registration with the Emirates Racing Authority. Both take time (check official site).
Faisal's Uncle tried to register in the car park in 2009. He still talks about the yearling he "nearly" bought. Do not be the uncle.
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How do you vet a mare or a foal at Arqana?
Have your own vet examine the horse before you bid. Arqana says vets attend every sale and can examine lots on sale day, and the seller's guarantee under French law only covers certain defects, and not those announced from the rostrum.
- The French guarantee. Arqana says the seller guarantees the horse against the defects listed in the French Rural Code (article L213), unless they were announced from the rostrum before the sale. That is a short list of specific conditions, not a promise that the horse is perfect. Listen to the announcements, or have someone listen for you.
- A mare in foal: ask for the latest scan and the covering date, check her breeding record (how many foals, any years barren), and have your vet look at her as a mare, not only as a pedigree.
- A foal: look at the legs and the walk, and ask your vet about X-rays and any reports the seller has lodged (check official site for how Arqana handles them).
- The family: the catalogue page tells you what the mare's relatives did on the track. Read how to read a sales catalogue page before December.
With us, nothing is bid on without an independent vet first. More in racehorse vetting explained and protecting a racehorse purchase.
What happens after the hammer falls?
You pay, Arqana releases the papers once payment is approved, and the horse goes where you planned: a stud in Europe, or a flight to the Gulf. For a mare in foal, Arqana sends the covering certificate after payment.
- Papers: Arqana says documents are released once the purchase confirmation is approved by its accounts team. No payment, no papers, no horsebox.
- Insurance: arrange cover from the fall of the hammer. Ask the sale company's conditions when the risk passes to you.
- Staying in Europe: most Gulf owners who buy a mare keep her at a stud in France, Ireland or Britain, near the stallions. Ask the stud for a written day rate and what it includes (check with the stud).
- Shipping to the Gulf: possible, but plan the health tests, the flight and quarantine with a licensed shipper first. See racehorse transport.
- A foal's next two years: weaning, growing up at a farm, breaking in as a yearling, then into training with a licensed trainer. Our partner trainers train; we place and supervise.
- Unsold horses: Arqana says you can make an offer on an unsold lot on the day, or in writing or online for 10 days after the sale. Some good buys happen quietly this way.
Getting to Deauville from the Gulf
Fly to Paris, then about two hours by road or train to Deauville. Or stay at home, and let your agent stand in the cold for you while you watch the live stream.
- Flights: there are direct flights from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Riyadh to Paris. From Paris, Deauville is about two hours by car, or by train from Paris Saint-Lazare to Trouville-Deauville (check the timetable).
- Weather: it is the Normandy coast in December. Bring a proper coat. The barns are outside.
- Time: inspecting a short list properly takes a day or two before your session. The sessions start in the morning, French time.
- From home: many buyers bid through an agent or trainer on the spot. Arqana also shows its sales online (check official site for live bidding options).
Faisal decided to go for one day, see the horses on his agent's short list, eat the oysters and fly home before the bidding. His Accountant called this "the first sensible thing anyone has said about horses".
Your timeline: from today to 8 December
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Now to early November | Decide: mare, filly or foal; budget; where the horse will live. Send us your brief. |
| When the catalogue is online (check official site) | Short list from the catalogue; pedigree and family checks. |
| Two weeks before | Register with Arqana; send the Purchasers Authorisation; line up the money and the stud or shipper. |
| The days before each session | See the horses in Deauville; independent vet; final short list and written limits. |
| 5 to 8 December | Bid to your written limit. Pay straight after. |
| Up to 10 days after | Offers on unsold horses; papers, insurance, transport. |
How Silk Road Bloodstock works, plainly
5% of the purchase price, minimum US$5,000, agreed in writing before we start. Your money goes straight to the sale company or the seller, never through us. Licensed partner trainers train; we place and supervise.
- The fee: 5% of the purchase price, minimum US$5,000, in a written agreement before any search. Budgets from US$50,000.
- Your money: you pay Arqana or the seller directly. It never goes through our account.
- Both sides: if we are ever paid by both buyer and seller, or by the sale company, you are told in writing first.
- The search: the best horses from all over the world, at the sales and from private yards. Deauville is one of many places we look.
- After the sale: a stud for the mare, or a licensed partner trainer for the racehorse, and a plan you can read. We do not train horses ourselves.
- The honest bit: we cannot promise a win, a price or a profit. Nobody honest can.
A plain word before December
Deauville in December is one of the nicest places in the world to buy a mare, and one of the easiest places to buy the wrong one: the ring is warm, the catalogue is beautiful and the bids come fast. The owners who do well there decided what they wanted in October, registered in November, and bid in December with a written limit and a vet's report in their pocket.
Faisal bought nothing on the first day, one filly on the second, and went home with a plan for where she will live and which stallion she might visit in 2027. His Uncle said he would have bid on the other one. His Uncle says that about every horse.
Want a mare, filly or foal found, checked and bought at Arqana?
Email us your budget, what you want and where the horse will live. We read the catalogue, see the horses in Deauville, have an independent vet check each one and bid to your written limit. And if Arqana is the wrong sale for you, we will say so and show you the right one. Budgets from US$50,000.
Email info@silkroadbloodstock.com first, from anywhere in the world. Phone +971 52 311 2385 second (Dubai, GMT+4). WhatsApp as backup.
5% fee (min US$5,000), agreed in writing. You pay the sale company directly; your money never goes through us. If we are ever paid by both sides, both are told in writing first.
Already own a mare or a horse in training, or want to sell one?
Licensed trainers train; we help you choose one from our partner trainers, place the horse and supervise the plan. Selling? We find the right buyer, worldwide.
Know an owner in the Gulf who is thinking about Deauville? Our introducer programme pays 20% of our fee on deals you introduce, paid from our fee and disclosed to the client in writing.
Related guides
- Tattersalls December Sales 2026: a buyer's guide
- Buying after the Breeders' Cup: the November-December sales
- Dubai owners: racing a horse in Britain, Ireland or France
- How to read a sales catalogue page
- Do you need a bloodstock agent?
- What does a horse really cost?
The Silk Road Letter
Twice a month: the sales worth watching, what horses really cost, and the catalogue jokes nobody tells you. Free. Unsubscribe in one click.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Arqana December Sale 2026?
The Arqana December Breeding Sale is listed from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December 2026 in Deauville, Normandy, France, in four sessions. Check arqana.com for the final dates and the catalogue.
What is sold at the Arqana December Sale?
It is a breeding sale: broodmares (many in foal), fillies in or out of training, foals born this year, and sometimes stallions or stallion shares. It is not mainly a sale of horses ready to race this winter.
What does it cost to buy at Arqana on top of the hammer price?
Arqana says buyers pay a 6% commission (before tax) on top of the price, and VAT on the price plus commission: 10% for covered broodmares and fillies due to be covered next season, 20% for other horses including foals. Ask Arqana and a tax adviser how VAT works for a horse exported outside the EU, and check the official site.
Can I buy at Arqana from Dubai or Riyadh without flying to France?
Yes. Register with the sale company well before you bid, send Arqana a Purchasers Authorisation if someone will bid for you, and have an agent or trainer see the horse and a vet examine it. Payment is due straight after the sale.
How much does Silk Road Bloodstock charge?
5% of the purchase price, minimum US$5,000, agreed in writing before we start. Budgets from US$50,000. You pay the sale company directly; your money never goes through us. Arqana publishes a 5% payment to the buyer's agent or trainer; if we receive it, you are told in writing first.
Spotted an error? Email info@silkroadbloodstock.com and we will fix it within 48 hours.
Sources
Checked 23 October 2026. Dates, charges and tax rules can change; always check arqana.com and ask for terms in writing.
- Arqana, buyer information (6% buyer's commission before tax; VAT 10% or 20%; cash sale, payment due after the sale; Payment Reference form; Purchasers Authorisation; French Rural Code guarantee; vets at every sale; offers on unsold lots for 10 days; 5% paid to the buyer's agent or trainer; travel reimbursement from €5,000)
- Arqana, official sale calendar (Breeding Sale from 5 December 2026)
- Normandy Tourism events calendar, Arqana Breeding Sale (listed 5 to 8 December 2026; check arqana.com)
- Unidivers event listing, Vente d'élevage Arqana Deauville (four sessions, about 1,000 lots; check arqana.com)
- Thoroughbred Daily News, final day of the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale, 9 December 2025 (turnover €47,187,300, average €70,852, median €28,000, top price €2.6 million)
- Service-Public.fr, tax-free sales to non-EU residents (general French VAT export rules; ask a tax adviser how they apply to horses)