For the first time, Fasig-Tipton is offering video clips of yearlings cataloged for this year’s Saratoga select yearling sale on its website (www.fasigtipton.com). The clips, also known as "virtual inspections," consist of head, walking, and “profile” conformation shots.
According to Bayne Welker, Fasig-Tipton’s vice president of sales, the consignors of approximately 75% of the auction’s horses opted to have videos of their yearlings posted. Videos of some yearlings scheduled to participate haven't been completed, Welker said July 28, and clips for about 20 more horses will be added in the next two days.
“We’re trying to give buyers, particularly those who can’t make it to the sale grounds or who live in a foreign country or on the West Coast, a visual overview or a visual feel of what a horse looks like,” Welker said. “These videos are of the highest quality and should prove a valuable resource for buyers and sellers alike.”
Visitors to Fasig-Tipton’s website have the choice of watching a compilation of all yearling video clips on the Fasig-Tipton TV section of the website (F-T TV) or can select individual hips to view by proceeding to the Saratoga “Interactive Catalog” page (Saratoga Interactive Catalog). Virtual inspections also can be viewed on mobile devices via Fasig-Tipton’s new mobile catalog section (Mobile Catalog).
The videos can be shared through the video player’s “Share with Friends” icon, which offers the capability to quickly e-mail, link, or embed a yearling video clip on various social media sites.
The select sale is scheduled for the evenings of Aug. 2-3 at the newly renovated Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Each session will begin at 7 p.m. (EDT).