Breeze Up Consignors Association

A fundraising campaign has been launched by the Breeze-up Consignors Association (BUCA) to help with medical bills for Johnny Hassett, who is currently undergoing intensive cancer treatment in Germany. Hassett, 49, a hugely popular member of the sales community under his Bloodstock Connection banner, was diagnosed with lung cancer last month and is receiving chemotherapy in a German hospital. The Irishman has developed a large following on Twitter through his regular video blogs throughout the last two breeze-up seasons which show both the training at his home in Co Clare,...

The breeze-ups can't seem to catch a break. Europe's 2-year-old sales suffered a nosedive in fortunes in 2018-a combination of polarization and oversubscription causing figures to plummet-but the market bounced back in 2019 in buoyant fashion. The breeze-up pinhookers, already surely some of the thickest-skinned players in the game, soldiered on, stocking up their barns at the yearling sales to take another shot in 2020, when the renaissance of the 2-year-old sales would surely continue. And then, along came a pandemic. "There is a lot of concern out there given...