Images courtesy of Nicole Stroot
Richard Edmunds catches up with Charlotte Chittick on her experience of leading a yearling through the sales ring for the first time.
Monday marked a milestone moment for 18-year-old Charlotte Chittick, daughter of Waikato Stud owner Mark Chittick and his late wife Lisa.
She led her first ever yearling through the ring during the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka. Lot 449, a filly by Waikato Stud’s champion sire Savabeel out of Baby Shacks (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}), was bought by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis for NZ$325,000.
Charlotte in the ring with Lot 449 - Savabeel x Baby Shacks (NZ) filly
A day on from her sale-ring debut, we asked Charlotte Chittick for her thoughts on the exciting experience.
TDN AusNZ: What was going through your head as you were leading the yearling through the ring?
CC: At the start I was very, very nervous – there were lots of people watching from the stud, as well as my family and friends. But then as soon as we got into the ring, I just got really excited and started to enjoy it.
"As soon as we got into the ring, I just got really excited and started to enjoy it." - Charlotte Chittick
Steve (Davis, auctioneer) made the whole thing much easier for me. He was talking to me, telling me to smile and things like that, which helped me relax. It was a great experience and I really enjoyed it.
Mark and Charlotte Chittick
TDN AusNZ: How did you select which yearling would be the first one you would lead through?
CC: I was involved with this filly all the way through her preparation for the sale, and I’d always found her to be a really nice filly to work with. I talked to Jaimee (Gowler, Waikato Stud’s yearling manager) about it and we decided together that she’d be a really good one for me to lead as my first one. I think she was a great choice.
TDN AusNZ: Was the result what you were expecting?
CC: Definitely not! We were expecting her to sell for a lot less than that. It was really awesome to see her sell so well. She definitely exceeded my expectations by far, and I was very happy.
Congratulatory hugs
TDN AusNZ: What are your plans for the future?
CC: I’ve finished school and I’m off to Victoria University in Wellington this year, where I’m going to study management and HR.
After that, I’d like to get out of New Zealand for some travel around the world, and hopefully I’ll get some experience working at some international studs while I’m away. And then, after that, my plan is to end up back here again.
