Mysterious sale at horse auction sparks scandal in Poland

Anette Mattsson had bid 200,000 euros ($226,500) for a prized gray Arabian mare but soon stopped. With the price rising rapidly and no sign of other bidders, she sensed that something strange was going on at the annual Pride of Poland sale on August 14.

Mattsson, a Swedish breeder with 27 years of auction experience, was not alone in suspecting something was off in the bidding for a purebred Arabian named Emira. In the week since, the sale has become a political scandal, making Emira a household name and prompting calls for a criminal investigation. Whatever truly happened, the suspicions have dealt a blow to the reputation of an Arabian horse breeding program considered among the best in the world and which many Poles cherish as a national treasure. People suspect that someone made fake bids to drive prices higher at the auction on the famed Janow Podlaski stud farm, a state-run enterprise in eastern Poland, an allegation the authorities strongly deny.

Those who suspect wrongdoing believe that state officials would have acted to ensure a successful auction, which was considered a major test of new management. After Mattsson pulled out, Emira's price kept rising, finally declared as sold for 550,000 euros. Unlike the other sales that evening, no buyer was identified. At the end of the auction, Emira was brought back and put up for sale again.