Polish horse auction disappoints after political purge
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A renowned Arabian horse breeding program in Poland has held a disappointing auction, selling fewer horses and raising less money than in the past, after a political purge of its managers by the country's conservative ruling party.
The yearly Pride of Poland auction at Janow Podlaski, in eastern Poland, was world-renowned, drawing horse breeders from around the world.
The 200-year-old program suffered a blow to its image in 2015 when the newly elected Law and Justice party fired the longtime managers and replaced them with party loyalists with little experience.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Government critics on Monday described this year's auction as a fiasco. Of 25 horses, only six were sold and 410,000 euros raised on Sunday. The last auction before the purge, in 2015, raised 4.5 million euros.