~ September 24-25-26 "Cow Country Classic Catalog Sale" and our FALL ROPE HORSE SALE! ~
~ October 23-24 "Fall Special Catalog Sale" featuring PERFORMANCE HORSES and Production offerings! ~
~ November 27 "Holiday Special Catalog Sale" Featuring PERFORMANCE horses and Production offerings! ~
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FALL LINEUP OF FALL CUTTING HORSE SALES OUTSTANDING By
Glory Ann Kurtz SEPTEMBER Friday-Sunday,
Sept. 24-26, Billings, Mont. Friday-Saturday,
Sept.24- 25, Guthrie, Texas Sunday,
Sept. 26, Electra, Texas OCTOBER Thursday,
Oct. 14, Fort Worth, Texas Friday,
Oct. 15, Whitesboro, Texas Thursday-Friday,
Oct. 23-24, Billings, Mont. Friday-Saturday,
Oct. 29-30, Weatherford, Texas NOVEMBER WIDE WORLD OF HORSES Aug. 9, 2010 -
Billings, Mont. A better market for a better horse continues as buyers seek out the finished product - the ready-to-ride kind with a solid education in their chosen field. Numbers for the big summer sale weekend in Billings included a grand total of 864 head of horses, 424 registered buyers with 238 actually purchasing, and 110 individuals buying two or more. The July sale event featured cutters and cowhorses, and the top-20-sellers list swelled with sons and daughters of Shiners Lena Doc, Smart Little Lena, Nitro Dual Doc, Smooth As A Cat, CD Olena and Peptoboonsmal while packing an average sale price of $9,782 on the top 20. Consigned by the AQHA’s All-Time Leading breeder of performance horses, Carol Rose Quarter Horses, Gainesville, Texas, and shown by the NRCHA’s No. 3 ranked rider, Jay McLaughlin, Hip 157 “Shiners Hot Lips” a 2008 AQHA sorrel filly by Shiners Lena Doc and out of Tarizana earned top-sale honors with a final bid of $23,500. Selling to Bud Faye, Gillette, WYo., the filly had it all - currently in training for NRCHA events and nominated to the AQHA Incentive Fund, she came eligible for the NRHA, NRBC, and NRCHA Stallion Stakes in addition to having a 2009 NRCHA Top 15 Leading Producing dam - “Tarizana”. Black Rock Ranch, Harrison, Idaho, offered a nice set of horses including Hip 121 Vaca Rey a 2001 AQHA sorrel stallion by Smart Little Lena and out of the famous mare Autumn Boon. She’s produced over $1 million in earners including Im Countin Checks, Wild Thing DNA, and Boon A Little. Call him stunning, the pretty stallion sold to the home of the oldest Quarter Horse Production Sale in the World: the Raymond Sutton Ranch, Gettysburg, S.D.The recipient of the AQHA Legacy Award in 2010, this celebrated ranch registered their 2,280th foal. Hip 164 “Busy Cactus” a 2003 AQHA bay gelding raised, ridden, and offered by Tyler and Jamie Morgan, Prosser Wash., came as a ready-to-haul head horse, has seen ranch use, as well as ran barrels. Sired by Tuf N Busy, the rock-solid-gelding brought $13,500. Way nice and user friendly, Hips 420 & 420X, Joe and Clark, a team of black geldings, had been used in parades, weddings, pulled plows, discs, and feed wagons. Offered by Clancy and Ida McNabb, Cody, WYo., the horses and harness brought $7,000 and sold to Sid Stromme, Manhattan, Mont. Sale averages truly reflect the quality of the entire two-day sale event as the top five brought $14,900, top 10 at $12,225, top 20 $9,782, top 50 averaged $6,714, and the top 100 head averaged $4,643. With loose horses being flat, they got with it and we saw a bump in price as the top five averaged $1,630, top 10 brought $1,357, top 20 $1,125, top 50 $778, and the top 100 averaged $586. Billings Livestock’s next sale event includes the annual “August Catalog Sale”, and “Montana Miniature and Pony Sale” Aug. 28-29. A UBRC barrel race with $300
added - open to all barrel racers - will kick off the weekend’s
activities on Friday afternoon Aug. 27 in the BLS Arena. Sale
horses are encouraged to compete and enter with a $100 bonus awarded
to the sale horse clocking the fastest time.
Release
from Billings Livestock The blockbuster sale weekend saw a grand total of 1,037 head of horses with the top sale horse commanding $9,600, followed by $7,200, and $6,500. Final sales figures show 381 buyers registered, 225 purchasing horses, 116 buying two or more. Handsome and handy, call him the "total package" - Hip 251 took home the weekend's top sale honors with a $9,600 price tag. Mr Bo Quixote" a 2001 AQHA Sorrel Gelding by Cowtown Peppy and out of a Doc Quixote-bred dam was offered by Dallas Aschoff, Maupin, Ore., and had been shown reining, hauled to high school rodeos in heading, heeling, and breakaway, and seen ranch use too. Red roan, roped on both in and out of the arena, packed flags, started on barrels, and picked up at rodeos, Hip 23 “Tucker Star Chex” a 2003 AQHA gelding was a one-man-show. Offered by Brian Tubbs, Filer, Idaho, the choice gelding was sired by HR Dry Star Chex and out of a Sugar Bars-bred mare and sold for $5,750 to W. Teddy Crowley, Chinook, Mont. Used at the stockyards, ridden by the grandkids, and an all-around using gelding, Hip 423 “Easy Silver Bond” a 2004 AQHA gray gelding by Silver Tip 045 was offered by Dean and Betty Brainard, Shepherd, Mont. Selling Sunday afternoon, the gentle, sharp-dressed gray fellow brought $4,800 and sold to Walter Holder, Powell, Wyo. Top five horses averaged $7,100, top 10 brought $6,045, top 20 came in at $4,915, top 50 overall $3,678, top 100 averaged $2,805. The loose trade got after it as the top five averaged $1,780, top 10 brought $1,575, top 20 came in at $1,302, top 50 brought $934, with the top 100 averaging $699. Billings Livestock’s next sale event will be July 24-25. Already rockin’ with a solid line-up of first-class horses, the annual “Mid-Summer” Catalog Sale – featuring cutting and cow-bred horses – is two full days of horse sales and previews. All classes of horses will sell, including finished horses and prospects for ranch, roping, arena, cutting, or recreation. Designed to allow the sellers an opportunity to showcase their consignments and at the same time, giving the buyer an honest, professional opportunity to assess the horses, Friday’s special preview of cutting horses on cattle will begin at 5 p.m. in the BLS Arena. Saturday’s preview begins at 9 a.m. with another look at the cutters on cattle, followed by the saddle and ride horse demonstrations, with calf horses and team roping horses showing at 11 a.m. Catalog Sale Time is 12 Noon each day. Loose horses sell at 9 a.m. on Sunday morning. Over 500 catalog horses are expected with a catalog closing date of Monday, July 5. Billings Livestock is a
federally licensed and bonded facility and offers all classes
and kinds of horses. For more information, contact Bill or Jann
Parker, BLS Sale Managers at 406-670-0773/406-855-1947. www.billingslivestock.com AS MOST EXPECTED, THE MARKETPLACE AT ARDMORE WAS GREAT FOR BUYERS HOWEVER, ALL ECONOMIC SIGNS SHOW THAT AN UPSWING IN THE HORSE MARKET IS ON THE HORIZON Article and photos
by Glory Ann Kurtz “All economic signs look better – but when the economy looked horrible, the horse business wasn’t bad. I just think we will rebound on the end of the upswing." Asked for a statement about the current sale economy, Susie Reed of the Marketplace at the Ardmore consignment auction, held March 27 at the Hardy Murphy Coliseum in Ardmore, Okla., made the above statement, saying a mouthful. Horse buyers and traders searching for a bargain knew that the above statement is true as they loaded their trailers with well-bred horses. The rest of the industry will find out soon enough. The sale included 206 consignments, with 185 head going through the sale ring for a $752,475 gross, averaging $4,067. A total of 140 actually changed hands for a net of $497,675, averaging $3,555 for a $2,400 median (median is halfway between the highest- and lowest-selling horse. The top 10 changing hands averaged $13,070, top 20 $10,220 and top 50 $7,060. Buyers were looking for trained horses, preferably with black-type, as evidenced by the highest- to lowest-selling horses. At the top of the list was Autumated, a 4-year-old blue roan stallion by Smart Little Lena out of Autumn Boon ($244,470 in earnings – producer of earners of $1,003,985) by Dual Pep, consigned by Karen Freeman, which mesmerized buyers while on cattle and brought a $29,000 final bid. Of the eight horses that sold for $10,000 or more, only one was a broodmare. The other seven were money-earning mares on cattle, young stallions on cattle and a yearling stud colt – all with sterling pedigrees.
The second high seller at $15,500 was Little Bit Of Wood, a 2004 daughter of Nitas Wood out of Shorty Lena Ote by Shorty Lena, with $21,709 in earnings. She was consigned by Austin Blake and showed well on cattle. Bringing $14,000 was Strippin For Dollars, a 5-year-old daughter of Boonlight Dancer out of TR Hug Olena by CD Olena with $4,395 in earnings. She was consigned by Amber Czisny and shown on cattle by Wayne Czisny.
The high-selling broodmare was Starlights Dixie, a 9-year-old daughter of Grays Starlight out of Little Dixie Pep ($17,459 and dam of earners of over $15,000) by Freckles Merada. Consigned by Tom Mason, the money-earning cutting mare had a filly at her side by Sophisticated Catt and brought $11,500. The second high-selling stallion was Droppie, a 4-year-old son of Boonlight Dancer out of Cat N Gail ($56,240 and dam of earners of close to $111,000) by High Brow Cat, shown on cattle by Czisny. The charismatic big stopper was also part of the Tom Mason dispersal and brought a $10,400 final bid. Smooth Smart Acre, a 4-year-old stallion by Smooth As A Cat out of Freedoms Smart Acre by Bob Acre Doc, consigned by Doug Nagely, was also shown successfully on cattle and brought a $10,000 final bid. Cats CD Player, a yearling stallion by High Brow Cat out of CD Lady Leo ($36,706) by CD Olena, consigned by Tim Brewer, finished up the horses selling for $10,000 or more. Smart Little Lena had the highest average for the stallions represented in the sale, with four head averaging $10,625. A stallion brought $29,000, while three daughters averaged $4,500. Boonlight Dancer came in second with three head averaging $10,467. Two of those three were mares which averaged $10,500. High Brow Cat offspring averaged $7,900 on two head, with a 10-year-old mare brining $5,800 and a yearling stallion $10,000. The volume consignor was Bill and Jo Ellard’s EE Ranches, who consigned 15 head of horses that netted $49,300. Unfortunately, the sale was on the same day as Bill Ellard’s memorial service held in Dallas, Texas, and even though the consignments were shown on cattle, their trainer Guy Wood was not able to attend the sale. The next Marketplace at Ardmore
Sale is scheduled for 9 a.m., November 6, 2010 at the Hardy Murphy
Coliseum in Ardmore. Go to the web site at www.themarketplaceatardmore.com
or contact Susie Reed at 580-276-4830, tip-490-11-3 or e-mail
her at polo@ardmore.com. IS THE HORSE SALE MARKET ON THE MEND? OCALA’S 2-YEAR-OLD IN TRAINING SALE UP – WILL THE NCHA SUPER STAKES FOLLOW SUIT? By Glory Ann Kurtz There could be “light at the end of the tunnel” for the horse sale industry. During the Ocala Breeders March sale of selected 2-year-olds in training, averages rose 10.6 percent to $107,257 compared to $96,947 in 2009 and the median jumped 16.8 percent to $80,000 from $68,500 in 2009. A total of 171 horses sold for $18,341,000 (down from $19,971,000 in 2009 when 206 of 358 sold), with 27.8 percent of the 237 consignments not changing hands. According to Tom Ventura, director of sales for OBS, “there was a deeper buyer’s base here than we’ve seen and they weren’t just kicking tires, they were buying horses.” Ventura said that they kept the catalog quality up this year and as a result the buyers were there. “We didn’t have an oversupply of horses and often when you stretch to make a bigger catalog, t hose are the ones that suffer the most,” said Ventura in an article in Thoroughbred Times Today. Hopefully the trend of better-quality horses and buyers spending their money will flow over into the NCHA Super Stakes Sales, scheduled for April 2-3. The two days of sales will include 286 total horses, with 65 broodmares, stallions and yearlings selling in Session 1 on Friday, April 2 starting at 12 noon in the Watt Arena. That will be followed by 92 trained cutting horses, 3-year-olds and 2-year-olds, for a total of 157 horses selling on Friday. Saturday, April 3, starting at 9 a.m., also in Watt Arena, will be 19 head of Futurity prospects and finished cutting horses trained by Paul Hansma from the Bar H Ranche in Weatherford and trained by Jason Clark for Darren Blanton’s Star Double B Ranch. That will be followed by 110 head of consigned trained cutting horses, 3-year-olds and 2-year-olds, for a total of 129 for the day. Western Bloodstock has
announced a new auction service on their website to promote the
sale of horses that do not meet the reserve in the auction ring,
claiming that the new service gives both buyers and sellers another
opportunity to sell their horses, even after the auction is complete.
WESTERN BLOODSTOCK ADDS ADDITIONAL DAY TO SUPER STAKES SALE By Glory Ann Kurtz Added on Saturday, April 3 in the Watt arena will be Session 3, starting at 9 a.m., including a Bar H Ranche offering of futurity prospects and finished cutting horses trained by Paul Hansma. That will be followed by Sessioin 4 - Darren Blanton's Star Double B Ranch Production Sale of finished cutting horses trained by Jason Clark, followed by Session 5 - trained cutting horses, 3-year-olds and 2-year-olds continued. They have also added an online 60-day pass-out (RNA) Sale, where a new auction service will be implemented on their website for those horses that do not meet the reserve (or are passed out - not sold) in the auction ring. According to company officials, the sale company will try to complete the sale of every horse either in the ring or afterwards online. For further information contact Western Bloodstock at (817) 594-9210. NCHA 2-YEAR-OLD SALE BY SELECT SIRES UP FROM 2008 IN AVERAGE AND MEDIAN By Glory Ann Kurtz The increase of $1,617 in the average and $1,000 in the median, was undoubtedly led by the “new kid on the block,” One Time Pepto, whose first colt crop were 2-year-olds in 2009 and will receive their most important test as 3-year-olds this year as they are eligible to enter the NCHA Futurity. The son of Peptoboonsmal out of One Time Soon by Smart Little Lena is owned by Jeff Matthews of Matthews Cutting Horses Inc. The 2009 Sale of 2-Year-Olds by Select Sires, netted $1,901,600 on 109 head that changed hands for a $17,446 average and $8,500 median. In 2008, the sale netted $2,200,300 on 139 head that sold, for a $15,829 average and $7,500 median. These figures were determined from the published list of horses “sold” and checking with the AQHA to see if they had been transferred. If they had not been transferred, they were marked PO – which means the horse did not sell – on the accompanying charts. Nine horses originally marked sold did not transfer and the transfer of one APHA-registered horse could not be checked. Horses sold from a high of $125,000 for Spookystimetoshine, a One Time Pepto stud colt out of San Starlight by Grays Starlight, consigned by Jeff Barnes and purchased by Darol and Karen Rodrock, Bucyrus, Kan., down to $1,200. Spookystimetoshine’s dam had $30,112 in earnings and had produced offspring with earnings of $952,688. Two 2-year-olds brought $100,000 including Catarzan, a chestnut son of High Brow Cat out of Smart Little Dainty by Smart Little Lena, consigned by Tate and Laura Bennett and purchased by the Wrigley Ranches, Inc., Weatherford, Texas, and One Rowdy Kitty, a daughter of One Time Pepto out of Oaks Rowdycat by High Brow Cat, consigned by Matthews Cutting Horses, Inc., and purchased by David and Sandra Sabey, Bigfork, Mont. SIRES: Second in the net and average was the industry’s leading sire High Brow Cat, with 17 of his 24 consignments netting $518,400 for a $30,494 average. MATERNAL
GRANDSIRES: SELLERS: BUYERS: THE WAIT IS OVER By Glory Ann Kurtz With Western Bloodstock’s new policy to not publish buyers, it’s hard to tell if a sale is really successful or not – because one doesn’t know if horses of a certain price really changed hands. I believe that cutting horse sales should be as transparent as Thoroughbred sales – who publish all sale results with buyers immediately. Many people feel the sale of horses in a sale sanctioned by the industry’s national association should be transparent,- not to inconvenience buyers or sellers – but to give credence to the market for those wishing to invest in this industry. They feel it’s hard enough to figure out ways to make money in the cutting horse industry without making buyers (and sellers) guess what a horse is worth. The only way to check if a horse changed hands is to wait until the transfers have been completed with the breed association and see who the owner of record is on the date of the sale. This process usually takes several months by the time the sale company has sent the transfers to the breed association and they are made. Then, print-outs need to be purchased from the breed association and inserted into the sale results by those who are tabulating true sale results. James Vangilder’s Rock Creek Ranch Complete Dispersal, held Oct. 16, at the Rock Creek Ranch in Weatherford, Texas, was a very meaningful sale for the cutting horse industry with an outstanding gross and average. Following are links to PDF charts, showing the horses that sold 1) by lot no.; 2) ranked from the high-selling horse down to the low-selling horse; 3) a sire list, ranked alphabetically by sire, with net sales and average for each sire, and 4) an alphabetical buyer’s list with net purchases and averages. All horses that passed through the sale transferred to new buyers on AQHA records except for the high seller – Pet Squirrel which had not yet been transferred. It was announced by the sale company that Jo Goertz , Hamilton, Texas,.had purchased the great mare for $400,000, which I verified. Therefore, that amount is included in the net, average and median. According to the amounts published by Western Bloodstock, the sale netted $3,237,600 on 61 head, for a $53,075 average and a $20,000 median (median is halfway between the highest-and lowest-selling horse). Horses sold from $400,000 for the great mare Pet Squirrel ($389,160 in lifetime earnings, selling with two embryos – one by High Brow Cat and one by Chula Dual), down to $1,200 paid for Smart Cat Lights Up, a yearling stud colt. I’m assuming that the amounts published by the sale company are correct, because that’s something that can’t be verified. Eleven stallions saw over $100,000 worth of their colts selling, while eight stallions had total offspring bringing $200,000 or more, including High Brow Cat, with seven offspring racking up a $651,000 total price tag for a $93,000 average.; Playdox with three head bringing $503,000 for a $167,667 average – which included the $400,000 paid for Pet Squirrel; Peptoboonsmal with three head bringing $287,500 for a $95,833 average; One Time Pepto, two head bringing $266,000 for a $133,000 average and Smooth As A Cat with four head netting $260,000 for a $65,000 average; Dual Jewels, three head for $216,500 averaging $72,167; Dual Pep, two head for $205,500, averaging $102,750 and CD Lights, nine head totaling $200,400 for a $22,267 average. Six buyers spent over $200,000, including Jo Goertz, who purchased Pet Squirrel for $400,000; Jon Winkelreid’s Marvine Ranch, Meeker, Colo., and Weatherford, Texas, spending $395,000 on two head; Brazillian Armando Filho, who spent $285,000 for two head; Canadians David and Georgia Husby, $20,000 for two; the Cottonwood Springs Ranch , Bayfield, Colo., and Silver Kap Farm, Louisville, Ky., $235,000 on one horse each; and Lazy M Cattle Company, Forney, Texas, who spent $210,000 for one horse. As promised, Vangilder sold all
the 61 horses in the sale (two were scratched from the sale and
didn’t go through the arena) and the sale will go down as
highly successful cutting horse sale in a tough economy. Coming
next – the actual horses changing hands and buyers from
the NCHA Futurity Sales. KEENELAND NOVEMBER BREEDING STOCK AND FASIG TIPTON KENTUCKY FALL MIXED SALES EXPERIENCE HUGE DECLINES Nov. 11, 2009
- Lexington, Ky. Even though multiple champion Azeri brought a $2.25 million final bid from a Japanese buyer, she was the only seven figure horse that sold in the first session of the Keeneland sale where total sales dropped 45.3 percent (from $48,021,000 down to $26,291,500) on 15.4 percent fewer horses offered. The average dipped 35.3 percent to $208,683 from $322,289, and the median was down 13.5 percent to $160,000 from $185,000 in 2008. The buy-back rate was 31.9 percent, which was actually up from last year’s 38.2 percent. While $2.25 million seemed a lot for a mare, Azeri had failed to reach her reserve at $4.4 million at the 2009 Keeneland January mixed sale. Since then, her first foal topped the 2009 Keeneland April sale of Select 2-year-olds at $1.9 million after setting a record RNA (Reserve not achieved) price of $7.7 million at the 2008 Keeneland Yearling sale. Her second foal sold for $800,000 at the 2009 September Keeneland Sale. The sale reported there was a strong foreign market, with only one American buyer among the top five horses. Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland’s director of sales explained that fact in an article in Thoroughbred Times Today, “Their economies have rebounded faster than the American market. The rate of exchange for Japan and Australia has never been better.” The second day of the 13-day sale, which ends of Nov. 22, will be highlighted by the complete dispersal of the breeding stock of Overbrook Farm by the heirs of the late W. T. Young. "We have a strong international continegnt of buyers here after the Breeders' Cup, which I think is going to help tremendously," Russell said. The Fasig-Tipton sale fared worse when 78 of the 111 consigned horses netted $28,505,000, down 59.4 percent from $70,279,000 in 2008. Reportedly, the number of consignments fell from 153 when there were an “unusual number of scratches.” The average was down 52.7 percent to $365,449 from last year’s $772,297 and the median dropped 32 percent from $250,000 in 2008 to $170,000. The buy-back rate was 29.7 percent, which was also better than the 39.3 percent in 2008. However, year-to-year comparisons
at this sale may not be telling the real story as last year’s
sale broke records due to a major dissolution of a major partnership.
Then shortly after last year’s sale, where a $14-million
broodmare sold, the breeding business fell apart. According to
Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning Jr., there was a good demand
for quality horses. The high-selling horse this year brought $2,150,000.
He also reiterated that there was a tremendous international participation
– with Japanese and Australian buyers taking advantage of
favorable exchange rates. MARKETPLACE AT ARDMORE SALE AVERAGES CLOSE TO $6,000 OVER 83 PERCENT OF HORSES SELL By Glory Ann Kurtz Eleven head sold for $20,000 or more and the top 10 horses selling averaged $24,850. The high seller, at $43,500, was Lynneas Preppy Cat, a 5-year-old black daughter of High Brow Cat out of Peppy Lynnea by Peppy San, which netted $43,500 to seller Robert Bruns, Syracuse, Neb. The gorgeous mare, with limited showing in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota, had earnings of $4,464 and was advertised as being solid enough for a non-pro or amateur. Her dam had earnings of $79,262. The second high-seller, bringing a final bid of $26,000 was Myrabelle Shirley, a 1998 gray mare that is a full sister to Playgun (Freckles Playboy x Miss Silver Pistol x Doc’s Hickory), consigned by the Pieper Ranch, Marietta, Okla. The mare had been bred to Boonlight Dancer; however, had unexpectedly aborted just prior to the sale. She sold with a 2010 paid breeding to Boonlight Dancer. Dick and Brenda Piepers, the owners of Playgun, sold 13 horses during the sale, netting $140,900, for a $10,838.46 average. The third high seller, consigned by the Three Trees Ranch, Inc., was Cats Lena, a 2-year-old chestnut stallion sired by High Brow Cat out of Lena Boon by Peptoboonsmal. The stallion, in training with Cody Fry for six months, looked great on cattle and brought a $25,000 final bid. Bringing a $24,500 final bid was Darlin Nikki, a 3-year-old chestnut daughter of Im Countin Checks out of Daintys Cat by High Brow Cat, consigned by Tommy Manion. The sale was an inexpensive alternative to the upcoming NCHA Futurity Sales that was used by many consignors, since the consignment fee was only $250 with a $50 cattle charge if the horse was worked on cattle and no pass-out fee. The stands were full of buyers and spectators, with many foreign buyers represented. The quality of the sale consignments were represented in four High Brow Cat offspring, 18 sired by Boonlight Dancer, three by Dual Rey, five by Doc’s Hickory, two by Dual Pep, five Smart Little Lenas, 11 by Smooth As A Cat, nine by One Time Pepto – and many others by today’s popular sires. Horses that were cutting bred, reining bred and reined cow horse bred were all consigned. When all was said and done,
Reed’s description of the sale was wrapped up in a single
sentence. “It’s the best sale I’ve ever had.” Oct.
10, 2009 - Billings, Mont. After two complete go-arounds with 186 teams, the top 12 came back for the short-go at Billings Live-stock's team roping jackpot!
A whopping 1,211 head of horses - loaded the horse sale superstore at Billings Livestock’s “Cow Country Classic” catalog sale and “Fall Rope Horse Special” Sept. 25-27. Head, heel, or breakaway, an incredible offering of rope horses took the stage Friday afternoon in Billings Livestock’s sale horse jackpot where 186 teams put on a show - it was two complete go-arounds and a top 12 finals - and one big-time in Billings. Professionally produced by Wrangler Team Roping Championship’s Dennis Tryan, the “rockem, sockem, doublehockem” display of rope horses blasted off the expanded three-day, 75th anniversary celebration of Billings Livestock.Jackpot average winners Rhett Shrewsberry, Alliance, Neb., heading on “Ted” a 2003 grade sorrel gelding, and Max Kutler, American Falls, Idaho, aboard “Lady Dash” a 1997 APHA grullo mare, put it on three in 23.76, to earn $564 per man and custom Master saddles and rope bags. “Jayne Smart” a 1999 AQHA bay mare by Ill Be Smart lead the charge in the rope horse division bringing $9,000 and selling to Jim Walma, Wickenburg, Ariz. Shown and offered by Brian Smith, Minden, Nev., the pretty, non-pro, West Coast Futurity Champion reining mare had won money roping at USTRC and ACTRA ropings in addition to being used outside at brandings. The weekend’s top-selling horse brought $12,500 and “French Pep A San” a 2008 AQHA palomino mare sired by Frenchman’s Guy was bred, raised, and offered by Alan Woodbury, Dickinson, N.D. The extra-pretty prospect sold to Quinn Wilson, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Big, blue, and been there, “ZangsBlue Woody” a 2003 AQHA blue roan gelding consigned by the Double K Ranch, McCook, Neb., had been ranch ridden and put through the paces. The solid, honest, gentle gelding sold to Gary Carter, Livingston, MT for $9,000. World Champion Team Roper,
Bobby Harris, Highmore, S.D., offered “TRM Frenchman’s
Bug” a 2003 AQHA bay mare x PC Frenchmans Mark and out of
a Top Moon-bred mare. The head, heel, combo was also started on
barrels and poles and sold to Steve Meloy, Helena, MT for $7,500. In the loose division, 561 head were offered in the Sunday morning session where the top-selling horse brought $2,300, and the top five averaged $1,980 versus $1,085 in 2008, top 10 at $1,715 compared to $955 one year ago, top 20 $1,361 against $805 last year, top 50 at $900 even compared to $582 in 2008, and the top 100 averaged $631 versus $440 one year ago. With 595 individuals registering to buy over the three days, 301 buyers purchased horses, with 140 buying two or more head. A 93.6 percent completed sales percentage prevailed as 1,121 head of horses actually changed hands. Billings Livestock’s “Fall Special Catalog Sale” is set for Oct. 24-25 where two, big days of horse sales are planned. An indoor, climate- and ground-controlled preview for the barrel horses, cutters, saddle and ride horses, calf horses, and team roping horses is set for 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23 at the HorsePalace Arena. For more information, to consign or request a catalog, contact Bill and Jann Parker, BLS Horse Sale Managers at 406-245-4151 or see it all at www.billingslivestock.com KEENELAND SALE CONTINUES STEEP DECLINES EVEN WITH MILLION-DOLLAR SALE AND THE LAST FULL CROP OF STORM CAT OFFSPRING By Glory Ann Kurtz Despite the fact that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum and top buyer John Magnier showed up to bid against each other, and the fact that the yearling sale includes many offspring from the last full foal crop sired by Storm Cat, sale indicators were all down drastically. Storm Cat, a son of Storm Bird who, even though for most of the last 15 years has been the most expensive stallion in the world, was retired due to his lack of potency. His top-priced colt so far at Keeneland was $2.05 million on Tuesday, Sept. 15. According to Keeneland’s Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell, “the prices were very consistent at all levels of the market.” The sliding sale prices are causing not only an “adjustment” in the amount paid for horses, but also is more than likely going to institute an "adjustment," in theform of price reductions and concessions on this spring’s stallion fees. Breeders will be forced to charge stud fees so they will give value to the breeders. Several stud fee reductions have already taken place in the industry. The sale three-week continues
through Sunday, Sept. 27, with today being the only break day. ROCK CREEK RANCH SALE TO FEATURE CLOSE TO 70 HEAD RANCH, EQUIPMENT AND HORSES AUCTIONED OFF ON OCT. 16 By Glory Ann Kurtz
It will be the opportunity of the year – the opportunity to purchase some of the industry’s best show horses, promising prospects started by one of the industry’s greatest trainers, money-earning and producing broodmares in foal to some of the industry’s hottest stallions, a 437-acre ranch in Weatherford and equipment. It’s the Rock Creek Ranch Complete Dispersal, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 16 at Jim Vangilder’s Rock Creek Ranch.
Advertised that all horses will sell “without reserve,” the slate will include 10 show horses, several with earnings over $100,000 – with most trained by Roger Wagner, with over $3 million in lifetime earnings; six 3-year-old prospects, paid in full to the 2009 NCHA Futurity – all trained by Wagner; 12 2-year-old prospects stated by Wagner; seven broodmares, 12 yearlings and 20 weanlings, all from current or former Rock Creek show mares. Three 2- and 3-year-old offspring of the great mare Quintan Blue ($609,140) will also sell. Top equipment will be sold - from diesels, duallys, horse trailers and tractors – down to horse blankets and grooming equipment. Also, the 437-acre cutting horse facility will be auctioned off, with reserve, if it is still available by sale day. A preview of 2- and 3-year-olds on cattle will be held on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 9 a.m. The equipment auction will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday, with the horse auction taking place at 12 noon, followed by the real estate auction. Lunch will be available at the sale. About the only thing you
can't buy is Wagner, who will be moving to Jon Winkelried's Marvine
Ranch in Weatherfod. Auctioneers will include Don Green, Steve
Friskup and Jim Ware. Western Bloodstock Sale Company will be
handling the sale and any questions should be directed to them
at (817) 594-9210. JIM VANGILDER THE LATEST TO ANNOUNCE A FALL SALE WITH DISPERSAL ON OCT.16 DAN CHURCHILL'S CIRCLE C RANCH SALE SCHEDULED FOR SEPT. 19; SUSIE REED'S NEW MARKETPLACE AT ARDMORE SALE, OCT. 31 Aug.
12, 2009 - Weatherford, Texas Vangilder's top resident trainer, Roger Wagner, the earner of over $3 million, who previously was a top trainer in Australia and has worked for Vangilder for six years, will move on to train for Jon Winkelried's Marvine Ranch, also located in Weatherford, Texas. Vangilder, who has a home in Missouri, said he had a need to spend more time with his family. Vangilder's horses will be sold during a complete dispersal sale held Oct. 16, which will be managed by Western Bloodstock. Two other high-profile sales held during September and October include the Churchill Sale on Sept. 19 and Susie Reed's Marketplace sale on Oct. 31. Churchill, owner of Circle C Ranch Company, will hold its first production/reduction cutting horse sale with guest consignors, under the name The Fall Collection, on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009 at Churchill’s Circle C Ranch in Wayne, Okla. Guest consignors are Pat and Connie Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Cutting Horses, Paoli, Ola., and Linda Holmes of Holmes Cutting Horses, Longmont, Colo. All horsees in the sale will be absolute sales, says Churchill. For more information, contact Dan Churchill 309-781-7890, Pat Fitzgerald 405-826-4727 or Linda Holmes 303-956-1887. Catalogs when available can be obtained from Jennifer Anderson at 405 401-4759 or her email: diamondjenh@aol.com ? Also, Susie Reed, has finalized for a new consignment auction for performance horses called The Marketplace at the Hardy Murphy Coliseum in Ardmore, that is slated for Oct. 31, 2009. Reed, who co-managed the Ranchers & Breeders Sale, which has been discontinued, as well as the Polo Ranch sales, and has been in the sale business for 25 years, said during the Summer spectacular sale that she was already three-quarters full for consignments. For more information a consignment information, contact Reed at 580-490-1103. NCHA SUMMER SPECTACULAR SALE SHOWS MIXED RESULTS TRAINED HORSES UP OVER 2008; OTHERS DOWN By
Glory Ann Kurtz Click here for Excel Sale chart>> When the final gavel had dropped, 190 of the 243 consigned horses and 219 that stepped into the ring had changed hands (according to unofficial results posted by Western Bloodstock on their website - no buyers were furnished), 15 fewer than the 205 that sold in 2008. Those 192 horses represented 87 percent of those consigned, up from the 82 percent that sold last year. Obviously sellers were becoming more realistic about today's prices and are were not expecting more money than the market can bear. Two charts are included with this article - with the first being a comparison chart of the categories of horses with 2008 and the other being a four-page Excel chart ranked by price, sire, seller and the original list of horses selling by lot number. You can manipulate these charts however you wish to see the rankings. However, even though the average and median for the entire sale were down ($553 in the average and $2,500 in the median), as were the averages and medians on the yearlings, broodmares, 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds - trained cutting horses 4 years old and older (not including any broodmares) were up substantially from a year ago. This year 36 trained cutting horses averaged $20,331 for a $15,750 median. Last year, 54 head averaged $12,948 for a $12,000 median - up over 2008 by $7,3835 in the average and $3,750 in the median. This year's figures; however,
include the three breeding stallions, which included Playdox,
selling for $52,000; Bobs Freckle, selling for $38,500 and Dulces
Smart Lena, $22,000. If those three stallions were taken out of
the 4-and-over horses, the net would be $619,400 on 33 head, averaging
$18,770 for a $15,500 median. That would still be $5,822 above
the 2008 average and $3,500 above the 2008 median. ALL
HORSES:
. Even though three high-profile stallions sold during the sale, only two of them brought over $30,000. Playdox, consigned by the Slate River Ranch, sold the highest, at $52,000 going to Jimmy-Jack Biffle of Muenster, Texas, and his wife Mary.
Bobs Freckle sold to Antonio Carbonari-Neto of San Paulo, Brazil, for $38,500. They were the two highest-selling horses of the Slate River Production Sale. Also, 90 of the 95 shares in the syndicated stallion Dulces Smart Lena sold for $22,000. Click here for comparison chart 2009-2008>>
The cutting horses 4 & Over, did not include broodmares; however there were several mares with a good resume and some high money-earning geldings. But the top two high-selling cutting horses were mares. Peppers Stylish Cat, a 5-year-old daughter of High Brow Cat out of Stylish Pepper by Docs Stylish Oak, consigned by the Brewer Ranch, Weatherford, Texas, topped the entire sale at $81,000. With $52,388 in lifetime earnings, the mare, currently in training with Clint Allen, had finished fifth in the 2008 NCHA Open Derby, split sixth in the NCHA Super Stakes $10,000 Novice and was a finalist in the Brazos Bash and Music City Open Derbies. In 2009, she was a finalist in the Augusta, Tunica and Abilene Open Classics. It was announced from the podium that she had been purchased by Clint Hixson, Monroe, La. The second high-selling cutting horse was also a mare. Shessweetern Pepto, a 4-year-old daughter of Peptoboonsmal out of Sweet Lil Lena, consigned by Dana Harrah, brought $45,000 even though she did not have any earnings and had had colic surgery in 2006. She was a full sister to Sweet Lil Pepto ($228,340) and Pepto Taz, a leading cutting sire, and was in training with Mike Mowery. 3-YEAR-OLDS:
Only one less 3-year-old sold this year, but they were up $48 in the average ($9,191 this year to $9,143 in 2008). However, they were down $1,400 in the median ($5,100 this year compared to $6,500 in the median in 2008. The high-selling 3-year-old was Stylish House Cat - the second to the last horse selling - bringing $56,000 from an obviously emotional Skeeter Cox from Maryland. The daughter of High Brow Cat out of Stylish Pepper by Docs Stylish Oak was a full sister to Peppers Stylish Cat, the high-selling cutting horse 4 & over. She was consigned by Randermann Quarter Horses and was in training with Robert Fuentes. That combination seemed to be the cross of the day, as the second high-selling 3-year-old, This Cats Stylish, was also sired by High Brow Cat and out of Stylish Luv by Docs Stylish Oak. Consigned by Karley Clearman, she brought a $22,500 final bid. She was started by Chris Benedict and in training with Scott Ferguson. 2-YEAR-OLDS:
BROODMARES: In 2007, she was a finalist in the Music City Open Derby and in 2008 was in the top 10 of the NCHA Open Super Stakes Classic and a semifinalist in the NCHA Open Classic/Challenge. She is currently in training with Paul Hansma and is in foal to Dual Pep. Her dam, Savannah white, is the dam of nine offspring earning over $608,000, including Cappuccino And Pasta (CD Olena) $155,522.
LEADING
SIRES: Smart Little Lena saw 12 of his 14 consignments net $178,700 for a $14,892 average and $15,500 median. His highest-selling offspring was Madelena, a 1995 broodmare with a colt at her side by Cats Merada, rebred to Cats Merada and a colt by Dual Rey with a carrier mare. The package, consigned by Jeremy Barwick, sold for $29,500. Peptoboonsmal was third in the net with five head out of six consignments netting $113,200 for a $22,640 average and $17,500 median.
Attached is a three-page Excel chart. Sale horses are ranked by 1) Price, 2) Sire, 3) Seller and 4) the original list of horses ranked by catalog number. Go to the bottom of the Excel chart and click on each list that you want to see. Also, if you want to resort the horses some other way (ie) maternal grandsire, covering sire, etc., you can also do that. Thanks to my readers who have helped me with theses charts. PROFESSIONAL AUCTION SERVICES SUMMER SALE SCHEDULED FOR AUG. 8 By Alan Taylor The HorseAuctions.com staff is very excited to be working with The PAS Staff to make their sale horses available to the public via our Live Online Bidding sytem. They have entered all the horses to the HorseAuctions.com database system and there will be pictures posted too. Be sure to preregister for online bidding approval as early as possible to ensure that you get an online bidder button. On sale day, when the sale starts you can listen to PAS Staff auction each horse and bid on the ones of your choice. A list of horses being sold, to register for online bidding approval and to view live online bidding, go to HorseAuctions.com. HORSE SALE NEWS By Glory Ann Kurtz NCHA
SALES: OTHER
SALE NEWS: In other sale news, the
first day of the Tattersalls July sale was off, with the average
price being down 41 percent from last year to $21,602 and the
median was down 50 percent to $8,552. However, the second day
of the sale enjoyed increases in the average price and median
– increasing last year’s average by 7.6 percent to
$21,160 and the median was up 3.4 percent to $12,696. The sale
continues today. THOSE IN THE KNOW, EXPRESS THEIR OPINIONS ABOUT THE UPCOMING THOROUGHBRED YEARLING SALES July
7, 2009 Keeping in mind that several upcoming cutting horses sales are scheduled, including the NCHA Summer Spectacular Sale, scheduled for Aug. 1 and the NCHA Futurity Sales in December, an interesting article was written on the BloodHorse.com site, regarding the "Yearling Sale Prognosis." With a drop of 40 percent or more in the prices paid for Thoroughbred broodmares and 30 percent or more for select 2-year-olds in training, several individuals involved in the buying and selling of Thoroughbreds, expressed their opinions on the upcoming sales. FORT RANCH 32ND ANNUAL PRODUCTION SALE SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 20 June 13, 2009 The pedigrees of these babies, born this spring, feature great cow horses from the industry's leading loodlines and they're from a program that has had a national impact. They're sired by top-bred stallions that are siring top performers in cutting, reined cowhorse and roping both ends.
You can view the on-line
catalog on www.fortranch.com or if you are unable to attend, you
can bid on-line by going to that web site first. The Fort Ranch
is again paying the 3 percent fee normally associated with bidding
online. DAN CHURCHILL AND GUEST CONSIGNORS TO HOLD SEPT. 19 SALE June 2, 2009 –
Wayne, Okla. Guest consignors are Pat and Connie Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Cutting Horses, Paoli, Ola., and Linda Holmes of Holmes Cutting Horses, Longmont, Colo. “This really is a collective effort, because Pat, Linda and I will each place an equal number of head in the sale and we all have input as to the type of sale we want to produce,” Churchill said. The sale offering will primarily be 2- and 3-year-old performance prospects plus show horses, with some yearlings and broodmares also slated to sell. Many of the 3 year olds are nominated and will be paid through the Sep5. 1 payment in the 2009 NCHA Futurity Open Division. According to Churchill, the sires represented read like a Who’s Who in the cutting horse industry — with sires like Dual Rey, Smart Mate, Peptoboonsmal, Cats Merada, Dual Pep, Docs Hickory, Docs Stylish Oak, Hesa Peptospoonful, CD Lights, Nitas Wood etc. And, with offspring selling out of some truly elite mares, we are really excited about the quality we can present at this auction.” When asked what sets this sale apart, Churchill is quick to respond, “Well, other than the caliber of the offering, Linda, Pat and I have all agreed to hold an absolute auction in the truest sense of the word. Every horse that goes through the sale ring will go home with the highest bidder.” All performance horses
are scheduled to be worked on cattle as sold. The sale site, Circle
C Ranch, is located 43 miles south of Oklahoma City, and 5 miles
east of I-35. For more information, contact Dan Churchill 309-781-7890,
Pat Fitzgerald 405-826-4727 or Linda Holmes 303-956-1887. Catalogs
when available can be obtained from Jennifer Anderson at 405 401-4759
or her email: diamondjenh@aol.com POSITIVE RESULTS AT FASIG-TIPTON MIDLANTIC 2-YEAR-OLDS IN TRAINING SALE FEWER HORSES, RECORD HIGH-SELLING COLTS AND LOW BUY-BACK RATES FUEL OPTIMISM May 20, 2009 –
Timonium, Md. However, according to an article in Thoroughbred Times Today, the difficult economic conditions did impact the sale and pinhookers were sometimes faced with selling their horses at a loss or keeping them to race. Terence Collier, the director of marketing said, “There was no portion of the sale that was disappointing or anticipated.” The number of horses offered was down 35.5 percent, from 496 in 2008 to 321 in 2009. The number sold was also down by 24.5 percent, from 327 to 247. The article said that besides the big prices at the top, the best news was the 23.1 percent buy-back rate, a significant improvement from the 34.1 percent a year ago and better than just about anything seen in 2009. With fewer horses sold,
the gross was down 33.2 percent, from $15,757,400 to $10,522,500;
the average was down 11.6 percent, from $48,188 to $42,601 and
the median was down 10.7 percent, from $28,000 to $25,000. GOT A HORSE TO SELL? EASTERN SALE HAS UNIQUE MARKETING PLAN May
5, 2009 If you enter six horses in the upcoming sale, you get the six-horse discount entry fee for five horses and pay no entry fee for the sixth horse. You also pay only the sale commission if it sells, or the “no sale” fee if it doesn’t sell. Call 800-240-7900 if you
are interested. Ask them for the details and have them send you
an e-news coupon, which you will have to clip and send in with
your entry or entries. It is valid only for the Eastern Spring
Sale and expires when the sale fills. For further information
go to www.professionalauction.com. SOUTHEAST SPRING SALE AVERAGE UP 7 PERCENT; GROSS SALES UP 24 PERCENT May 1, 2009 –
Murfreesboro, Tenn. .The 2009 Southeast Spring Sale was held on April 11 at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The sale showed surprising gains in nearly every statistical category only one day after a category EF-4 tornado ripped a path of destruction only a half-mile from the coliseum. The crowd at the sale was significantly smaller that any that had attended a Southeast Sale for the past three years. While many of the spectators stayed away, the buyers were there and spending more than anyone anticipated. The tornado passed within a half-mile of the Tennessee Miller Coliseum during the PAS Cutting Series show. "We had just finished the Non-Pro when the staff told everyone to move to a safer place," said Mike Jennings of Professional Auction Services, Inc. "The power went out in the building and we heard a dull roar. It was over as fast as it came." The coliseum's generator system came on and the show resumed within a half-hour. Power was not restored until the Southeast Spring Sale was nearly over early Saturday evening “There was a lot working against us, the tornado and the fact that the sale was on Eastern weekend,” said Mike Jennings of Professional Auction Services, Inc. Jennings continued “There has been a lot of bidding activity at all of our sales this year with prices down 15 to 20 percent. This jump in prices is encouraging.” The average of horses selling was $3,166, up 7 percent from a year ago, while the median of $2,000 was unchanged. Gross sales of $272,275 were up a whopping 24 percent, while the 67 percent of horses sold was up five full points. The high seller, bringing $27,000 ws up 125 percent, while the low seller of $275 was up 38 percent. Five horses brought $10,000 or over, up 25 percent from last year; while 125 brought $5,000 or more, also up 25 percent from 2008. The top 10 averaged $12,480, up 44 percent from a year ago. The average of horses sold in the preferred session was $3,441, up 4 percent from a year ago, and the General Average of $1,629 was up 27 percent from a year ago. Fifty, (50) horses were sold as they worked cattle. The average price for horses working cattle was $5,906. The Southeast Summer Sale will be held August 8, 2009 at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Entry deadline for the Sale is June 25. The sale will be held in conjunction with the PAS Cutting Series, two full NCHA and AQHA cuttings held on Friday and Sunday surrounding the sale. The sale was produced by Professional
Auction Services, Inc. of Berryville, Virginia. The firm produces
the AQHA World Championship Show Sale and will manage the NRCHA
Snaffle Bit Futurity Sales in 2009. For more information visit
www.professionalauction.com or call (800) 240-7900. Hip No. 2 - Jans Oh K - $27,000.00 Hip No. 35 - SF Tabbie Cat -
$17,500.00 Hip No. 68 - Top Olenas Playgirl
- $14,000.00 Hip No. 17 - Rum Badger - $10,70.000 Hip No. 25 - Pretty Nu Skyline
- $9,900.00 Hip No. 106 - Genuine Roany
Pony - $8,500 Click here for a chart of categories of horses sold>>
NCHA SUPER STAKES SALE SHOWS $2,500 DROP IN AVERAGE FROM 2008 BROODMARE REMEDY FOR SWEETS TOPS SALE AT $100,000 Article
and photos by Glory Ann Kurtz
If you were following cutting in the late 1990s and early 2000, you were aware that Remedy For Sweets, owned and ridden in Non-Pro competition by Californian Linda Mussallem were the pair to beat, with the mare earning over $203,700. Therefore, it was no surprise when the 1995 daughter of Grays Starlight out of Sweet Remedy by Doc’s Remedy, topped the NCHA Super Stakes Sale, held Saturday, April 18, bringing a $100,000 bid from Bobby and Dottie Hill, Glen Rose, Texas. The sale featured 219 cataloged
horses with 193 going through the ring. A total of 155 changed
hands, which was 81 percent of those consigned. The sale netted
$1,705,600 for an $11,004 average and $6,200 median. (Median is
halfway between the highest- and lowest-selling horses). As most
people expected, this is down substantially from 2008 when 115
of the 145 consignments (79 percent) changed hands for $1,706,050
for a $14,835 average and $8,700 median. Remedy For Sweets sold with two embryos: one by Smooth As A Cat and another by High Brow CD for 20010 foals, the mare was consigned by Sunrise Ranch, LLC, Fayetteville, Ark. The fertile mare may be close to setting a record for offspring, as she has 16 registered foals in nine years and has carrier mares carrying the two embryos for 2010. In 2006, the mare had four offspring. Her most well-known offspring was Smart Little Norman, a gelding by Smart Little Lena, with $46,539 in lifetime earnings.
The second high seller was also
a broodmare, Merada Mirage, a 2004 daughter of Smart Little Lena
out of Meradas Bitsy by Freckles Merada, bringing a $97,500 final
bid. The mare was part of the 27-horse sales section of horses
consigned by Ray and Jane Jones, Tenaha, Texas, who were splitting
up their horses. Twenty-four head sold for $327,100, averaging
$13,629. Jane purchased nine head, netting $226,800 for a $25,200
average, including Merada Mirage, who earned $44,279 and sold
with the Jones retaining five embryos out of the mare. Ray purchased
three head for $17,000. Thirteen head sold to other buyers for
$87,100, making the Jones the leading sellers in the net. Sunrise
Ranch LLC was second with five head netting $182,700 or a $36,540
average. Third was Jack and Susan Waggoner, with 17 head netting
$87,300 for a $5,135 average – including several 2-year-olds,
not by High Brow Cat, and not on cattle. Broodmares were in demand, with
38 netting $546,700 for a $14,387 average and $7,850 median. Those
figures were only topped in the median by 4-Year-Old-and-Over
horses, including stallions, geldings and mares that were not
bred, didn’t have foals at their sides or embryos. A total
of 64 netted $925,400 for a $14,459 average and $9,850 median.
sold for $62,000One of the big buys of the sale was Reylena Moon, a 2005 red roan daughter of Dual Rey out of Carolena Moon by Peptoboonsmal, consigned by William Simpson, Commerce, Texas, and purchased by Crown Ranch LLP, Weatherford, Texas, for $62,000. At the time of the sale, the mare had qualified for the NCHA Super Stakes semifinals, ridden by Jonathan Rogers. It was announced the mare would be retained until the show was over, as well as any earnings. However, the pair failed to advance and had to be satisfied with a $5,000 paycheck. The sire netting the most money
by his offspring was Smart Little Lena with six head netting $213,500
for a $35,583 average and $24,000 median. He was followed by High
Brow Cat, with 11 head netting $193,900 for a $17,627 average
and $13,500 median. The great broodmare sire, Grays Starlight,
who is now deceased, led the average and median with two head
netting $169,500 for an $84,750 average and median. KEENELAND 2-YEAR-OLD. SALE CONTINUES DOWNWARD SPIRAL April 10, 2009 With the high seller bringing $1.9 million, the sale grossed $11,805,000, down 27.6 percent from 2008’s $16,299,000. The average of $178,864 was down 15.5 percent from 2008’s $211,675 and the median of $117,500 was down 21.7 percent from 2008’s $150,000. According to an article
in Thoroughbred Times Today,
Keeneland Director of Sales Geoffrey Russell said the outs were
a disappointment and added that the 2-year-old sales are based
on performance and those horses that do not perform up to the
increasingly h igh standards of the market will not find buyers.
Russesll said that the Thoroughbred market is “totally different
from last year.” One consignor said, “We’re
lacking buyers in the $500,000-and-up range. They’re either
not here or they’re not shopping.” THE BLUE-COLLAR BOYS April
1, 2009 - Billings, Mont. Pack, pull, ride, or drive - multi-tasking, industrial-strength stock stood front and center at Billings Livestock’s “Spring Special Catalog Sale” featuring “Outfitters, Guides, Guest, and Dude Horses & Mules” March 28 - 29. With resumes that included National Park trail rides, wilderness hunting trips, and downtown parades - 60-plus mules, loads of quarter drafts, and 10 teams filled the weekend’s sale selection of 756 head. “Finish Line Express” a 1998 AQHA sorrel stallion by Streakin Six and out of a Merridoc daughter had $54,000 in race winnings in addition to $100,000-plus in barrel racing earnings by his offspring. Consigned by Lee and Annie Woods, Grangeville, Idaho, the AAA earner and producer sold to and will stand with O’Donnell Quarter Horses, Cardwell, Mont. Jim Schultz, Monticello, Minn., consigned “Bonanzas Show Bar” a 2000 AQHA sorrel gelding by Grandbar Showdown and out of a Major Holiday-bred dam. The gentle, ranch-used gelding had also been trail ridden and would ride for anyone, anywhere. Meyer Ranch Company, Helmville, Mont., purchased the steady-as-he-goes fellow for $4,800. A special session of “Roans Only” highlighted the weekend’s offerings where “Flashy Blue Reno,” a 2004 AQHA blue roan stallion by TR Flashy Badger and out of a High Rolling Roany daughter brought $4,800. Consigned by Huffman Cattle Company, Lemmon, S.D., the true-blue color producer sold to Maverick Cattle Co., Billings, Mont. The sale averages include the top five at $14,840; top 10 at $10,050; top 20 at $7,095; the top 50 came in at $4,740 and the top 100 averaged $3,447. In the loose division - no speech, no guarantee, no rider - 233 head sold with the top loose horse commanding $1,900; the top five averaged $1,210; top 10 brought $1,022; top 20 came in at $826; top 50 at $585 and the top 100 brought a $435 average. Billings Livestock’s next sale event is set for April 25-26 and will feature the 11th annual “Rope Horse Special” catalog sale and regular monthly horse sale. Thre will be lots of cattle and lots of opportunities to watch the rope horses, including a jackpot team roping open only to sale horses set for Friday, April 24 in the BLS arena. Rope horses will show again in previews on Saturday and Sunday. All classes of horses will sell including mares, stallions, finished horses, prospects, and young stock. Cattle will also be available to show the cutting horses and calf horses.
The catalog closing date is April 5, with a supplement printed for later entries. See it all at www.billingslivestock.com or contact Bill and Jann Parker, BLS Horse Sale Managers at 406-245-4151.
SAVVY, STYLE & SHINE CJ SUGAR LENA TOPS SALE AT $24,000 March 8, 2009 - Billings,
Mont. A lot of good horses - all in one spot, all offered for sale, and all given the opportunity to preview, the three-day sale weekend welcomed 698 individual buyers, 741 head of horses, and sent 657 horses to new homes from California to Florida, and north to four Canadian provinces. Run barrels, cut, rope, or just ride-around, sons and daughters of celebrated stallions including Dash Ta Fame, Freckles Playboy, Smart Little Lena, Dual Rey and CJ Sugar captured the top six sale spots - and a $20,050 average selling price. He'd won more money than any other horse ever offered at Billings Livestock - $180,503 NCHA and produced in excess of $150,000. CJ Sugar Lena, a 1993 AQHA sorrel stallion by CJ Sugar was offered by Josh and Amy King, Baird, Texas.. He came in show ready condition, demonstrated on cattle at the preview, was bred by Buster Welch, earned the NCHA Non-Pro Finals Championship title in addition to many, many others, and topped the weekend's sale offering with a $24,000 price tag. Douglas Hines, Saltcoats, Saskatchewan purchased the game-ready stallion. A cornerstone of the Hutchings Quarter Horses, Thayne, Wyo., breeding program, HR Hickory Player, a 1997 AQHA Bay stallion by Freckles Playboy and out of SR Hickory Lena x Doc's Hickory brought $23,000. Shown in the preview, the $50,000 money earner sold to John McCarthy, Jr., Dade City, Fla. Sired by the No. 1 sire of barrel horses in the nation for five years running - Dash Ta Fame - Elle Ta Fame, a 2007 AQHA Bay mare was out of a race earning and stakes-placing mare - Queen Finale SI-101. Bred, raised, and offered by Patty Ann Perry, Vaughn, Mont., the exciting filly sold to Terry Simonson, Sidney, Mont., for $20,500. Ready-to-go-rodeo, Red, a 1996 grade, red-roan gelding was the barrel-racing business consigned by Amanda Jarrett, Cody, Wyo. With limited hauling, the strong gelding had earned $12,000 plus in the past two rodeo seasons, showed exceptional in the preview, and came with a gentle disposition. Everett Harris, Florence, Mont., purchased good guy for $13,500. The weekend's top rope horse
brought $8,700 and sold to Delbert Brewer, Hermosa, S.D. February's market saw great demand for good horses - the top 10 averaged $17,045; top 20 at $13,535; top 50 averaged $9,131; and the top 100 brought $6,444. Loose horses held their ground with 185 head selling Sunday morning, and again, the better horses - better condition, better look, better broke - brought the better price as the top five averaged $1,300; top 10 $1,115; top 20 came in at $940; top 50 at $677 and the top 100 head averaged $464. Next on the sale agenda at Billings Livestock's is the "Spring Special Catalog Sale" March 28-29 and will feature the annual "Outfitters, Guest, Dude Ranch and Trail Horse" offering in addition to a special session of "Roans Only". All classes of horses will sell, complimented by a big selection of riding and pack mules. An indoor preview of the barrel horses, cutters, saddle horses, mules, and rope horses is set for Friday, March 27 at 1 p.m. For more information, to consign
or request a catalog, contact Bill and Jann Parker, Billings Livestock
Commission Horse Sales at 406-245-4151 or see it all at http://www.billingslivestock.com/
HIGH BROW CAT TOPS SIRE AVERAGE OF 2-YEAR-OLDS SELLING IN NCHA FUTURITY SALES JAMES AND GAIL HOOPER TOP SALES OF 2-YEAR-OLDS, PURCHASING CATS HITMAN FOR $200,000 By Glory Ann Kurtz As expected, High Brow Cat offspring dominated the sale of 2-year-olds at the sales held during the 2008 NCHA Futurity. The industry’s leading sire topped the average of 2-year-olds selling – at $39,588 on the 17 head sold and was third in the median, with 17 head netting a median of $16,500. (Median is halfway between the highest- and lowest-selling horses. Also, the highest-selling 2-year-old, Cats Hitman, a son of High Brow Cat out of Smart Lil Addition by Smart Aristocrat brought a tidy sum of $200,000. Consigned by Kix and Barbara Books’ Painted Springs Farm, Thompson Station, Tenn., the young stallion that was trained and exhibited by Brad Mitchell, was purchased by James and Gail Hooper, Decatur, Ala. The Hoopers had tried to purchase the young stallion during the futurity pre-works earlier in the fall, but hadn’t planned on buying the young stallion during the sale since they were cutting back on their horse population. The couple had sent 22 head through the sale ring, with 18 selling for $171,200, averaging $9,500. That left them only $28,800 short for their $200,000 purchase of Cats Hitman. Hooper is a past president of the NCHA and a member of the Board of Directors. A total of 259 2-year-olds sold during six different sales held during the NCHA Futurity, including both days of the Mid-Futurity Sales, the Buffalo Ranch Production session, Oxbow Production Sale session, and the Dream Cross Dispersal sessions. However, the largest number of consigned 2 year olds came from the two days of the Sale of 2-Year-Olds by Select Sires. That sale had the highest average for 2-year-olds selling - $13,803 the first day and $17,621 the second day. The net on the 140 horses selling was $2,218,800 for an average of $15,849. However, there were requirements for an owner’s horse to be in the sale. Consignments had to be nominated to the 2009 NCHA Futurity and had to be sired by one of the following: an NCHA top 100 active all-time leading sires, top 50 current leading sires of 2008, an NCHA earner of $100,000 or be by a Super Stakes Subscribed Sire for 2009. First consideration was given to the get of Super Stakes Subscribed stallions or new sires. Consignors had to provide a professional quality video as well as digital radiographs of the horse. It was also advertised that exceptional applicants by non-qualifying sires could submit a video for inspection before Oct. 10 for consideration. The consignment fee was $1,100 with an 8 percent commission if the horse sold. If the horse was “passed out” or the reserve price set on the horse by the seller was not achieved, a repurchase fee of $1,100 was charged. All consignments were charged a $115 cattle fee.
RESULTS AND STATISTICS: The foreign influence was evident in all of the NCHA Futurity Sales, and especially so in the 2-year-old session, with Vincenzo Vario from Venezuela purchasing the fourth highest-selling horse Whiskeynadirtyglass for $99,000 from David Brown, Gainesville, Texas. The son of High Brow Cat was out of Jitters Brown by Smart Little Lena. While High Brow Cat led the average of 2-year-olds selling, Smart Little Lena topped the median, with three of h is eight consignments netting $52,200, averaging $17,400 for $21,500 in the median. Second in the average and median was Dual Rey, with 13 of 22 consignments bringing $481,200 for a $37,015 average and $21,000 median. However, if you factored in current
stud fees for these stallions, Mecom Blue led in the average and
median. Owned by Lannie Mecom’s Wichita Ranch, Brenham,
Texas, the son of Haidas Little Pep out of the industry’s
greatest producing mare, Royal Blue Boon, had five consignments,
with four selling for $77,400, representing a $19,350 average
and $12,750 median. With a 2009 advertised stud fee of $3,000,
that amount was 15.5 percent of the average amount and 23.5 percent
of the median. Click on the links below for all the stallions
with 3 or more offspring selling for $5,000 or more; however,
only nine of these stallions had 2009 stud fees that were less
than 50 percent of the average of the 2-year-olds sold (Mecom
Blue and Peptotime), while only two had stud fees that were less
than 50 percent of the median of the 2-year-olds that changed
hands (Mecom Blue and Bobs Freckle). STUD FEES CLOSE IN ON YEARLING AVERAGE & MEDIAN AT NCHA FUTURITY SALES Article and photos
b y Glory Ann Kurtz
While some horse owners breed their mares for their own use, most of them breed their mares so they can sell the offspring – and the best gathering of buyers looking for well-bred cutting horses is during the NCHA Futurity Sales. It's there that over half (52 percent) of the horses consigned are yearling prospects. This year, there were eight days of sales, with one dedicated solely to yearlings whose owners were invited to put them in the sale – the Invitational Yearling Sale held Dec. 9. Several yearlings also sold in the New Sire Spotlight sale, held Dec. 10 and the Mid-Futurity sales. Others sold throughout the sales in the Buffalo Ranch Production Sale and Dreamcross offerings, as well as the Preferred Breeders Session 3,4 and 5. A total of 757 yearlings went through the sale ring, with 605 (80 percent) selling for $7,316,400, averaging $12,093 for a $6,000 median. But it should make financial sense to breed a mare and sell the foal. The seller expects to get more than what it costs, like the stud fee, mare care, chute fee, foaling fees, feeding the foal for a year, travel expenses to the sale and fitting the yearling for the sale. If not, you’re working for a tax write-off – not a profit. Several yearlings that sold during the first two days of sales, did not bring the upset bid of $1,000. If they left the arena without a bid, Western Bloodstock marked them “withdrawn” in their official results. However, the consignors paid the $450 consignment fee on these yearlings, plus the $450 “Reserve Not Achieved” fee, for a total of $900 – even though they didn’t get a bid and had to take their horses home. Obviously those sellers lost money - lots of it. I called these horses “no sales” because they definitely went through the ring and paid their fees. Due to these horses – numbering less than 20 – my totals vary a little from Western Bloodstock’s totals. During the past couple of months, advertised stud fees for Thoroughbreds have been following the general economy – by dropping dramatically. And mare owners are paying attention as they decide which stallion makes the most sense to breed to their mares. Statistics from yearlings sold during the 2008 NCHA Futurity Sales show that stud fees range from 9.65 percent of the average for yearlings selling – and up to 115 percent. In the median (which is halfway between the highest- and lowest-selling yearlings), stud fees ranged from 15.15 percent of the median to a whopping 171 percent. In fact, just over half of the stud fees of the top 28 stallionsreviewed, were over 50 percent of what the yearlings averaged in the sale ring and three stallions were over 100 percent. In the median, close to 80 percent were over 50 percent of the median of yearlings sold – and seven sires’ stud fees to median were over 100 percent. Of course, the smaller the percentage in both the average and median – the better deal the mare owner is getting and the better chance he or she has to make money when it comes time to sell the babies as yearlings. LEADING
SIRES BY AVERAGE & MEDIAN: In the average, Widows Freckles, who last year was purchased by David and Stacie McDavid, Fort Worth, Texas, was second in the yearlings average at $25,900, with only three head selling and third in the median with $16,500. However, he had the best percentage of stud fee to sale price in both the average and median, with 9.65 percent in the average (stud fee compared to average of yearlings selling) and 15.15 percent in the median – which makes him a good buy in the breeding barn. From the first foal crop of Jeff
Matthews’ stallion One Time Pepto, 20 offspring sold. The
stallion ranked third in the average with $24,690 and $19,500
in the median. Six yearling stallions averaged $24,383 while 14
mares averaged $24,821. With a $7,500 stud fee, the amount was
30 percent of the average his offspring sold for and 15.15 percent
of the median. One interesting note was that none of the yearlings
were consigned by Matthews. The young stallion looks to be a good
gamble for mare owners to breed their mare to – since the
success of his offspring in the cutting pen is still unknown. THE
FIRSTS: WR This Cats Smart, owned by Wagonhound Land & Livestock, Douglas, Wyo., was the highest-ranking stallion who saw his first offspring showing in this year’s NCHA Futurity and also ranked high in the average (12th) and median (17th) of yearlings selling. He had 20 averaging $9,610 for a $6,000 median. With a reasonable $3,500 stud fee, that represented 36.42 of the average of his offspring selling and 58.33 in the median. Six stallions that had good average and median figures for their yearlings selling, did not have stud fees that could be factored in, with Smart Little Lena and Bet On Me 498 being syndicated and the rest either were deceased or the stud fee was not advertised. HIGH-SELLING
YEARLINGS: Second high seller was Smooth As A Kitty, a daughter of High Brow Cat out of Shes Pretty Smooth by Wheeling Peppy. Consigned by Tommy Manion, Aubrey, Texas, the full sister to Smooth As A Cat (501,874) brought a $145,000 final bid from Lonnie Allsup, Clovis, N.M., in the Invitational Yearling Sale. The third high-selling yearling was Wiley Cat, a son of High Brow Cat out of Miss Echo Wood ($66,579 and producer of 11 offspring earning $539,760), consigned by Cinder Lakes Ranch LLC, Powell Butte, Ore., and purchased for $98,000 by Joe Wes Davis, Jr., New Franklin, Mo. Click
here for yearlings selling in Sales>> Click
here for sires ranked by % of stud fees to AVERAGE>>
NCHA FUTURITY PREFERRED BREEDERS SALES SHOW DEMAND FOR BREEDING STOCK SEVEN HORSES CHANGE HANDS FOR OVER $100,000; HIGH-SELLER IS KIT DUAL AT $250,000 By Glory Ann Kurtz However, a bright spot in the sales was the fact that during the Preferred Breeders Sales two sessions, every horse that sold for over $100,000 was either a broodmare or a breeding stallion. Kit Dual brought the highest price of $250,000; however, the balance of the high selling horses were broodmares. This shows confidence in the future of the industry. The two Preferred Breeders Sales held Thursday and Friday, Dec. 11-12 were down considerably from the 2007 Preferred Breeders Sales, which were also held during the last few days of the 2007 NCHA Futurity. With around 50 more consignments selling each day, the net sales from prices posted by the sale company were only down between 22 and 32 percent; however, the average was down 43 percent in the Dec. 11 sale and 46 percent in the Dec. 12 sale. The median for both sales, at $8,000, was down 58 percent from 2007. PREFERRED
BREEDERS SESSION 4 Second high seller was Lil Lena Long Legs, a 6-year-old daughter of Smart Little Lena out of Lil Lucy Long Legs ($160,592 earnings), that had earned $190,172 and was the 2006 NCHA Open Super Stakes Reserve Champion. Consigned by Phil and Mary Ann Rapp, she sold for $205,000 bred to One Time Pepto . She also came with a 2009 breeding to Autumn Acre. Bringing $160,000, Lucindas Catolena, a 2003 daughter of High Brow Cat out of Lenas Lucinda ($161,760), consigned by the Aldridge Farms, Killeen, Texas, was the third high-seller. The earner of $173,641 and half sister to SPL Altisimo ($192,493) sold with an embryo sired by Dual Pep. Another broodmare, Mighty Fine Sue, a 1998 daughter of Smart Little Lena out of Meradas Little Sue ($734,122 – 3-time World Champion) by Freckles Merada, finished off the horses selling for over $100,000. Consigned by the Wagonhound Land & Livestock, Douglas, Wyo., the mare earned $140,694 and sold for $135,000 with two embryos: one by Spots Hot and the other Reys Dual Badger. It was announced from the podium that she was a cribber. PREFERRED
BREEDERS SALE SESSION 5: Second high seller at $200,000 was Classical CD, a 1997 daughter of CD Olena out of San Jo Pat by San Jo Lena, consigned by Gail Holmes’ Double Dove Ranches, Longmont, Colo. The earner of $227,013 sold bred to One Time Pepto, with an embryo by Halreycious and a paid 2009 breeding to Dual Rey. Selling third high was Miss Reycine, a 6-year-old bay daughter of Dual Rey out of Smart Pudden by Smart Little Lena, consigned by Phil and Mary Ann Rapp. Bringing a final bid of $100,000, the earner of $132,019 sold with an embryo by High Brow CD, the 2007 NCHA Futurity Champion, and a paid 2009 breeding to Autumn Acre. Full results with buyers will be published when they are provided by Western Bloodstock. DAY TWO OF NCHA FUTURITY SALES
BETTER Article and photo
b y Glory Ann Kurtz A dispersal sale, a production sale and the Mid-Futurity Session 2 included 350 horses going under the gavels of auctioneers Steve Friskup and Col. Don Green on Sunday, Dec. 7, during the NCHA Futurity. When the last horse had left the arena, over $1.5 million had been bid; however, if you took out the Gasparilla dispersal of the Dreamcross horses and the Buffalo Ranch Production Sale, the totals looked like they were down a third from last year, even though the total number of consignments was up – 306 compared to 366 in 2007. However, since it is not announced from the podium which horses actually sold, we will have to wait until the final prices and buyers are announced. Saturday’s sale featured 184 consignments of yearlings, weanlings, broodmares, 2-year-olds and show horses. They grossed $903,800 for a $4,912 average, according to the prices announced from the podium. In 2007, the Primetime Sale – which was the first sale during the NCHA Futurity – saw 177 consignments, with 149 selling for a $7,864 average or $5,500 median. About 10 percent of the consignments did not bring the “upset” bid of $1,000 and many of them were yearlings. Those consignors had already paid the entry fee of $450 and if their horses did not receive a bid, they were also charged the repurchase fee of $450 for a total of $900. The Sunday Mid-Futurity Session 2 Sale was a little better, with 122 consignments grossing $682,300 for a $5,593 average (prior to taking out the repurchases) In 2007, 189 horses were consigned to the Primetime Sale No. 2, which was held the second day, netting $1,311,350 for an $8,145 average and $6,000 median. The Sunday session also included yearlings, weanlings, broodmares, 2-year-olds and show horses. On the upside, the Gasparilla Inn Dispersal of the Dreamcross horses, which were reining bred, brought the reining buyers from the NRHA Reining Futurity and sales which had gotten over on Saturday. Many South Americans were on hand and bid heavily. The fourteen Dreamcross horses grossed $103,700 for a $7,407 average. The high-selling horse was Glendas A Smokingun, an AQHA/APHA-registered daughter of NRHA Hall of Fame sire Colonels Smoking Gun (Gunner) out of Miss Glenda Jac by Crome Plated Jac. The NRHA earner and producer brought a final bid of $21,000. No buyer names have yet been announced. Second was Smoking Whiz, a yearling sorrel colt by NRHA Hall of Fame sire Topsail Whiz out of Glendas A Smokingun, which brought a $15,000 bid. The third high seller was Crome Plated Gun, an APHA/APHA-registered yearling sorrel daughter of NRHA Open Futurity Champion Custom Crome, also out of Glendas A Smokingun. He brought a final bid of $12,500. Also, The Buffalo Ranch, which recently moved all their operations from Utah to Texas, also has a presence in South America and they stayed to buy some of their horses. A total of 53 horses grossed $736,700 and averaged $13,900. It looked to me like the Buffalo Ranch kept about 10 of their consignments; however, that will not be known until prices and buyers are announced. It was announced from the podium prior to the sale that buyers could buy the horses on time with 50 percent down and quarterly payments at 9 percent interest. Ninety days of credit was the same as cash. This program is also offered to the buyers of horses selling during any of the NCHA Futurity sales that are purchased from the Buffalo Ranch. Although a $95,000 bid was the highest price announced, it looked to me like the highest-selling horse that changed hands was SDP Lil Janey Rey, a 2-year-old daughter of Dual Rey out of Little Janet Lena ($232,984) by Smart Little Lena that brought a $39,000 final bid. The sales continue Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 9 a.m. with the 104-consigned Select Seasoned Cutting Horse Sale in the Watt arena. At 4 p.m., there will be a party in the John Justin Sale arena sponsored by the Plainscapital Bank with cocktails, hors d’ oeuvres and music followed by the NCHA Distinguished Service Award being presented to Col. Don Green at 5 p.m. The 69-entry Preferred Breeders Sale Session 1 – Invitational Yearling Sale will follow. The event will be televised live on RFD TV. On Wednesday, Dec. 10, a total of 273 horses will be sold in the John Justin arena. The day will start out at 9 a.m., with the Oxbow event, a 17-entry production sale from the Oxbow Ranch, Weatherford, Texas, followed by the 144-entry New Sire Spotlight sale of yearlings and weanlings. All horses selling will be sired by prominent show stallions whose only get are 3 years of age and under. The sale is held in the John Justin Sale arena and will be broadcast live on RFD-TV. This will be followed by the 60-entry Preferred Breeders Sale of broodmares, weanlings and yearlings, which will also be broadcast live on RFD-TV. Next will be the nine-horse St. Nicks Pines LLC dispersal and then the 43-horse second session of the Gasparilla Inn dispersal of Dreamcross horses. On Thursday, Dec. 11, 232 horses will be sold in the John Justin Sale arena during the Preferred Breeders Sale Session 4. Friday, Dec. 12, a total of 232 horses will also be sold in the John Justin arena, preceded by the Horsemen for Christ Stallion Service Auction and a private offering of 2009 seasons to various stallions and syndicate shares, starting at 9 a.m. in the John Justin arena. Both days of sales will be broadcast live on RFD TV. Super Stallion weekend will take place over two days this year, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 13-14 in the Watt arena, with 94 stallions being represented in a stallion parade and booths with breeding information. A free breakfast will be served starting a 7:30 a.m. each day. The sales start each day at 9 a.m. and both days will be 2-year-olds on cattle at the Watt arena. There will be 111 2-year-olds sell on Saturday and 110 on Sunday. RIDE N' AROUND AT BILLINGS Nov. 17, 2008
- Billings, Mont. A tiptop selection of famous label prospects, ranch geldings, and arena horses filled the cowhorse superstore at Billings Livestock’s three day “Fall Special Catalog Sale” Oct. 24-25-26. Reiners, ropers, working cowhorse, or cutters - the catalog was stuffed full of the sought after contemporary genetics of today’s arena competitor. Sons and daughters of Smart Chic O’lena, Doc’s Hickory, Smart Little Lena, Gallo Del Cielo, Smart Lil Scoot, and Playgun peppered the weekend’s offering highlighted by special consignments from Jim Babcock, Babcock Ranches, Gainesville, Texas, and Black Rock Ranch, Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. Folks came from 18 states and three Canadian provinces to get them, and 526 individual buyers registered to purchase 970 head of horses. 85.5% of the horses offered, sold. The top five selling horses averaged $16,300. His honors are many and include over $10 million won riding his offspring, Hall of Fame positions in both the NRHA and NRCHA, and he’s the sire to the No. 1 selling horse of the sale - Chic’s Bold Rooster, a 2005 AQHA Sorrel stallion by Jim Babcock’s multi-talented sire Smart Chic Olena. The extra-broke, smart looking stallion was out of a daughter of Gallo Del Cielo and sold to Robin Faller, Lisbon, N.D., for $27,000. Three palominos - every one a mare - claimed top selling positions three, four, and five, bringing $13,000, $12,500, and $9,000 respectively. Blonde, broke, and oh, so pretty, Chics Palogun, a 2006 AQHA filly also by Smart Chic Olena previewed flawlessly in the riding horse demonstration and sold to Gus Evagelopoulos, Calgary, Alberta for $12,500. Grade, gray, 8 years old, and an industrial-strength ranch gelding, Judge” came shown and consigned by rancher Bill Johnson, Big Sandy, Mont. The gentle, ranch expert brought $8,000 selling to Flying Triangle Ranch, Grand Junction, Colo. Good horses sell and people come to get them - the top 10 averaged $12,095; top 20 brought $8,742; top 50 averaged $6,117, and the top 100 averaged $4,404. Market solidity prevails in the better using horses and top-end, performance-bred prospects. Demand continues to diminish for the plainer, thinner, more common-type horses. Driven by supply and demand, the loose horse market dipped as the horse market continues to feel the effect of the closure of all U.S. Processing plants. All U.S. plants have been closed since September of 2007. But, even in the loose division, a definite shift toward the “better” type horse - the top five averaged $1,100 compared to $860 last year - with the high selling loose horse commanding $1,600 this year versus $1,300 in 2007; Top ten averaged $870 compared to $767 one year ago; Top 20 at $663 - that’s $22 better than the the 2007 figure of $641; Top 50 brought $435 against $493 in 2007; and the top 100 averaged $315 this year compared to $395 one year ago. Billings Livestock's next sale event is set for November 29-30 and will be the final sale of 2008 for Billings Livestock. The big sale weekend will include a pre-sale preview of cutters, ride horses, and rope horses on Friday, November 28 at the HorsePalace Arena. “Holiday Special” Catalog Sale headlines Saturday and Sunday’s schedule with loose horses selling Sunday, Nov. 30 at 9 a.m. For more information, to consign or request a catalog, contact Billings Livestock Commission Horse Sales at 406-245-4151 or see it all at www.billingslivestock.com ROPE HORSE SOURCE TOP END SALES AT BILLINGS TOPS 2007 FIGURES Oct. 18, 2008
- Billings, Mont.
Custom built and ready to rodeo, a game-ready set of rope horses fit for the Friday night jackpot or the Sunday matinee cranked it up at Billings Livestock Commis-sion’s 10th annual “Cow Country Classic” catalog sale and “Fall Rope Horse Special” Sept. 27-28. Good, better and best - it was absolutely the best set of rope horses ever offered at Billings Livestock - head horses, heel horses, or breakaway - all in one place, all at one time, and all in a one-stop-shop marketplace. They showed it to you, too, and Friday afternoon’s “sale horse only” team roping competition flat out rocked with 140 teams showcased in a pick one-draw-two format, with two complete go-arounds and a top-10 finals. The first-class, put it-all-out-there jackpot came produced by Wrangler Team Roping Championship’s Dennis Tryan, and first-place jackpot titles went to Lyle Mitchell, Wolf, Wyo., aboard Hip 108 and Lane Siggins, Ruidoso Downs, N.M., pitching from Hip 29 - nailing three steers in 24.37. The top rope horse brought $15,000, top five rope horses averaged $11,350, and the top ten “ropers only” - nine geldings and one mare - cracked $9,075 a head. Horses, horses, and more horses - 1,117 head of horses - plus three working cow dogs and one Zebu bull - completed the weekend’s offering from consignors hailing from 19 states and Canada. A 90 percent-completed sales percentage prevailed as 1,001 head changed hands. Over 540 individual buyers registered for the expanded three-day horse sale showcase. Fit, fancy, and finished, Lotto Lena Last, a 2001 AQHA Sorrel gelding by Lotto Lena had been hauled and seasoned and came owned and shown by Siggins Horse Co, Ruidoso Downs, N.M. Ellison Carter, Santo, Texas, purchased the rodeo-quality head horse for $15,000. Pink, polished, and a Paprika Pine grandson, Jacksons Strawberry, a 2000 AQHA red roan gelding xStrawberry Flair was a hard-to-find, pretty package of head horse, heel horse and started barrel horse complimented by “gentle”. Darnell Versatility Horses, Pueblo, Colo., offered the USTRC and rodeo money winner and John Gebbers,Brewster, Wash., had the final bid at $13,500. Annie is Tuf was oh, so nice, and came with seven AQHA roping points and glamour- girl looks. The only rope horse mare to make the top ten, the 96 AQHA Buckskin sired by Tuf N Busy was a finished head and heel horse consigned by Cliff Kellmer, Post Falls, Idaho. The striking mare was purchased by Karen Stepp, Boulder, Wyo., for $8,750. A blockbuster all-around junior and high school rodeo horse- run barrels, poles, goat tie, and breakaway - Baldy, a 1996 grade roan gelding offered by Jamie Strand, Bison, S.D., previewed in both goat tying and breakaway. Ridden in parades, carried flags, and used at brandings, the all-in-one gelding brought $7,500 and sold to Chris and Billie Schaff, Worden, Mont. Better prospects also pushed the market, as did real deal ranch geldings including Blue Windy Drift, a 2000 AQHA Blue roan gelding consigned by Big Horn, Mont., working cowboy Les Best.The gentle, true ranch horse brought $4,600. It was good and stayed that way - the last horse in the Saturday offering Hip 377 brought $9,500 - as sale averages either exceeded 2007 figures or held steady. Again, the younger, plainer, less experienced horses continue to see lessened demand while the better, overall quality individuals have not skipped a beat. Complete sale averages show it - the top five averaged $12,600 compared to $11,200 last year; top 10 brought $10,275 versus $9,360 in 2007; top 20 came in at $8,042 while in 2007 the top 20 brought $7,695; top 50 at $5,583 compared to $5,689 one year ago, and the top 100 averaged $4,146 versus the 2007 average of $4,320. The BLS loose market held it’s own as 529 head of horses sold standing in their tracks - as is, where is, how is - and the top five prospects averaged $1,085, the top 10 commanded $955, top 20 brought $805, top 50 averaged $582, and the top 100 loose averaged $440. An expanded sale format is set for Oct. 24-25-26 Billings Livestock’s “Fall Special Catalog Sale” where three, big days of horse sales are planned. An indoor, climate and ground controlled preview for the barrel horses, cutters, saddle and ride horses, calf horses, and team roping horses is set for 12 noon on Friday, Oct. 24 at the HorsePalace Arena.Sale times include a Friday evening catalog horse sale October 24 beginning at 6 p.m. With Saturday and Sunday catalog sale times set for 12 noon.For more information, to consign or request a catalog, contact Bill and Jann Parker, BLS Horse Sale Managers at 406-245-4151 or see it all at www.billingslivestock.com AS EXPECTED, KEENELAND SEPTEMBER CLOSES DOWN THE SURPRISE: IT HAD THE FOURTH LARGEST GROSS IN SALE HISTORY Sept. 24, 2008
– Lexington, Ky “To have the fourth-largest gross in September sale history is a testament to the drawing power of this sale,” said Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland’s director of sales, in an article in the Thoroughbred Times Today. He credits a diverse group of buyers, both foreign and domestic, bidding throughout the two week-sale. With 4,795 yearlings offered, 3605 sold, which was down 2.2 percent from the 4,901 consigned in 2007 and down 5.1 percent from the 3,799 sold in 2007. The largest drop (14.8 percent) came in the gross, with total receipts of $327,999,100, compared to the $385,018,600 taken in during 2007. The average of $90,984 was down 10.2 percent from the $101,347 average attained in 2007 and the $37,000 median was down 11.9 percent from 2007’s $42,000 median. Fillies brought the top three prices, with an AP Indy filly topping the sale at $3.1 million, selling to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum. John Ferguson, who is the chief bloodstock adviser for the Sheikh was the top buyer of the sell, purchasing 27 yearlings for $18,185,000. KEENELAND MARKET SLIDING SLOWLY AS “BROADER MARKET” HORSES MOVE IN HOW WILL THIS RELATE TO THE UPCOMING CUTTING AND SNAFFLE BIT SALES? By Glory Ann Kurtz While the total receipts and average price had declined 22 percent and 1.4 percent, respectively, during the first two days of the 15-day sale, gross receipts only dropped 3.5 percent and the average declined 7.4 percent on Sept. 10. For the overall three days, the number offered was down 1.5 percent, number sold down 4.5 percent, the gross was down 17.2 percent, average 13.3 percent and the median of $220,000 down just 4.3 percent. Buybacks at 28.2 percent were up from last year’s 25.9 percent. The explanation for the rise was that for the first two days, the higher priced horses were selling – and there weren’t as many buyers for horses in that dollar range. While on Day 3, the market was a lot broader. The highest price colt on Day 3 was $875,000. However, in other Thoroughbred sale news, Barretts Equine Ltd., has cancelled its planned sale of racing-age horses to be held the day after this year’s Breeders Cup world Championships due to insufficient entries. The sale had been scheduled for Oct. 26 at the Fairplex Park in Pomona, Calif. Whether or not this will trickle down to the cutting horse – or even reined cow horse sales – is unknown. On the Western Bloodstock web site, they are listing 190 head already consigned to the NCHA Futurity Sales which take place in December. The sale deadline is not until Oct. 1. In 2007, 1,253 total horses were consigned, with 1028 changing hands. During 2006, 1,103 horses were consigned with 917 changing hands. In 2007, broodmares topped the category of horses selling, with 136 averaging $27,952. However, 78 money-earning broodmares averaged $34,369. A total of 182 cutting horses averaged $27,805. The number of yearlings sold totaled 554, averaging $19,788, while 148 2-year-olds averaged $18,850. Several breeders have consigned multiple quality-bred horses, including Eddie Longley’s Crystal Creek Ranch, Don and Carol Dewrell, Gail Holmes’ Double Dove Ranches, Tommy Manion, Slate River Ranch and the Sunrise Ranch LLC. Also, the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Sale, scheduled for Oct. 2-4 in Reno, Nev., during the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity, has 382 sale entries – up from last year’s 328 horses. We’ll know the answer to their sale results within a month! From my prospective, the cross-over between cutting and the reined cow horses is growing every day, as many of the pedigrees are the same, and the cutting horse buyers seem to have narrowed down the list of pedigrees that they are willing to pay for. The next three months will tell the current story. QUALITY PREVAILS The exceptional horse sale weekend saw a grand total of 1,005 head of horses and came headlined by 40 head consigned by Atwood Ranches, Orland, CA, including daughters of High Brow Cat, Peptoboonsmal, Smart Little Lena, Powder River Playboy and the famous sire “I’ll Be Smart”. Toting the four-star genetics of his famous family - "I'll Be Smart"- a 1989 AQHA Bay Stallion sired by Doc O’Lena and out of Smart Peppy - a full brother to Smart Little Lena and Smart Peppy Doc - had earnings of $77,740 and offspring earnings of $1,383,643 and growing. The sire of 153 money earners with average earnings of $9,043 was offered by Atwood Quarter Horses and purchased by Teresa Martin and Ridley Gibson on behalf of Santa Rosa Stud, Vernon, Texas, for $52,000. Reserve sale honors went to "Four Six Jess" a 2001 AQHA Sorrel Stallion sired by Mr Jess Perry and out of the $535,000 money winning mare Dashing Folly x Fist Down Dash came consigned by Lazy VC Kelly Ranch, Inc, Faith, S.D., and purchased for $34,000 by Troy Yokley, Oklahoma City, Okla. A purple-pedigreed set of race-bred mares were presented by Lazy VC Kelly Ranch, Inc, and included Register of Merit daughters of Mr. Eye Opener, Fishers Dash, Special Leader, Strawflyin Buds, and Sixarun. The running-bred mares - ROM and others - averaged $4,373. High selling mare of the weekend was consigned by Atwood Quarter Horses, Orland, Calif., and “Hola Gato” a 2004 AQHA Palomino mare by High Brow Cat and out of the $117,000 money earning mare – CD Date x CD Olena - was a knock out. The extra-pretty mare brought $30,000 and sold to Vintage Oaks Ranch, Napa, Calif. Carol Rose, Gainesville, Texas, the No. 1 Breeder of AQHA Performance horses for the past 15 Years,offered 11 head from her world renowned program including “Legally a Blonde” a 2006 AQHA Palomino mare x Shiners Lena Doc and out of Betty Dun It x Hollywood Dun It. Started for reining or working cowhorse, the special mare brought $15,500 and sold to Larry and Gayleen Smith, Stetler, Alberta, Canada. Head or heel, he’s the man for the job, and Hip 310 “Admiral” a 2000 grade sorrel gelding offered by Turner Performance Horses, Victor, MT showed outstanding in the rope horse previews. Duncan and Pat Carey, Vermillion, Alberta, purchased the solid, all-around gelding for $6,800. Quality was prevalent and better horses pushed the market, breaking all previous August sale records at Billings Livestock. Proof of the quality represented in the August offering is reflected in the sale averages where the top five averaged: $31,400; top 10 brought $23,420; top 20 averaged $17,205; top 50 brought: $11,125. And the top 100 figured at $7,504. News in the loose trade showed a steady to better market as 446 head sold in that division where the day’s top selling prospect brought $2,200. Loose averages include the top five at $1,390; top 10 at $1,187; top 20 brought $985; top 50 averaged $722; and the top 100 came in at $584 per head. Billings Livestock’s next event is Sept. 26-28 and features the annual “Cow Country Classic” catalog sale and fall “Team Roping” sale, in addition to our 10th anniversary celebration. A team roping jackpot on sale horses is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 26 along with previews for the cutters, saddle horses, goat tying horses, team roping and calf horses again on Saturday morning. E-mail Billings Livestock at info@billingslivestock.com to reserve your catalog. T-CROSS RANCH SALE MEANS BARGAINS FOR LOCALS 85 RANCH-BRED HORSES AVERAGE $1,765 Article and photos
by Glory Ann Kurtz Joe Grant knew a good buy when he saw one. The Beulah, Colo., rope-horse trainer was the volume buyer, purchasing 11 roping prospects during the T-Cross Ranches 2008 Production Sale, held at the ranch headquarters outside of Colorado Springs, Colo., on Aug. 30. The sale featured 85 head of broodmares, broke geldings, started 2-year-olds, yearlings and weanlings which netted $150,050 for a $1,765 average. Grant, who had moved to Beulah, located just west of Pueblo, moved to Colorado a year ago from Buckeye, Ariz. He hopes to ride and train his purchases and sell them for a profit.
While a majority of the horses were bred and raised on the historic ranch, owned by the Robert C. Norris family, the high-selling horse was a cutting mare with $28,500 in lifetime earnings. Sired by MillionHeir stallion Movin On Hickory and out of Marque De Noir by Smart Little Lena, the mare had split fifth in the 2006 MillionHeir event, ridden by Lloyd Cox. She sold on a final bid of $12,000. (buyers were not yet reported by the sale).
However, ranch-broke geldings over 4 years old were the big hit of the sale, with five averaging $3,550. The 8-year-old gelded son of Smart Plan (owned by the Texas realtor Bobby Norris) out of Jezs T Cross by Tee Cross was the high-selling gelding, bringing a $7,000 final bid after he had been shown on cattle by Bobby. All of the riding geldings, including those over 4 years old, also did well, with nine of them averaging $3,172. Six 3-year-olds averaged $2,733 while seven 2-year-olds averaged $2,671. Seven 4-year-olds averaged $2,586. An interesting fact was the 15 weanlings which averaged $1,140 –more than the 20 yearlings, which averaged $823. Many times, the weanlings brought more than their bred mothers. A total of 23 broodmares averaged $1,415. Auctioneer Steve Friskup, Muleshoe,
Texas, pointed out during the Auctioneer Steve Friskup, Muleshoe, Texas The T-Cross Ranch is a cattle and horse operation, owned by Robert Norris (one of the early Marlboro men used in their advertising), and his children, including sons Steve, who runs the Colorado horse training facility, and Bobby, who has a cutting operation and real estate business in Texas, and announced pedigrees at the sale. The operation encompasses over 93,000 acres in five divisions and has been around for 50 years. Their first sale was on Aug. 29, 1963 and handled by the legendary, now-deceased Hank Weiscamp. The sale featured the bloodlines of the T-Cross horses, including Tee Cross, a son of Otoe that was an AQHA Champion and Superior at Halter; Smokin Jose, a son of Jose Uno, AQHA world Champion at Junior Cutting and sire of earners of over $1.6 million – which are now deceased.
Others include Bobs T Cross and Bob A Lena, sons of Tee Cross; Charmin Jose, a son of Smokin Jose, well known in Ranch Horse of America circles; Freckles Doctor Jay, a son of Freckles Playboy and earner of $103,574; Tari Pines For You, a son of Doc Tari and the beautiful gray stallion Mr Gallo Del Cielo, nicknamed “Blue Duck,” and a son of Gallo Del Cielo out of a Hancock-bred mare with 62.5 AQHA Performance points in roping events. Freckles Doctor Jay is out of a Doc’s J Jay mare. The owner and trainer of Doc’s J Jay, Stanley Glover, was on hand at the sale.
As expected, the sale was a local
happening, with standing-room only, following a free lunch provided
by the ranch. TEDDY ROBINSON HORSES HIGH SELLERS AT NATIONAL STOCK HORSE ASSOCIATION SALE AVERAGES $2,885 ON 98 HEAD; SALE INCENTIVE 2-YEAR-OLDS SELL HIGHEST
The Aug. 23 sale was the better of the two sales as it included 2-year-olds enrolled in the NSHA Sale Incentive, meaning they are eligible for an additional $5,000 award if they score the highest during the preliminaries of the 2009 Futurity. With 48 consignments, 40 sold for $155,550 for a $3,889 average and $3,600 median, which is halfway between the highest- and lowest-selling horse. Eight horses, or 17 percent, did not sell. The Aug. 22 sale featured 50 horses, with 40 changing hands for $75,250, averaging $1,881, for a median of $1,600. Ten horses, or 20 percent, did not sell. he top three horses selling in Saturday’s sale and the high-seller on Friday were consigned by Robinson Cow Horses. Teddy Robinson, a past NRCHA president and one of the founders and current president of the NSHA, has won an unprecedented seven NRCHA Open Snaffle Bit Futurity World championships and two World’s Greatest Horseman titles. His horse dynasty started with Nu Cash, the stallion on which Robinson won his first NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity title on in 1987. Nu Cash then went on to sire more than five snaffle bit futurity champions - an NRCHA record - including Nu Circle Of Light, a son of Nu Circle N Cash, a 1997 stallion, with $68,400 in lifetime earnings and the sire of three foals which have earned over $116,800.. The high seller, Smoke Circles,
a 2-year-old bay gelding sired by Nu Circle N Cash, is out of
Hollywood Gay Cindy by Hollywood Smoke. Consigned by Robinson
Cow Horses, the gelding brought an $11,000 final bid – making
him the high-selling horse of the entire two days. (buyers were
not published by the association) The colt was enrolled in the
Sale Incentive for the 2009 NSHA Futurity, Third highest-selling horse, bringing $7,750,was Smart Little Bodee, a 2006 gray stallion that is also Sale Incentive enrolled, and also consigned by Robinson. Sired by Bodee Boonsmal, the MillionHeir stallion owned by Wes Adams, Smart Little Bodee is out of Imasmartlittlesugar by Smart Little Lena. Bodee Boonsmal, who has sired offspring earning over $6 million, is consigned to the NRCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Performance Horse Sale, Oct. 5 at the Reno Livestock Events Center in Reno, Nev. He is part of 66 horses selling immediately following the NRCHA Select 2-Year-Old Sale, which begins at noon. The highest-selling horse of the first day of the sale was Sheza Fancy Cash, a 1998 daughter of Nu Cash out of Vandy Poco doc by Nu Rendition, also consigned by Robinson. The finished cutting mare and an NCHA money earner, brought the final bid of $5,300. For full sale results, click here>> BROODMARES TOP SUMMER SPECTACULAR SALES NUMBERS ARE DOWN 58% FROM 2007; AVERAGES- MEDIAN UP Article and photos
by Glory Ann Kurtz
Some called it a “perfect storm,” in the horse industry – when several unlikely situations came together at the same time to give the industry tough times. The most recent NCHA Summer Spectacular Sales, held Aug. 1-2 during the NCHA Summer Spectacular in Fort Worth, tried to show it was oblivious to the problems swirling around the industry by showing average and median numbers higher than those posted in 2007. The “perfect storm” included sky-high gas prices, the nation’s mortgage debacle, inflation clawing at the door, horse feed at an all-time high, cattle prices higher than ever and multiple embryo transfers knocking the prices of even the good horses down. Even so, the average of all horses selling rose from the $10,470 average in 2007 to $10,740 this year, and the median (halfway between the highest- and lowest-selling horse) made even a more dramatic jump – from $6,500 in 2007 to $8,100 this year. However, the number of horses consigned showed that the storm was not entirely averted. The sale numbers in the two sales were down 58 percent from 2007 when 438 horses were consigned and 342 (78%) changed hands. During this year’s sales, 252 were consigned and 206 (82%) actually changed hands. The 2007 sales took three days. With the consignment numbers down, this year’s sales took only two days. This is consistent with other nation-wide reports that well-known sales which have been in business for years are cancelling their sales due to a lack of consignments. This includes Mid-America Sales Fall Consignment Sale held in Missouri, the Clovis, N.M. Livestock Auction, which cancelled its June sale, and National Equine Sales, Springfield, Ohio, which historically has five sales a year, paring them down to one this year.
Broodmares topped all the categories of horses sold, showing the buyers’ confidence in the industry’s future. The average and median were both up. The average of $16,478 up from 2007’s average of $16,285 and the median of $10,500 was up from the $7,750 in 2007. Bred mares withy foals topped the sale, with 13 netting $368,200 for a $28,323 average and $13,000 median. The high-selling horse overall was a broodmare, bringing $130,000 from Finis Welch’s Center Ranch, Centerville, Texas. Shortys Starlight, consigned by the Plummer Ranch, Farmington, Utah, sold as a 4-in-1 package with a colt by her side sired by TR Dual Rey, bred to Hydrive Cat for a 2009 foal, and a 2009 paid breeding to Laredo Blue. The 8-year-old daughter of Grays Starlight out of Miss Shorty Lena by Shorty Lena, had $105,283 in lifetime earnings and was the dam of six foals – with the oldest being born in 2006. The Plummers also sold Hollywood Nus Bar, a 1996 NCHA Open World Champion, for $99,000 to Fabio Antonio Pozzi. In fact, the South of the border market represented a big portion of the sale buyers. The daughter of Jewels Leo Bars out of Hollywood Nus by Nu Bar, was also a 4-in-1 package, including a filly at her side by Meradas Blue Sue, being bred to Hydrive Cat and a 2009 paid breeding to TR Dual Rey. Cutting horses on cattle, 4 years of age and older, came in second in the average and median, with 54 head netting $692,706 for a $12,828 average and $11,250 median. The high seller in this category was Luke Star Tracker, a 2002 gelding by DJ Tracker out of Salena Starlight out of Grays Starlight, with $47,232 in earnings, selling for $32,000. Consigned by Nick and Gayle Karanges, the gelding was shown by Jamie Beamer, and purchased by Clark Brewster, a Tulsa, Okla., attorney, for $32,000.
A total of 24 3-year-olds netted $234,300 for a $9,763 average and $6,750 median. Fourteen 2-year-olds netted $96,800 for a $6,914 average and $5,550 median. The largest category of horses selling were yearlings, with 69 head netting $450,700 for a $6,532 average and $5,300 median. The highest-selling yearling was Peptos Fancy Jewel, a beautiful palomino filly by Peptoboonsmal out of Bowmans Fancy Jewel by Lenas Jewel Bars, bringing a $28,000 final bid from Alan Chappell. The filly was consigned by Daniel Bloom’s Niangua River Ranch L&C. The leading sire of all horses selling (ranked by net sales), was Peptoboonsmal, with 12 of his 13 consignments netting $203,700 for a $16,975 average and $17,500 median. High Brow Cat came in a close second, with 12 of his 13 consingments bringing $200,200 for a $16,683 average and $14,600 median. Third was Smart Little Lena, fourth Grays Starlight and fifth Dual Rey. The second leading buyer Fabio Antonio Pozo and his $99,000 purchase. Volume-wise, another south-of-the-border customer, Francisco Gonzalez, purchased seven head for $59,600 for an $8,514 median. Buffalo Ranch topped the leading seller list, with 20 head netting $328,200 for a $16,410 average. Grace Ranch, the owner of the great High Brow CD, was second, with three head netting $111,000 for a $37,000 average. Niangua River Ranch sold seven head for $87,000, averaging $12,429. Click below for full results. Note the comments made from the podium while the horses were selling, are included in these results. Click
here for full results of Session 1>> Click
here for comparison charts>> POLO RANCH SALE DATE SET FOR OCT. 16-17 RANCH WILL OFFER EQUIPMENT, BROODMARES, WEANLINGS, YEARLINGS, TRAINED CUTTING HORSES AND EMBRYOS By Glory Ann Kurtz A total of 53 of the best-bred broodmares in the industry will be offered, including nine daughters of Grays Starlight, seven Smart Little Lena daughters, six High Brow Cat daughters and four Freckles Merada daughters. Also two embryos by Boonlight Dancer will be offered - one being out of a Crackin - the other out of Lovies Lass. Although Grays Starlight left the industry too soon, in 2002, he is still the No. 1 leading reining sire of broodmares sold in 2007 reining sales, the No. 1 leading reined cow horse sire of broodmares sold in 2007 NRcHA sales, the No. 2 leading cutting sire of broodmares sold in 2007 cutting sales and the No. 2 leading reined cow horse sire of horses sold in 2007 NRCHA sales. There will also be 36 weanlings, which will be selling with their dams as three-in-one packages. Twenty-three are sired by Boonlight Dancer, nine by Soula Jule Star, four by Gallo Del Cielo and one by Hesa Smart Chic. Three trained 4-year-olds, sired by the Polo Ranch stallion Boonlight Dancer, will be sold, along with nine 3-year-olds in training - also sired by Boonlight Dancer. Nineteen 2-year-olds in training will also be offered, with 17 being sired by Boonlight Dancer and two by the up-and-coming star Soule Jule Star, owned by Sandy Bonelli, in partnership with the Polo Ranch. Thirty-seven yearlings will be on the auction block, with 27 being sired by Boonlight Dancer, six by Gallo Del Cielo, three by Soula Jule Star and one by Mecom Blue. Four weaned weanlings will sell, one by Soula Jule Star out of Crackin, one by boonlight Dancer out of Crackin, one by Boonlight Dancer out of Trulena Deville. Trucks and trailers offered include two horses trailers: a 1996 Featherlite 6 Horse trailer with a dressing room, a 2001 Barrett 7 x 24 aluminum stock trailer and a 2005 Barrett 8-horse aluminum trailer with a dressing room and a hay rack. There will be two 2007 one-ton Dodge Magacab trucks offered as well as a 1997 Ford single-cab one-ton, flatbed dual wheel 4 x 4. Tractors and other equipment
include a John Deere skid steer Model The sale on Thursday, Oct. 16 will include the equipment plus 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds shown on cattle. It will be held at Polo's Red Oaks ranch, five miles south of the polo Ranch headquarters. The Friday, Oct. 17 sale will include the mares, yearlings and weanlings and will be held at the Polo Ranch headquarters. The three stallions - Gallo Del Cielo (Rooster), Boonlight Dancer and Soula Jule Star will remain the property of Polo Ranch and continue to stand in Marietta under the management of Susie Reed and Shane Wilson. All three are tested HERDA negative and their foals will continue to be nominated to all major events as they become eligible. Rooster's stud fee for 2009 will be $5,000, Boonlight Dancer will be $3,500 and Soula Jule Star's stud fee will be $2,500. For a complete list of
horses go to the main page of this web site and click on the Polo
Ranch Sale ad at the top of the main page. Or you can go to the
Polo Ranch website at www.poloranch.com, e-mail polo@ardmore.com
or call (580) 276-4830. The ranch is located off Hwy 77 at Marietta,
Okla. ATWOOD RANCH REDUCTION SALE SCHEDULED FOR AUG. 23 July 14, 2008
- Billings, Mont. NCHA SUMMER SPECTACULAR SALES SCHEDULED FOR AUG. 1-2 270 HEAD TO BE SOLD DURING TWO-DAY SALE By Glory Ann Kurtz A total of 270 consignments will be auctioned off, with the largest percentage of horses selling being the 72 yearlings. Of those 72, 41 will be yearling stallions, 28 mares and three geldings. Three weanlings will also be offered. The second largest group of horses selling will be the 42 broodmares, with many of them being 3-in-1 packages. Many of the broodmares have earnings and are producers. Three-year-olds will also be in abundance, with 40 of them being offered. Thirty-one will be mares, seven geldings and two stallions. You will also be able to choose from 25 2-year-olds, with 13 being mares and six each of geldings and stallions. Offspring of some of the most popular sires in the industry will be available, including 14 Peptoboonsmal offspring, 13 each by High Brow Cat, Smart Little Lena and Dual Rey. Bet On Me 498 has seven offspring and there will be six offspring of Cats Red Feather, Hes A Peptospoonful, Cat Ichi, Playgun, Freckles Playboy and Its Just About Me available. Meradas Blue Sue, Dual Pep, Royal Fletch and Lenas Telesis will also each have five offspring for sale. While several consignors have more than one offering, the leading consignor is the Buffalo Ranch with 22 head with 16 of them being yearlings. Also Atwood Quarter Horses have 11 head in the sale, with seven being yearlings. Both days of sales will
start at 9 a.m., with viewing available from 8 a.m. The Friday,
Aug. 1 sale, featuring 136 consignments, will be held in the Watt
arena, while the Saturday, Aug. 2 sale, with 134 consignments,
will be held in the John Justin Sale Arena. The list of horses
and a full pedigree of all the horses in the sale, as well as
a list of consignors and sires is available at www.westernbloodstock.com. POLO RANCH TO HAVE DISPERSAL SALE HORSES, REAL ESTATE AND EQUIPMENT TO SELL By Glory Ann Kurtz According to ranch manager Susie Reed, the dispersal sale will include horses in training, broodmares with foals, 2-year-olds and yearlings as well as equipment. The real estate, including breeding and mare-care facilities on 333 acres, an indoor arena, and an office that could be made into a nice home, will sell at private treaty. Polo Ranch will continue to offer the services of the three stallions: Gallo Del Cielo, Boonlight Dancer and Soula Jule Star, managed by Susie Reed and Shane Wilson at her facility located next to the current Polo Ranch breeding facilities. According to Reed, she will be offering a new program of shipped semen only. “I feel in this age of the internet and computers, cooled semen is the way of things to come – especially with fuel so high.” She emphasized that the stallions will continue to be paid up in all the incentive programs. Gallo Del Cielo, is a 1989 son of Peppy San Badger out of Doc’s Starlight by Doc Bar. He is a leading sire of performance horses and his offspring have won over $3.3 million. He is a full brother to the legendary Grays Starlight. Boonlight Dancer, a 1998 red roan son of Peptoboonsmal out of Little Dancer Lena by Smart Little Lena, was an NCHA Snaffle Bit Futurity Open Champion and later was a finalist in the NCHA Derby, earning over $136,250. The young stallion is a leading sire of performance horses and was one of Equi-Stat’s 2007 Leading Sires of 3-year-olds. Soula Jule Star, a 1997 son of Grays Starlight out of Bella Coquette by Docs Okie Quixote, is owned by the Polo Ranch and Sandy Bonelli’s Heart Ranch. The stallion is siring some outstanding offspring which have won close to $300,000. He was one of Equi-Stat’s 2007 Leading Sires of 4-year-olds. For more information on
the sale, the real estate and breeding facilities or the stallions,
contact Susie Reed (580) 276-4830 or e-mail polo@ardmore.com or
go to their web site at www.poloranch.com.. WYO QUARTER HORSE RANCH HAS A "BARN BURNER" OF A SALE HIGH-SELLING GELDING BRINGS $50,000 May 19, 2008 - Thermopolis,
Wyo. A total of 83 aged geldings averaged $11,237, and the top 10 geldings averaged $27,450. The sale-topper was a 6-year-old that sold for $50,000. What's amazing is that these are just good, safe, gentle, ranch geldings - not cutters, reiners, pleasure horses, or barrel horses - that have the potential to more than earn back their sale price. It sure says something good about the horse industry and market. Because of the recession and high fuel costs, I was curious as to how their sale would go this year. According to some of those in attendance, the sale was better than ever and run legitimate, with no hanky-panky. Bill was the 1971 PRCA World Champion Saddle Bronc Rider back in his hey-day and was known as Cody Bill Smith. In 1983, Bill and Carole Smith started the WYO Quarter Horse Ranch Sale and over the years, their two sales each year have developed into the nation's elite Quarter Horse Gelding Sales. The 8th Annual Arena, Ranch Broke Gelding and Production Sale is coming Sept. 13, 2008 at the Hot Springs County Fairgrounds. Friday evening, Sept. 12, there
will be a pre-sale get together where each gelding will be led
through the sale ring for viewing. There will also be videos of
all the geldings and started 2-year-old colts starting at 7 p.m.
All sale members will be present after the viewing for any questions
about their horses. BROODMARES TOP SUPER STAKES SALES KWACKIN TOPS SALE AT $265,000 Article and photo by Glory Ann Kurtz April 25, 2008
– Fort Worth, Texas
Session I, made up mostly of broodmares, included 47 consignments, with 31 selling (66%) for a $33,716 average and $12,000 median. Session II included 32 of 44 consignments selling (73%) for a $5,228 average and $4,500 median. The session included 3-year-olds on cattle, followed by 2-year-old prospects, Session III included 96 seasoned cutting horses, with 69 selling (72%) for a $14,359 average and $10,200 median. What’s the median and why is there such a difference between the average and the median? The median is halfway between the highest and lowest-selling horses and the huge difference comes in when the highest-selling horses and the lowest-selling horses are entered into the equation. This is the way the Thoroughbred business has done it for years because it takes away the incentive to fabricate prices on high-dollar horses. BROODMARES: High-seller Kwackin, a 1996 daughter of Dual Pep out of Crackin by Smart Little Lena, consigned by Jack and Linda Kenney’s Elephant Butte Ranch, Millsap, Texas, was purchased for $265,000 by Carol Rose as the agent for Floyd Miller’s Cottonwood Springs Ranch, Bayfield, Colo. Bambi Freckles, a 1995 daughter of Freckles Playboy out of Smarter Than Gay by Smart little Lena, consigned by John and Hope Mitchell, Weatherford, Texas, was purchased by Jack and Sherry Cowan, Peyson, Ariz., for $225,000. Although both of these high-selling mares were bred – it wasn’t exactly like it was listed in the sale catalog; thereby, making it very important for buyers to listen to the announcements from the auction block. Kwackin, was advertised as selling with two embryos, one conceived in 2007 by High Brow Cat and another conceived in 2008 by One Time Pepto. The catalog also said she sold with a 2008 paid breeding to High Brow Cat. From the auction block, came the news Kwackin had been exposed, or had already been bred to High Brow Cat – no paid breeding. But more important, the High Brow Cat embryo conceived in 2007 was a “return” breeding, meaning that if something happened and the mare didn’t have a live foal, there would not be another “return breeding.” Most of the top stallions are now enforcing that – if a customer is breeding on a return breeding and a foal is not born, there will not be another breeding available. That needs to be something you should watch for when purchasing a broodmare. For Bambi Freckles, the catalog said she was “Open,” or not in foal. However, it was announced from the podium that she sold exposed to High Brow Cat on April 12. Also, the announcer revealed that the mare had double ovulated and would be flushed the next day. He said that if the new owner was lucky enough to get two embryos from the flush, they would be responsible to pay for one additional stud fee to High Brow Cat. That is also currently being enforced by most of the popular stallions. That change in Bambi Freckles’ breeding status was pretty significant – going from being “Open” to having the possibility of three offspring next year. As usual, trained cutting horses were also in great demand, with 69 selling for a $14,359 average and $10,200 median. The high-selling cutting horse, Snow Rey, a 4-year-old son of Dual Rey out of Lenas Snow by Docs Stylish Oak, was consigned by Florida Horse Ranch and brought $40,000 from the Crown Ranch. L.P. He was trained and exhibited by Zane Davis. LEADING
SELLERS/BUYERS: Floyd Miller was the leading buyer, purchasing Kwackin for $265,000, while Jack and Sherry Cowan came in second for the $225,000 purchase of Bambi Freckles. The volume buyers was split between Bill and Jann Parker, purchasing eight head for $79,200 and Jared Lesh, who bought eight head for $63,000, At least six head headed to South America, netting $33,000 for a $5,500 average. 2008
BREEDINGS: On Saturday, Freeman sold four more Smart Little Lena breedings, which brought $8,000, $7,500, $7,500 and $7,500 and Carter sold his Smart Little Lena breeding for $7,500. Two breedings were sold to Bet On Me 498, with a full breeding bringing $1,200 and a return breeding bringing $1.300. These sale results have
been itemized in a spread sheet and they are available at no cost
to you if you e-mail me at glory@glorykurtz.com. I will e-mail
you the spread sheet asap. TOP SELLER AT 30th SEMI-ANNUAL RANCHERS & BREEDERS PRODUCTION SALE BRINGS $16,000 TOP 10 HORSES SELLING AVERAGE $13,375 April 9, 2008
- Ardmore, Okla.
With 180 head passing through the sale ring, 150 sold for an outstanding 83 percent completed sales. The top 10 averaged $13,375. Two head brought $15,000 each and included Splitten, a 2005 sorrel gelding by Boonlight Dancer consigned by Polo Ranch, Marietta, Okla., purchased by Tomas Pereira, Ardmore, Okla., and Sancie Cat, a 2002 chestnut mare by High Brow Cat consigned by Flynn Stewart as agent, Bowie, Texas, and purchased by Joe Heim, Thackerville, Okla. The crowd on hand came from across the U.S. and as far away as Italy, Venezuela and Mexico. PCCHA GELDING STAKES-QUALIFYING AND PERFORMANCE SALES HELD DURING PCCHA DERBY CLASSIC/CHALLENGE April 5, 2008
– Paso Robles, Calif. Royal Dually, a 3-year-old son of CD Royal out of Darlin Little Dually by Dual Pep, topped the Gelding Stakes Qualifying Sale at $32,500. Jerry Louie purchased the sorrel which was consigned by the Brinkman Ranch, LLC., Lockeford, Calif. The horse was trained by Steve Schleshinger, who also rode him in the sale ring. The gelding was a half brother to Cats Full Moon, the High Brow Cat stallion, also owned by Paul and Dorothy Brinkman, that Schleshinger was riding when he won the PCCHA Derby, scoring a whopping 226 in the finals the day following the sale. The Gelding sale was for 3-year-old geldings sired by PCCHA Cutting Stakes Subscribed Stallions. Gelding consignors paid a flat fee, depending on when they consigned the gelding to the sale. The Incentive purse for the Gelding Stakes, to be held with the PCCHA Futurity will include $2,000 added by Dave Hammond Auctions and 50 percent of the net income from the sale. The gelding must actually go through the sale and be sold or bought back to be eligible for the Sale Incentive purse. Fifty percent of the total purse will go to the highest-advancing 3-year-old in the PCCHA Open Futurity and the other 50 percent will go to the highest-advancing non-pro entry. The second high-selling gelding was CD Royal Peppy, another son of CD Royal, out of Beautys Little Peppy by Peppy San Badger. Also consigned by the Brinkman Ranch, the gelding brought $11,750 from Frank and Bonnie Martin, Las Vegas, Nev. With 35 geldings consigned, nine (25.71 percent) changed hands for $72,500, averaging $8,055.56 for a $3,250 median. Twenty-six of the geldings were buy-backs by the owners. All 35 head grossed $329,600 for a $9,417.15 average. The PCCHA Performance Horse Sale featured 43 consignments, with 20 (46.51 percent) selling for 462,650 for a $3,132.50 average and $2,150 median. Twenty-three horses were repurchased by the consignors. All 43 consignments grossed $228,800 for a $5,320.93 average. The high-selling horse was Travlin Bunny, a 1997 chestnut gelding sired by Travalena out of Lenas Playboy Bunny by Freckles Playboy. The earner of $25,017 was consigned by Norma J. Hanks and purchased by Marty Eyraud for $9,600. Two horses brought $6,500, including SB Poker Hand, a 2001 sorrel gelding with $1,858 in NCHA earnings, sired by Sanman Badger out of Poco Plumb consigned by White Oak Farms and purchased by John and Suzy Moon. Highstyle Calamity, a 2002 daughter of Master Merada out of SR High Style by Doc’s Hickory also brought $6,500. the earner of $12,767 in NCHA competition was consigned by Carolyn Reynolds and purchased by Tom Bruch.. All horses selling in both the Gelding Sale and Performance Horse Sale sold while working cattle in the main arena at the Paso Robles Event Center. For full sale results go to davehammondauctions.com. THE CHARTS TELL THE STORY OF THE NCHA FUTURITY SALES By Glory Ann Kurtz Jan. 21, 2008 Those are only a few of the interesting
facts that emerged from the results of the sales. I including
links to 11 charts that I put together from the sale results and
I hope these charts will help you determine how the horses in
the different age groups, broodmares and cutting horses faired.
They should also help you during the upcoming breeding season.
Following are a few others. What was even more interesting was the fact that of the 13 broodmares selling in the $50,000-and-over list, only seven sold with embryos included. Four of them sold with a single embryo, two sold with two embryos and only one sold with three embryos included. This could be a sign that multiple embryos are on the decline – or maybe just a sign that owners are only getting multiple embryos out of the really great mares – and they’re not selling those mares. Last year, several mares with multiple embryos sold for less than the cost of the embryos. YEARLINGS: The high sellers in this year’s Invitational Yearling Sale saw 43 yearlings in the list of 78 horses selling for $50,000 or more. The rules were stringent and the cost was high to get into the sale: Entrants had to receive an invitation from the sale company, determined by personal inspections at “acceptable fitters” within a 100-mile radius of Fort Worth and two out-of-state fitters in California and Oklahoma. The consignment fee and RNA (pass-out) fee was also $2,000, and an 8 percent commission was charged on horses sold. A withdrawal fee of $2,000 was charged with a notarized vet excuse or $1,500 PLUS 8 percent of the auctioneer’s appraised value for any other reason. However, several sale goers mentioned
to me that they felt the Invitational Sale hurt the rest of the
yearling prices because the buyers felt they weren’t top-of-the-line
yearlings if they weren’t in the Invitational Sale. This year, all 554 yearlings that sold during the Futurity sales, sold for a $19,788 average and $10,000 median. However, the 148 2-year-olds that sold during the sales, ended up at the bottom of the list, averaging $18,850 for a $9,200 median. Many of you remember the sale of 2-year-olds held years ago, when consignors had to bring their horses to Fort Worth weeks before the sale and have them judged by pedigree and performance before they could even get in the 2-Year-Old Sale. Spectators even turned out to see the judging. By judging pedigree and performance, buyers knew only the best were in the sale. I’m not saying, that was the way to go, but it did add drama to the sale of 2-year-olds. This year’s Select 2-Year-Old sale required “any” video for inspection purposes and a marketability evaluation based on ability, pedigree and conformation. Also radiographs were required. However, the rules didn’t say who was doing the evaluation and what the criteria was to determine which horses would be included in this sale. Following the sales, Western Bloodstock announced that they would no longer have the 2-Year-Old Select Sale; however, there would be quality 2-year-olds within their sales.
WOULD
YOU LIKE AN EXCEL CHART FOR ALL HORSES IN THE SALES? Sales held during 2007 NCHA Futurity Breakdown by types of horsees sold Leading Sires of Yearlings by median Leading Sires of 2YO by median
IT WAS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING SMART LITTLE LENA MARE TOPS NCHA SELECT SEASONED CUTTING HORSE SALE AT $575,000 By Glory Ann Kurtz Jan. 2, 2008 Asked if she was surprised at how much the mare brought, Freeman said, "I was stunned, almost speechless," but she went on to say that she really didn't want to sell her, but needed to. "She was probably worth more as a 5-year-old than she will be worth for several years. She is proven in the arena, now she has to prove herself as a producer," said Freeman. The sale, which featured 93 consignments, with 75 (81 percent) changing hands for a $2,675,000 net, $35,676 average and $27,000 median topped the 2006 sale by $8,761 in the average and $9,000 in the median. (median is halfway between the highest- and lowest-selling horse. Absolutely Stunning has been shown by Phil Rapp to over $107,751 in lifetime earnings. Her dam, Autumn Boon, has lifetime earnings of $258,185, including the championship of the 1998 NCHA Open Super Stakes and the Super Stakes Classic/Challenge in 1999. The great mare, granted to Karen Freeman in her divorce from Bill Freeman, who rode the mare to her earnings, has 17 foals, with 15 being performers and 14 earning over $746,347, averaging $53,310 per money earner. While most of Autumn Boon's offspring were sired by Smart Little Lena, her highest money-earning offspring was the stallion Im Countin Checks, a 2002 stallion sired by Smart Lil Ricochet, owned by Tommy Manion. He was ridden by Matt Gaines to $318,438 in earnings to date. Smart Little Lena offspring out of Autumn Boon (full brothers and sisters to Absolutely Stunning) include Boon A Little, $118,405; Wild Thing DNA, $108,322, Boogie Boon, $31,275; Blue Autumn Baby, $15,463; Little Autumn DNA, $14,589; Royal Blue Autumn, $12,894; Awesome Autumn, $10,000 (made the semi's in this year's NCHA Open Futurity with Phil Rapp riding); Autumn Dual, $3,589;Picante Boon, $665 and Autumn Blue, $163.27. Karen Freeman has Little Blue Boon, a full sister to Absolutely Stunning and Autumated, a yearling full brother. And a yearling red roan filly by Manion's stallion Smooth As A Cat, out of Absolutely Stunning, sold during the Invitational Yearling Sale. Consigned by Manion and Freeman, the filly, named Lights Out, brought a $157,000 final bid from Louis and Ray Baldwin of Waco Bend Ranch, Fort Worth, Texas. Asked how Absolutely Stunning got her unique name, Karen said, "I guess you could say Tommy named Stunning - that is how he described her to me when she was born. He said, 'She is red roan, a strip on her face, socks behind and absolutely stunning.' I checked for the name on the AQHA web site and it was available, so we used it." The owner of Jackson Land & Cattle Co., is Richard Fields, 62, a native New Yorker who is a successful businessman involved in the entertainment business and casino gaming. He was the driving force in the development of the Seminole Hard Rock Resort and Casino with locations in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla. Within the past two years, he purchased both the Jackson Land & Cattle Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo., and then Peptobonsmal, the 1995 NCHA Futurity Champion and the 12th leading cutting horse sire, with offspring earning over $8.75 million in lifetime earnings. Elaine Hall, Weatherford, Texas, representing Larry Hall Cutting Horses, sold the great stallion, but still owns his dam, Royal Blue Boon, the leading broodmare of all time with offspring earning over $2.6 million. She is the dam of Peptoboonsmal and Autumn Boon. (Peptoboonsmal was sired by Peppy San Badger while Autumn Boon was sired by Dual Pep) Royal Blue Boon was cloned and Hall has two healthy yearling clones. Jackson Land & Cattle Company is located on 2000-plus acres in the historic Spring Gulch corridor of Jackson Hole, Wyo. The cutting operation is run by Al Dunning, Scottsdale, Ariz., and Jackson, Wyo., who was instrumental in the sale of Peptoboonsmal. Fields and his wife, Meeka, are the founders of the Fields Family Foundation, a non-profit group that allows them to support charities and other non-profit organizations. They are committed to helping underprivileged and neglected children. The second high-selling horse was Swinging Eclipse, a 2002 sorrel daughter of Justa Swinging Peppy out of Haidas Eclipse by Haidas Little Pep. Consigned by Wade Rust, the mare, with lifetime earnings topping $136,190, sold for $125,000 to Alvaro Simoes. The mare earned all of her money in non-pro competition with Rust in the saddle. Her largest paychecks came from being a Non-Pro finalist in the 2006 NCHA Super Stakes and tying for the Derby Non-Pro title at the 2006 Cotton Classic Derby. EDITOR'S
NOTE: Ownership of all the horses designated
by the sale company as being sold will be checked with the AQHA
or other registry in a couple of months, giving them time to get
transferred, and a Cutting Horse Sale Guide for 2007 will be created.
If you are interested in receiving a copy of this Cutting Horse
Sale Guide, please let me know by e-mailing me.
NEW SIRES SPOTLIGHTED IN PREFERRED BREEDERS SALE SESSION 3 75 OFFSPRING OF STALLIONS WHOSE OLDEST FOALS ARE 3 AND UNDER SELL FOR $16,459 AVERAGE - $11,000 MEDIAN By Glory Ann Kurtz While the sale didn’t exactly determine which young stallion is the hottest at the moment, it did determine which stallion’s offspring that were entered in the sale sold the highest. When the final gavel had fallen, 74 of the 85 yearlings and weanlings (87 percent) consigned to the sale had netted $1,218,000 for a $16,459 average and $11,000 median. Offspring sired by 12 young stallions were sold, including Boonsmal Cee Lena, Cat Ichi, Cats Merada, Its Just About Me, Laredo Blue, Meradas Blue Sue, One Time Pepto, Smooth As A Cat, Spots Hot, Sweet Lil Pepto, TR Dual Rey and WR This Cats Smart. When the sale results were posted, the highest net sales and most offspring selling sired by a single stallion was earned by Cat Ichi. The High Brow Cat stallion had 23 head net $430,000 for an $18,696 average and $12,000 median (median is halfway between the highest- and lowest-selling horse). His highest-selling offspring, Bet Ichi, a yearling stallion sired by Cat Ichi, consigned by the Oxbow Ranch and purchased by Bet Ichi Partners, topped the sale at $87,000. He also sired the third high seller – Ichi Mama consigned by the Rocking W Ranch purchased by Robert Tower. Cat Ichi, out of the great mare Laney Doc ($245,494 in earnings) sired by Doc Quixote, was bred and is owned by EE Ranches, Inc., Whitesboro, Texas. He won the 2004 NCHA Derby and was an NCHA Futurity finalist, with earnings topping $306,190. Cat Ichi’s 2008 fee is $6,500. However, in the median (which is halfway between the highest- and lowest-selling horse, Spots Hot, the 2004 NCHA Futurity Champion, topped the charts with two head selling for $57,000, with an average and median of $28,500. Spots Hot to Trot, consigned by Barry Livestock, brought a $50,000 bid from Wesley Galyean, the owner of Spots Hot – which was the second highest in the sale. He also had a colt sell for $7,000. Spots Hot has $511,702 in earnings. His 2008 fee is $5,000 and he also stands at the EE Ranches in Whitesboro, Texas, which next year will over a $100,000 Gelding Incentive Program for stallions standing at their facility. Sweet Lil Pepto, the sire of an NCHA Futurity finalist this year, came in second in the median, however, had the highest median with three or more offspring selling - $27,500. Owned by Dana Harrah, Frisco, Texas, Sweet Lil Pepto sired six of the sale horses, netting $110,200 for a $22,040 average (third highest) and $27,500 median. The 1999 roan stallion won over $236,000 in cutting earnings in eight months. One Time Pepto came in third in the median, with two head bringing $51,600 for a $25,750 average and median. One filly, One Time Diva, consigned by the Rocking 5 Ranch, purchased by Lori and Bobby Gale, was the fourth high-seller, bringing $43,000 while the other brought $8,500. The 2005 NCHA Super Stakes Champion, owned by Jeff Matthews, Warsaw, N.C., had a 2008 advertised fee of $7,500 standing at Oswood Stallion Station; however, he is booked full.
WESTERN BLOODSTOCK SELECT 2-YEAR-OLD SALE AVERAGES $32,788 ON 64 HEAD SOLD DURING FUTURITY AVERAGE DOWN $9,000 – MEDIAN DOWN $10,000 FROM 2006 Dec. 18, 2007 –
Fort Worth, Texas This year’s sale featured 86 consignments, with 64 (75 percent) changing hands for $2,098,400, averaging $32,788 for a $20,000 median (median is half way between the highest- and lowest-selling horse.) In 2006, 59 of 91 consignments (65 percent) sold for $2,474,500, averaging $41,941 for a $30,000 median. Surprisingly, the top two sellers were not sired by the industry’s leading sire, High Brow Cat, but were grandbabies of the great sire. What A Smooth Cat, a red roan filly by Tommy Manion’s Smooth As A Cat by High Brow Cat out of Nurse What by Doctor What, was the high seller at $225,000. Trained by Matt Gaines, the catty filly was consigned by Lee Gaule, Springfield, Ill. Nurse What is the earner of $13,164 and the dam of two money earners, including Chickochet by Smart Lil Ricochet, earner of $13,410 and Nurse Hen by Gallo Del Cielo, that earned $7,713. The second high seller was SDP Tell Me Kitty, a chestnut daughter of Mr Jay Bar Cat by High Brow Cat, out of Miss Telesis by Lenas Telesis. Consigned by Trey Hunt III, Simonton, Texas, who showed her on cattle, the filly brought a $200,000 final bid. Miss Telesis is the earner of $39,637 including the Canadian Non-Pro Maturity Champion and Open Co-Reserve Champion. Two other horses sold for over $100,000 and included Smart Like Boonlight, a red roan filly sired by Boonlight Dancer by Peptoboonsmal, out of Smart Lena Peppy by Smart Little Lena. The filly, which brought a final bid of $110,000, was consigned by Larry Reeder, Fort Sumner, N.M., and trained by T. J. Good. Smart Lena Peppy is the earner of $19,506. Bobbie Boonsmal, a red roan daughter of Peptoboonsmal out of Bambi Freckles by Freckles Playboy, consigned by John and Hope Mitchell, Weatherford, Texas, brought a final bid of $108,000. Bambi Freckles, with $102,104 in lifetime earnings, won the 2001 NCHA Non-Pro Classic/Challenge and her first two foals have earned over $107,000. Bobbie Boonsmal is eligible for the NCHA Super Stakes Incentive Purse and was in training with Curtis Bass. All 2-year-olds had to be nominated to the 2008 NCHA Futurity. The sale had a $1,500 entry fee and $125 cattle charge for four head of cattle. Owners of sold horses were charged an 8 percent commission and the owners of horses that didn’t sell were charged a repurchase fee of $1,500. At press time, buyers of the horses had not been posted by Western Bloodstock.
The second stallion in the median and first in the average was the young stallion Smooth As A Cat, when three of his offspring netted $312,000 for an average of $104,000 and a $45,000 median. Dual Rey was third in the median, with five head netting $194,500 for a $38,900 average and $37,000 median. Two sires had six offspring selling, including High Brow Cat, with six head netting $205,000 and averaging $34,167 for a $32,000 median. Bet On Me 498 also had six sell for a $25,067 average and $11,500 median. Other sires with three or more offspring selling, included Boonlight Dancer, 3, $50.500 average, $30,000 median; Hes A Peptospoonful, 3, $25,667 average and $21,000 median; Playgun, 4, $23,750 average, $19,500 median; Mr Jay Bar Cat, $76,500 average, $16,000 median, and Sweet Lil Pepto,with 5 head averaging $9,800 and a $10,000 median.
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COMPLETE DISPERSAL OF BUFFALO RANCH HORSES ON OCT. 14 ANNOUNCED Article
and photos by Glory Ann Kurtz The NCHA Summer Spectacular Sale, with 125 selected consignments, was held on Saturday, July 31, prior to the NCHA Derby Open and Non-Pro Finals in the Watt Arena. For the first time in a long time, prices were not posted following the sale; therefore, the results listed from this sale are what was announced from the podium and posted on the board as each horse went through. With pass-outs or buyers not listed by Western Bloodstock, some of the sale results could be changed. However, I attended the sale and 116 horses went through the sale ring, grossing $1,812,500 for a $15,625 average and $8,500 median. The sale included 17 consignments from John Walker’s Sunrise Ranch in Arkansas, represented by Chad Vanlandingham, which sold first. From those 17 consignments came five of the high-selling horses, including Nurse Gray.
The 1999 daughter of Grays Starlight out of High Brows Nurse by High Brow Hickory, with earnings of $93,328, sold with a colt at her side by Metallic Cat, an embryo by High Brow CD and a paid breeding for 2011 to Metallic Cat. The mare sold with a tail extension and was the high-selling horse at $220,000. Another Sunrise Ranch high-seller was Cat N Gail, a 1998 daughter of High Brow Cat out of Abigail Fletch by Jae Bar Fletch, with earnings of $56,240. Bringing $135,000, the mare sold with two foals at her side: one by Sweet Lil Pepto and the other by Peptoboonsmal. A paid breeding for 2011 to Dual Rey also went with the package. The Sunrise horses grossed $652,000 for a $38,353 average and $18,000 median. The 99 other consignments grossed $1,160,500 for an $11,722 average and $8,500 median. The highest-selling horse not consigned by Sunrise Ranch, was Boony Playboy, a 2003 gelding by Peptoboonsmal out of High Playgirl by High Brow Hickory, trained and shown by J. B. McLamb. The red roan gelding, with earnings of $93,824 and consigned by Nicole Aldridge, Florence, Ala., brought a $100,000 final bid.
Dualin Catolina, a 2005 sorrel daughter of High Brow Cat out of DPS Lenas Lucinda by Dual Pep, brought a final bid of $36,000, which was the second-highest bid for horses not consigned by Sunrise Ranch. The 5-year-old mare had earnings of $3,084 and was shown by Ben Roberson.
A total of 58 consignors were represented at the sale with Sunrise having the most at 17; Buffalo Ranch having 14; Marvine Ranch, 8 and Black Rock Ranch, 7. I will check with the AQHA in a couple of months and report on the horses that did transfer to new buyers. Also announced from the podium
was the fact that the Buffalo Ranch will have a complete dispersal
sale at their Fort Worth Ranch on Oct. 14. The sale will be managed
by Western Bloodstock. It was reported that Buffalo Ranch will
continue in the stallion business and will continue to stand TR
Dual Rey, Hydrive Cat and the reining stallion RC Fancy Step and
get more involved in the breeding business by attracting other
stallions. They are also keeping a few young horses. MONEY-EARNING HORSES TOP NCHA SUPER STAKES SALES TOTALS DROP FROM 2009 SALES Article and photos
by Glory Ann Kurtz Money-earning horses seem to be what the sparse crowd was looking for at the NCHA Super Stakes Sale, held April 2-3, 2010 in the Watt Arena of the Will Rogers Complex in Fort Worth, Texas. They topped the charts, with 69 changing hands for $690,150, averaging $10,002 for a $7,500 median. If you took out the 13 money-earning broodmares, 56 sold for $569,250, averaging $10,165 for a $7,650 median. The highest selling horse of the two days was also the highest-selling money earner. Fancy Sugar Badger, a 5-year-old daughter of Smart Sugar Badger out of Playboys Fancy Gal by Freckles Playboy, was consigned by Missy Jean Rosenberg, Bush, La., and trained by Steve Oehlhof. The champion of the 1009 NCHA Amateur Super Stakes and earner of $41,222 brought a $60,000 final bid. (Buyers were not provided by Western Bloodstock.)
Broodmares were also in demand, although the prices were down. Twenty-four changed hands for $157,200 for a $6,550 average and $4,100 median. The second high-selling horse at $30,000 was also the highest-selling broodmare. Jewel Bar Ruby, an 11-year-old daughter of Lenas Jewel Bars out of Jae Bar Ruby by Doc’s Jack Sprat, with $96,992 in lifetime earnings was the 2006 Non-Pro Reserve World Champion. Bred to Cats Merada for a 2011 foal, she was consigned by Jim and Mary Jo Milner, Southlake, Texas, and in training with Jeremy Barwick.
Some Kinda Hydrive, a yearling stud colt by Hydrive Cat out of 1997 NCHA Open Futurity Champion Some Kinda Memories by Smart Little Lena, was the third high-selling horse and the highest-selling yearling, bringing a $26,000 final bid. He was consigned by the Shrontz Family Ltd. Partnership. Four yearlings changed hands for $35,000 net, averaging $8,750 for a $4,000 median. Hold On Loosely, a daughter of Dual Pep out of the great mare Tap O Lena by Doc O’Lena, was the third high seller at $25,000. Consigned by Rick Beaman, the broodmare with $15,974 in lifetime earnings, had a filly at her side by Smart Little Lena and was bred back to Smooth As A Cat for a 2011 foal.
Sues Lil Dusty, a 6-year-old blue roan mare sired by Meradas Blue Sue out of Smart Like Dusty by Smart Little Lena was the fourth high seller, bringing a final bid of $25,000. Consigned by Carmel Cutting Horses, Inc., the earner of $33,829 was in training with Russ Westfall, who has been so successful on several horses out of this great mare with $175,953 in lifetime earnings.
Fourteen 2-year-olds changed
hands for $31,300 for a $2,236 average and $1,600 median. The
highest-selling 2-year-old was Hes Smart N Dark, a black stallion
by Hes A Peptospoonful out of Smart And Dark by Smart Mate. Consigned
by Shane and Roxie Demler, Newton, Utah, the colt brought $7,500. The sire with the offspring selling
for the highest average was Hydrive Cat, with one yearling bringing
$26,000. Second was the deceased sire Mr Jay Bar Cat, with one
offspring bringing $21,000, followed by Smart Sugar Badger with
three head averaging $20,667. Three sires had 10 offspring change
hands, including Dual Pep, with his 10 head netting $121,100 for
an average of $12,110; High Brow Cat with a net of $104,400, averaged
$10,440 and Dual Rey’s 10 netted $64,300, for a $6,430 average.
With the sale being held in four sessions, two on Friday and two on Saturday, the best session was Session 3, which included 19 head of horses from the Bar H Ranche and Darren Blanton’s Star Double B Ranch. Eight sold for $118,000, averaging $14,750 for a $14,000 median.
The entire sale included 266
horses going through the ring for $2,460,850, averaging $9,251.32.
However, 154 (58%) sold for $1,065,450, averaging $6,918.51 for
a $5,000 median. This was down substantially from 2009 when fewer
horses were consigned (191), grossing $2,419,700 for a $12,669
average. A total of 159 (83% sold) for a net of $1,705,400, averaging
$10,726 for a $6,000 median. Western Bloodstock announced early that there would be no “RNA (reserve not achieved) or pass-out” fee charged this year; also they implemented a new auction service on their website http://www.westernbloodstock.com to promote the sale of horses that did not meet the reserve in the auction ring. Horses are to remain on line for 60 days. A video of each of the 58 horses on the site are shown in the sale ring, as well as the ownership, pedigree and performance page from the sale catalog and the amount the horse was passed out at. Not all horses that were passed out are included on the site. See “Letters From
the Editor” for my personal comments on the sale. Press release
from Billings LIvestock Sale Held each and every March, the “Trail, Outfitting, Guide and Guest” horse feature also offered an excellent set of riding, driving, and pack mules. Horses and mules sold from coast to coast - California to Massachusetts , Texas to Alaska, with a weekend total of 760 head offered including 74 cataloged mules. It goes in the BLS record books - an iron-clad market was verified by a record low pass out rate as only 31 head were were passed out or “no-saled” by the consignor - that calculates to a 96 percent overall sale percentage. . A gentle, attractive, top-notch trail mule that had been started heading topped the mule charts with a $5,000 price tag, and “Roy” was good to catch, load, saddle, and shoe. Brought to Billings, Mont., by Tod DeJong, Tracy, Iowa, the good mule sold to Mitch Svangstu, Noonan, N.D. Mules came in all colors, kinds, and areas of expertise, with the top five mules averaging $3,300 and the top 10 averaging $2,620. In the horse division, stallions continue to shine as Lazy Wind, a 2003 AQHA sorrel stallion by the Triple Crown winner Special Effort, and out of the Easy Jet daughter By All Means Easy, brought $10,700. Offered by Bucky Derflinger, Mud Butte, S.D., the big, pretty stallion sold to Keith Pomeroy, Armstrong, BC. Steady as she goes, the market was solid from the first horse to the last, with buyers seeking out the dependable, honest, gentle on-their-mind kind, where the top five averaged $5,850, top 10 $4,905, top 20 $4,097, top 50 $3,293, and the top 100 averaged $2,730. Double gentle and rides the same everyday, Black Jack, a 2004 grade black gelding offered by RMO Horses, Heber, Utah, brought $4,400 and went home with Bob and GayAnn Masolo, Townsend, Mont. Wildnerness Adventures, Powell, Wyo., brought a stand-out assortment of mules and horses that had been used in their pack trips, dude rides, and hunting camps and included Bones, a 2003 grade gray Quarter-Draft gelding. The gentle, trail and cowhorse sold to Mark Dunsley, Couer D’Alene, Idaho, for $4,400. Also, Ray and Marjorie Beecher, Grass Range, Mont., offered a partial dispersion of their time-honored program including daughters of their famous sire Gumbo Roany. Loose horses made a definite jump in value at the March sale where the top prospect commanded $2,500. On the loose, the top five averaged $1,920 compared to $1,210 in 2009, the top 10 averaged $1632 vs. $1,022 last year; The top 20 brought $1,330 compared to $826 with the top 50 at $974 compared to $585; and the top 100 averaged $795 versus $435 one year ago. Sue Wallis, Recluse, Wyo., addressed the Sunday Sale crowd and updated the audience on the latest processing legislation. For more information go to:http://www.unitedorgsofthehorse.org/ Billings Livestock’s
next sale event is set for April 24-25 and will feature the 12th
annual “Rope Horse Special” catalog sale and regular
monthly horse sale. All classes of horses will sell including mares, stallions, finished horses, prospects, and young stock. Also, cattle will be available for cutting and calf horses to show their talent. The catalog closing date is April 5, with a supplement printed for later entries. WESTERN STATES HORSE EXPO SALE TO BE HELD JUNE 13 March
16, 2010 Click
here for sale information>> MID-AMERICA EQUINE SALES SOLD Jan. 23, 2009
One of the industry's major sale companies, Mid America Equine Sales, sold this week to Jim and Pam Watson of Bolivar, Mo., who have over 20 years of experience in the Quarter Horse business. David and Philip Solum have owned and operated Mid America Equine Sales since 2003, putting on consignment sales that catered to the performance horse industry. They have worked mostly with the reining, cutting and cow horses. According to the brothers, they are very grateful for the many customers they have worked with over the years and feel they have built some great friendships with them. The Solum brothers are going to stay active in the horse business as they still own five stallions which they will continue to promote and they will also keep about 100 head of AQHA performance horses on hand. They will also continue to buy and sell horses as well as do consulting work as they have done in the past. "The consignment sales take a lot of time, and we really want to focus more on our families," said David Solum. You can contact Jim and Pam Watson at 417-328-8710. The next sale for Mid America Equine Sales will be May 22, 2010, at the Lucky J Arena in Carthage, Mo. INVITATIONAL YEARLING SALE TOPS NCHA SEVEN NCHA FUTURITY SALES SALE AVERAGES $29,212 ON 59 HEAD THAT CHANGED HANDS By Glory Ann Kurtz Attached are five reports from the best sale of the seven – the Invitational Yearling Sale, held Dec. 12, 2009. With 94 consignments grossing $3,391,700 for a $36,082 average, Western Bloodstock results showed that 70 sold for a net of $2,062,200 and an average of $29,460. However, there were 11 horses reported sold by published results, for which there was no AQHA transfer of ownership on the sale date. Taking those 11 horses out of the sold column, leaves 59 horses actually changing hands (63 percent) for a net of $1,723,500, a $29,212 average and a $25,000 median. This is down from the 2008 Invitational Yearling Sale when 50 head netted $2,150,000 for a $43,000 average and $31,000 median. The average was down $13,788 and the median $6,000. Attached are five charts for the 2009 Invitational Yearling Sale in a PDF format, including a chart where all horses are ranked from the highest-selling down to the lowest-selling. All of the charts include each horse’s price, pedigree, seller, buyer, dam earnings and earnings of siblings. Other charts are sorted by Sire, Maternal Grandsire, Seller and Buyer. HIGH-LOW
CHART: Also bringing a $170,000 final bid was One Baby Doll, a stud colt by One Time Pepto, consigned by Alice Walton’s Rocking W Ranch; however, the red roan colt was passed out (not sold). The next five high sellers were also passed out and from there one had to drop down to $75,000 to find a yearling that changed hands. Kwackin Cat, a daughter of High Brow Cat out of Kwackin by Dual Pep, consigned by the Cottonwood Springs Ranch of Colorado, was purchased by PJ Cutters, Benbrook, Texas, for $75,000. Kwackin has offspring that have won close to $450,000. SIRES: MATERNAL
GRANDSIRE: SELLERS
& BUYERS: Click on the following
links for the five reports published in a PDF format. These reports
are also available in an Excel spread sheet by e-mailing me at
glory@glorykurtz.com. FORT WORTH STOCK SHOW RANCH HORSES SALES TOPPED BY $23,000 GELDING By Glory Ann Kurtz The Sunday Invitational Ranch Horse Show and Sale featured 17 horses from Texas ranches, showing in a competition, and then selling for a close to $12,000 average and the top ranch horse bringing $23,000. One day earlier, the AQHA Best of the Remuda Sale featured 89 head from 12 ranches, averaging $3,724, with the high-selling horse bringing $20,000. Both high-selling horses from each sale were consigned by the W. T. Waggoner Estate, Vernon, Texas. INVITATIONAL
RANCH HORSE SHOW AND SALE: Reserve and a $500 paycheck went to Andy Michael, Channing, Texas, riding Playing Lucky, a 5-year-old gelding sired by his and his wife Janelle’s stallion Pegis Playboy by Freckles Playboy out of Royal Budha Star by Lucky Budha. With over $13,000 in NCHA and RHAA earnings, including the 2007 NCHA Futurity Senior Amateur Championship and the 2008 West Texas Futurity Masters Reserve Championship, the gelding brought a $14,500 final bid from Elizabeth (Betty) Hardeman, Missoula, Mont. The 17 invited horses were judged on several maneuvers, including reining, working a cow on the fence, cutting, roping and dragging a log. They had been led into the arena and ground tied. Their bits were dropped, bridles were removed and put back on and all four feet were picked up. When they left the arena, they opened and closed the gate behind them. Bringing the highest bid of $23,000 from Randa Hancock Buster, was the crowd-favorite Smart Safaritari, a 9-year-old gelding by Playin Safari by Freckles Playboy out of Miss Smarty Tari by Smart Little Lena, owned by the Heart Ranch, Seymour, Texas, and ridden by Jim Livingston, son of the Heart Ranch founder F.L. “Red” Livingston. The gelding had won the 2006 RCHA Open Finals Championship, the 2007 Youth Championship and was a finalist for 2009. Although his circles, slides and spins were pretty, the gelding missed a lead and shied away from the log, which undoubtedly cost him points with the judges – but not the buyer. Buster also purchased the second high-selling horse from the AQHA Best of the Remuda Sale held the day before for $15,000. The second high-selling horse from the Invitational Ranch Horse Sale was Our Poco Whiskey, a 4-year-old gelding sired by Paddys Irish Whiskey by Peppy San Badger out of Poco Lady Tuck by Poco King Tuck by Poco Bueno, owned by the W. T. Waggoner Estate, Vernon, Texas. Shown in RHAA events, the gelding brought a final $17,000 bid from Bob Ballew, Cody, Wyo., who, along with his wife, Kate, bought seven head from the Best of the Remuda Sale for $82,000 – including the first, third, and fourth-high-selling horses. Altogether, the couple purchased eight head for $82,000, averaging $10,250 per horse. Click
here for a catalog of the Invitational Ranch Horse Show and Sale>> AQHA
BEST OF THE REMUDA SALE: The top two selling horses came from W. T. Waggoner consignments, including Our Special Diamonds, a 2006 sorrel daughter of Genuine As Diamonds, a full brother to Shining Spark, by Genuine Doc out of Peppy Diversion by Mr Sorrel Bo. With 12 months of professional riding, the mare brought $20,000 from Bob and Kate Bellew. Randa Buster purchased the second high seller for $15,000. Fancy Bo Diamonds, a 2007 buckskin mare, was also sired by Genuine As Diamonds and out of Fancy Bo Socks by Mr Sorrel Bo out of Smokys Alexandra, and came with 120 days training. The third and fourth high-selling horses were both consigned by the Four Sixes and purchased by the Ballews. They included Sixes Royal Gin, a 6-year-old gelding by Royal Fletch by Jae Bar Fletch out of My Gin Sal by Tanquery Gin, the gentle gelding used for branding and pasture roping, bringing $14,200 and Seven Sensations, a 10-year-old gray ranch mare by Seven From Heaven by Playgun out of Sensational Lena by Mr Sun O Lena, bringing $12,500. The sale ended up with four gray yearling fillies, sired by Special Gun and consigned by the legendary Pitchfork Land & Cattle Co., bringing a total of $2,900 for a $725 average. Click
here for the AQHA Best of the Remuda sale catalog>> NCHA FUTURITY SALE NUMBERS DOWN CLOSE TO 30 PERCENT FROM 2008 CONSIGNED HORSES NUMBER 1,027 COMPARED TO 2008’S 1,456 By Glory Ann Kurtz Photo by Glory Ann Kurtz
With seven sales scheduled during the NCHA Futurity, the days should be shorter, as the consignments numbers are down considerably. Held daily for six consecutive days, from Tuesday, Dec. 8 through Sunday, Dec. 13, the seven sales have 1,027 consignments, compared to the 1,456 consigned in 2008 – a drop of 429 head. These figures and published changes were taken from the Western Bloodstock Internet site where the sale horses are listed for each day selling. But the schedule should be more seller-and-buyer friendly. The only day when two sales will be held will be the first day, Tuesday, Dec. 8, with two sessions of the NCHA Mid-Futurity Sales, with the first session held at 9 a.m. in the Watt arena and the second session, also starting at 9 a.m. but in the John Justin Sale arena. This year, there will be a total of 217 consignments in these two sales, compared to the 307 consigned in 2008. On Wednesday, Dec. 9, the NCHA Sale of 2-Year-Olds by Select Sires will be held at 9 a.m. in the Watt arena with 178 consignments. This is down 25 head from the 203 consignments in 2008 – when two sessions were held. On Thursday, Dec. 10 the Preferred Breeders Sale Session 1 will be held at 9 a.m. in the John Justin Sale arena with 238 consignments – up from the 225 consigned in 2008. On Friday, Dec. 11, Session No. 2 of the Preferred Breeders Sale will also be held following the 9 a.m. Horsemen For Christ Stallion Service Auction – as well as the selling of lifetime breedings and syndicate shares - in the John Justin Arena. The second session will feature 199 head, down from the 223 consignments in 2008. During 2008, there was also another session of the Preferred Breeders Sales featuring 57 entries. Altogether, the Preferred Breeders Sale Sessions are down 68 consignments from 2008. According to Western Bloodstock, the consignment fee – as well as pass-out fee - for this year’s Preferred Breeders Sale has been reduced close to 30 percent – from $1,100 to $800 – which was the cost in 1990 when Milt Bradford Productions conducted the first Preferred Breeders Sale in 1990. That was 10 years before he joined with Ben Emison and Jim Ware to form Western Bloodstock. The consignment fee was raised to $1,100 in 1994 and has remained the same for the past 15 years. On Saturday, Dec. 12, the Invitational Yearling Sale, with 94 entries will be held in the John Justin Sale Arena. This sale is actually up 22 horses from 2008. Since the NCHA Futurity Open semifinals will be held on Saturday morning preceding Sunday’s finals – rather than on Saturday evening as it has been in the past, the Invitational Yearling Sale has been moved to Saturday at 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, the Select Seasoned Cutting Horse Sale, featuring 101 consignments, will be held at 9 a.m. in the Watt Arena, following the Futurity Finals breakfast sponsored by the Weatherford National Bank, which starts at 8 a.m. This sale is also up five entries from 2008, when there were 96 entries. However, not being held separately this year is the New Sire Spotlight Sale, which last year featured 138 consignments as well as a few of the special ranch sales (Buffalo Ranch, Gasparilla, St Nick’s and Oxbow), which featured 135 consignments. According to Western Bloodstock, the New Sire Spotlight Sale will be held within the two Preferred Breeders’ sales. This year, radiographs are required for yearlings selected for entry into the NCHA Futurity Invitational Yearling Sale Session on Saturday, Dec. 12, and “urged” but not required, for other yearlings, weanlings, 2-year-olds and trained cutting horses. Like last year, buyers will not be able to view these radiographs after the horse has sold. New this year will be videos of sale horses available on the Western Bloodstock website (http://www.westernbloodstock.com) as well as other pertinent sale information about the horse. On the list of sale horses, simply click on “Video” to the right of the horse’s name. This is available today on some of the horses. As usual, videos will be also be available at the Western Bloodstock booth in the exhibit hall. The sellers must submit VHS or DVD videos no later than Thursday, Nov. 12 and a $75 video fee will be deducted from the seller’s sale proceeds. Super Stallion Saturday
(Dec. 12) will return on Saturday, Dec. 12, with stallion Avenue
opening at 9 a.m., and the Parade of Stallions starting at 9:30
a.m. Sponsored by XTO Energy in the Watt Arena, the 7 a.m. breakfast
will be changed to a brunch held following the first cattle change
of the semifinals. A SUNNY DAY IN WHITT, TEXAS VANGILDER HORSES NET $3.2 MILLION; AVERAGE $52,232 ON 62 HEAD By Glory Ann Kurtz
It was the first sunny day residents of North Texas had seen in weeks and it was the first sunny day the cutting horse sale industry has seen in a couple of years. It was Jim Vangilder’s Rock Creek Ranch Complete Dispersal Sale, held Friday, Oct. 16 at the ranch outside of Whitt, Texas, where 62 horses netted $3,238,400 for a whopping $52,232 average. The high seller brought $400,000 and nine head bringing over $100,000 sold for $2,020,800, averaging $224,533. Whitt is located 20 miles northwest of Weatherford, Texas. All of the above figures were announced at the sale.
Prospective buyers flooded into the facility, coming by plane and truck, filling the covered arena to the brim. Hay bales were put all around the outside the arena, so buyers could stand on them and still see the sale ring. The sale also included a complete dispersal of ranch equipment, all the way from the trucks and trailers down to the halters and chaps. After the horse sale, 12 saddles were auctioned off, bringing all the way from $1,900 down to $400. The ranch, which included 437 acres, 3 homes, two barns, two shed-row storage barns, steel and concrete shop and a 121 x 168’ covered arena, was also scheduled to sell at auction; however, it was pulled from the auction and realtor Mac Coalson will market the ranch privately. It is listed on his site at $4,175,000.
The high-selling horse was Pet Squirrel, a 7-year-old daughter of Playdox out of Squirrel Tooth Alice by CD Olena, which brought a final bid of $400,000 from Jo Goertz, Hamilton, Texas. The mare won $389,160, including the 2008 NCHA Non-Pro Classic/Challenge with Vangilder in the saddle. Two embryos in carrier mares sold wither – one by High Brow Cat and one by Chula Dual. It was announced from the podium that the embryo by Chula Dual sold without return if the colt should not be born as Steve and Michelle Anderson have sold the son of Dual Pep and he was shipped out of the country.
The second high-selling horse was Blue One Time, a 2-year-old red roan colt by One Time Pepto out of Quintan Blue by Mecom Blue, bringing a $245,000 bid from J. E. Jumonville, Ventress, La. One Time Pepto, a son of Peptoboonsmal is one of the hottest sires in the industry, earning over $331,000 and with his oldest offspring being 3-year-olds and Quintan Blue is the earner of $609,140. This is her oldest foal. Floyd Miller of the Cottonwoods Springs Ranch in Colorado purchased Poosmal, the third high-selling horse for $235,000. The 12-year-old mare by Peptoboonsmal out of Hicapoo by Doc’s Hickory, has lifetime earnings of $13,465 but is a leading cutting horse producer with four of her offspring earning $568,342. She was bred to Mecom Blue. Only buyers of some of the horses selling over $100,000 were announced from the podium. Roger Wagner, who over the past six years carefully put together Vangilder’s highly successful breeding and training program, single handedly worked all the horses on cattle – both at the showing the day before, where over 250 people showed up, and before they sold during the sale. The 3-year-olds were shown with his hand down while the 2-year-olds on cattle were shown in snaffle bits with only a minimum amount of help. Wagner, who came to the United States only six years ago from Australia - where he was the country’s leading rider - is the industry’s No. 15 All-Time Leading Rider with over $3 million in lifetime earnings. He will be training for John Winkelried of the Marvine Ranch, Meeker, Colo., who recently built a training operation in Weatherford. Many wondered why such a successful breeding and training program would come to an end; however, in his welcome letter in the sale catalog, Vangilder, who is the industry’s 14th all-time leading non-pro rider with over $1 million in earnings, said, “To do well in this sport and be consistently competitive, you must either live in Texas or spend a lot of time in Texas. Since my daughter Grace is no longer home schooled, but is attending the 6th grade in Missouri, I had to choose between being there with my family (which includes his wife Marsha) or being here without them for much of the time. Frankly, this was one of the easiest decisions I have ever made.” The sale was produced by Western
Bloodstock with Don Green, Roanoke, Ala., and Steve Friskup, Muleshoe,
Texas, being the auctioneers.
WELCOME TO THE “REAL WORLD” FALL COLLECTION SALE CONSIGNMENTS FEATURED “ABSOLUTE SALES” By Glory Ann Kurtz Photo by Kurtz
It was the first time in my memory that three major breeders got together to have a sale and agreed that all the horses put in the sale would be “absolute sales.” It was by no means a dispersal sale and all sellers agreed that there would be no reserves, no buy backs and no games. The Fall Collection Sale held Saturday, Sept. 19, at Dan Churchill’s ranch outside of Wayne, Okla., was such a sale. The 80-horse catalog included consignments from Churchill, a horse breeder, non-pro competitor and lawyer from Moline, Ill., and breeders Pat and Connie Fitzgerald, Paoli, Okla., and Linda Holmes, Longmont, Colo. However, with four horses being out of the sale - mostly for injuries - 76 changed hands for $635,000, averaging $8,328.95. Holmes is the owner of Dual Rey, the No. 2 stallion in the industry, with offspring earning over $11.4 million, while the Fitzgeralds own Smart Mate, a son of Smart Little Lena with offspring earnings in excess of $5.2 million, and their newest acquisition – Wild Haired Cat – with $145,000 in lifetime earnings. The stallion’s oldest foals, from a limited foal crop, are 4-year-olds and several mares that sold were bred to the young son of High Brow Cat. Churchill, who owned the beautiful facilities and covered arena where the sale was held, previously was a stallion owner but is now a breeder of quality cutting horses.
Photo by Kurtz
The 76 horses that sold ranged from $40,000 down to $1,300 paid for a yearling. But a beautiful black yearling filly was the highest-selling horse bringing the $40,000 bid. Lena On My Mate, sired by Smart Mate out of Lena On My Hickory by Doc’s Hickory, consigned by the Fitzgeralds, was purchased by Rodney and Cheryl Wrinkle, who live in Lebanon, Mo., and Olathe, Kan.
Photo by Kurtz
Rodney, who owns around 20 head of cutting horses, is involved in the horse business, while Cheryl is a professor at Missouri State College. His competition horses are in training with Dean Domann, Winchester, Kan.
Photo by Andrea Boody
In the greatest demand were trained cutting horses, with eight averaging $13,231. The highest-selling trained cutting horse, bringing $30,000, was a 3-year-old futurity prospect sired by Dual Rey consigned by Linda Holmes and shown on cattle. The 3-year-olds sold from $30,000 down to $2,900.
Photo by Andrea Boody
The highest-selling aged cutting horse, with a good earnings record, was another daughter of Dual Rey also consigned by Holmes, and bringing $29,000. The 2-year-olds ranged from $27,000 down to $1,600. As was expected, broodmares were the weakest, with the high seller going for $17,000 and averaging $7,025 on 10 head. Possibly two of the best buys of the entire sale were at the very end, when Churchill sold his two hard-working turn-back horses. Ranch horses are in great demand all across the country – but obviously this crowd was looking for cutting horses. WHAT’S
THE REAL WORLD? Photo by Kurtz
After the final bids had been taken by auctioneers Don Green and Joel White, Churchill’s final words to me as Bob and I were leaving the sale were, “Welcome to the real world.” Later I asked him what that meant. “In reality, that was an expression of value of what the horse business really is like today,” said Dan. “Let’s be realistic – times are tough. Yet in spite of the tough times, I believe that our overall sale average was close to $8,500 per horse, which we considered very respectable for the first sale, especially with several lower-priced yearlings included in the offering. We anticipate that lots of the horses that left our ranch will be resold within 30 days for a profit by several buyers. That’s the horse sale business and we applaud those individuals who took time to attend our sale and select opportunities to take home to make money in their own horse business.
Photo by Kurtz “When I go to a horse sale, I want to leave with a bargain and I assume all buyers feel the same way. This is the goal that we entered the sale with – that there would be several opportunities and those that got them will return next year and will talk about them until next year’s sale.”
Photo by Kurtz Dan said that earlier this year, people weren’t buying horses privately, “yet they flocked to the auction ring when Don Green explained the sale terms and I reiterated our conviction to offer all horses with a out a reserve.” He agreed that this new approach was a bit difficult to swallow this first year, with all three breeders selling some horses for prices that were less than desirable. But the sellers are convinced that it will pay dividends next year. “We are currently considering adding two more breeders to next year’s sale,” said Dan, “with a limit of 20 head for each breeder, assuring a total of 100 head to be offered to the public. We also have several ideas that might convince even more buyers to attend next year. But I believe that the arena, flow of horses into the auction pens and overall efficiencies of the staff were successful this first year. We appreciated them all, including our sale secretary Jennifer Anderson, who was the veteran on sale management issues.”
Photo by Kurtz
The sale was a production sale and none of the consignors are even close to getting out of the horse breeding business. “Personally, we are retaining 25 weanlings and 16 yearlings to break next spring, five 2-year-olds and two NCHA Futurity prospects – along with about a dozen broodmares,” said Dan, following the sale. “It is my personal belief and that of my trainer Casey Carson and the head of my horse division, Andrea Boody, that by the time our yearlings and weanlings are available to market, that the number of good quality prospects will have adjusted and they will be in great demand. Churchill was definitely candid about his thoughts about the sale and his future in the industry; however, he did decline to provide final prices and buyers for this article. “We have elected not to publish a list of the actual buyers’ names and prices that they paid for obvious reasons,” said Dan. “As an attorney, I totally respect the confidentiality process and thus it is very normal for me to offer protection to those that took time out of their daily routine to attend our sale and purchase horses. If we publish that data, it is unfair to their business motivations to make a profit on their selections – which we have no intent to do.” HORSE SALE NEWS By Glory Ann Kurtz FALL
COLLECTION SALE: WEAVER
QUARTER HORSE SALE: DICK
AND BRENDA PIEPER HAVING PRODUCTION SALE DURING THE MARKETPLACE
AT ARDMORE The Piepers will continue to
stand Playgun and Texas Kicker for “on site” and “CTS”
contracts for 2010 and future breeding seasons. They will be retaining
their broodmares over 16 years of age and let them raise foals
for as long as they can. The Piepers welcome prospective customers to come and inspect their sale horses prior to the sale. Photos are also available by calling 580-276-9397 or e-mailing pieper@brightok.net. Their web site is www.pieperranch.com. NRCHA SNAFFLE
BIT FUTURITY SALES: BARREL HORSES SELL BEST AT BILLINGS AUG. 22-23 SALE Sept. 2, 2009
- Billings, Mont. Five out of the top seven selling horses had ties to the $2 million dollar barrel horse sire Frenchman’s Guy - they were either sired by him or bred to him - and averaged a brisk $12,671. Leading the charge was French Kissed, a 2007 AQHA Palomino mare by Frenchmans Guy and out of Fols Fancy Firewater by Firewater Flit. With her movie star looks, the extra-fancy, prime prospect filly was raised and offered by Sarah Ann Lesh, Stillwater, Okla., and purchased by Dave and Melissa Brandt, Hermosa, S.D., for $26,000. No. 2 on the top sellers listing was also sired by Frenchmans Guy, also palomino, and also extra fancy. Frenchmans Boogie, a 2000 AQHA stallion came consigned by the No. 1 barrel horse breeder of the decade - Victory Farms, Danny and Darla Ray, Ada, Okla. Out of the proven 1-D barrel mare, Boogie Smurf, the attractive stallion brought $15,000. Atwood Ranch, Orland, Calif., offered a special set of speed-bred mares including daughters of Merridoc, First Down Dash, and Chicks Beduino - all bred to Frenchmans Guy - and they brought $8,500, $8,400, and $10,000 respectively. Black Rock Ranch, Harrison, Idaho, offered a good set of mares and yearlings including Purdy Smart Pistol, a 1998 AQHA sorrel mare by Smart Little Lena and out of the mare Purdy Pistol, with the second dam being the famous Miss Silver Pistol. The money earner and producer brought $10,800 and sold to Roberta Thompson, Cocalalla, Idaho. Good geldings got it on again and included Freckels Hancock Six, a 2002 AQHA sorrel by Hancock Six brought to town by National Finals Steer Roper J.R. Olson, Greeley, Colo. The finished head horse brought $7,000 and sold to Cynthia Helmig, Leduc, Alberta. Also ringing the bell at $7,000 was “Simon,” a 2000 grade gelding offered by SMJ Performance Horses, Queen Creek, Ariz. A full sale weekend saw 904 head of horses come and go over the two days selling across the map to 445 registered buyers of which 236 purchased two or more horses. The ompleted sales percentage was 90%. Sale averages reflect a firm market, with the top five averaging $14,360, top 10 brought $11,095, top 20 averaged $8,262, top 50 at $5,474 and the top 100 averaged $3,869. The biggest news of the weekend was the all-amazing loose trade where the top selling loose horse brought $3,300 followed by $2,250 and $1,900 - pushing the top five loos-horse average to $2,160. It was gung-ho and go - 416 head sold loose in four hours - with better than good averages hitting $2,160 on the top five; $1,760 on the top 10; top 20 averaged $1,371; top 50 brought $967. And the top 100 - that’s 25 percent of the loose - averaged $702. Expanded to three days, Billings Livestock’s annual “Cow Country Classic” catalog sale is next on the BLS Sale agenda Sept. 25-27. The big, fall sale event will headline “Rope Horses” and host a special 75th anniversary celebration for Billings Livestock Commission. All classes of horses will sell including mares, stallions, finished horses, prospects, and young stock. Cattle will be available to show the cutting horses, calf horses, and rope horses. Team roping jackpot on sale horses is set for Friday, Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. For more information, go to www.billingslivestock.com or contact Bill and Jann Parker, BLS Horse Sale Managers at 406-245-4151. LIKE RANCH HORSE SALES? COWAN RANCH AND RETURN TO THE REMUDA SALES TO BE HELD IN SEPTEMBER Sept.
1, 2009 COWAN
RANCH SALE: For those who cannot attend,
the sale can be viewed via the internet at www.horseauctions.com
with online bidding available. For more information call Todd
Cowan (cell) at 605-870-1488 or Clay Cowan (cell) at 605-870-6233.
This will be the final Cowan production sale as from now on horses will be offered through private treaty. RETURN
TO THE REMUDA SALE: For more information, contact
Glenn Blodgett, DVM at the 6666 Ranch, Burnett Ranches, LLC, 1102
Dash For Cash Road, Guthrie, Texas 79236 - Telephone: 806-596-4424,
fax: 806-596-4550, Supply House: 806-596-4459 or Email: gb@6666ranch.com. DEADLINE FOR NCHA FUTURITY SALES CATALOG IS OCT. 10 SALES SCHEDULED FROM DEC. 5-13 By
Glory Ann Kurtz Sales scheduled to date include the NCHA Mid-Futurity Sale Sessions, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5-6, for yearlings, weanlings, broodmares, stallions, 2-year-olds and trained cutting horses. The entry fee and repurchase fee is $450, with an 8 percent commission on all horses sold. A cattle charge of $115 will be charged for three head of cattle. The Preferred Breeders Sale sessions are scheduled for Tuesday through Friday – Dec. 8-11, for select yearlings, weanlings, broodmares and stallions. The entry fee and repurchase fee for any of these sales is $800, with an 8 percent commission. The Select Seasoned Cutting Horse Sale, scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 13, will be for select show horses with significant earnings and/or exceptional pedigrees. The entry fee and repurchase fee for this sale are $1,100 each and the commission is 8 percent. A $115 cattle fee will be charged for three head of cattle. Any special production or dispersals in the sales have not yet been publicized. Owners will be notified of acceptance to the sales. Entry fees will be deductible from the sale proceeds and catalog order will be determined by public draw using the first letter of the second dam’s name. Original copies of all sale horses’ Coggins test, taken within six months, and a health certificate dated under 15 days of the sale will be necessary. Health certificates must include pregnancy status for mares, the status of descended testicles for stallions 13 months and older and any other defect or injury. No copies will be accepted. For video information contact Karley Clearman (325) 683-2383 and completed consignments contracts (found on www.westernbloodstock.com), the original registration certificate, a signed transfer report and a breeders certificate must be sent to Western Bloodstock, PO Box 1369, Weatherford, Texas. For further information, contact Western Bloodstock at (817) 594-9210 or fax (817) 696-0430. ALL FIRED UP BILLINGS LIVESTOCK MID-SUMMER
JULY SPECIAL SALE AVERAGES $11,625 ON TOP 10 Aug.
6, 2009 - Billings, Mont. Headlined by some of the most noted and winning programs in the horse industry, Billings Livestock’s “Mid-Summer Special Catalog Sale” July 25-26 ran full tilt - from the first horse Saturday through the last horse Sunday - a horse happy crowd saw the top ten average $11,625. The gather was on the horses with a purpose and growth stock prospects with a better market deeper into the offering than one year ago - the top 50 averaged $6,871 compared to $5,738 in 2008 and the top 100 brought $5,100 versus $4,093. A Big Sky welcome went out to 491 registered buyers of which 276 purchased horses - 110 buyers purchased two or more head - and they came to Montana from 23 states and four Canadian provinces. A king-size total of 974 horses sold in addition to 28 roping steers and 7 pair of trophy longhorns. Pass outs were minimal, with 66 head “no-saling” computing to a 94 percent completed sale percentage. Sons and daughters of Freckles Playboy, Shining Spark, Dual Rey, Peptoboonsmal, Zack T Wood, Smart Little Lena, and High Brow Cat filled the top ten sellers listing in addition to ready-to-haul rope horses. Just call her the business - Miss Playboys Josie, a '99 AQHA bay mare sired by Freckles Playboy and out of Hickorys Pant Jose by Doc’s Hickory offered by SG Management, Jackson, WYo., sold with her filly by Peptoboonsmal at side and bred back to Pepto for 2010. Laura Teague, Ft. Morgan, CO purchased the nifty little package for $22,000. Carol Rose Quarter Horses, Gainesville, Texas, brought eight head packing the genetics of her award-winning program including Shiners Big Top, a 2007 AQHA palomino stallion by Shining Spark.Broke and double broke, the fancy two-year-old stud colt brought $17,000 and sold to Ryon Simon, Cannon Falls, MN. She’d won over $18,000 and showed it in the previews, and Playin A Little Jazz, a 2005 AQHA chestnut mare by Playin Stylish and out of a Dual Jazz daughter brought $11,500.Pretty on a cow, the little dynamo came offered and shown by Jake Ream, Elk Ridge, Utah, and sold to Jeff Schwitzer, Yorktown, Saskatchewan, for $11,500. Scores, runs, rates, and honest gentle, Storms Bartender, a 2001 AQHA red roan gelding by Bostons Little Man and out of a daughter of Two ID Bartender was a solid, hauled and won on head horse offered by Tyler and Jamie Morgan, Prosser, Wash. As an added dividend, the good gelding had seen plenty of ranch use. He sold to Wyoming Horses, Pavillion, Wyo., for $10,000. Hauled roping calves, heading, heeling, cutting, and working cowhorse, Dealer From Reno, a 2001 AQHA sorrel gelding by Reminic came with an extensive resume. Owned and shown by 11-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier, Brent Lewis, Eloy, Ariz., the gelding with his game on brought $8,000 and sold to Don Ramsour, Casper, Wyo. Sale averages include the top five at $14,200; Top 10, $11,625; Top 20 $9,592; Top 50 $6,871; and the top 100 averaged $5,100. The loose horse market made magic - in part due to the wild demand for the ride horse prospects - the top selling horse on the loose brought $2,800 followed by $1,950, $1,900, $1800, and $1,600. The demand drove the loose market higher all the way around and 430 head sold in rapid fire fashion where the top 5 averaged $2,010, top 10 brought $1,722, top 20 averaged $1,442, top 50 brought $1,013 and the top 100 averaged a whopping $725. Here’s how that stacks up: last years top 100 loose averaged $494 - that’s $231 a head better on 100 head in 2009. Billings Livestock’s next
sale event includes the annual “August Catalog Sale”,
and “Montana Miniature and Pony Sale” Aug. 22-23.
A special reduction offering from Atwood Ranches, Orland, Calif.,
will headline the sale in addition to a special consignment from
Victory Farms, Ada, Ola. To enter, consign or request a catalog, contact Bill or Jann Parker, BLS Horse Sale Managers at 406-245-4151 or see it all at www.billingslivestock.com. FASIG-TIPTON JULY SALE OF SELECT YEARLINGS AVERAGES $77,716 FOR $55,000 MEDIAN July
24, 2009 – Lexington, Ky. Although the sale rallied on the second day with the sale of a Medaglia d’Oro filly for $425,000, the sale saw 424 head offered with 268 selling – leaving 36.8 percent not selling. The horses selling grossed $20,828,000, down 26 percent from 2008’s $28,151,000 for a $77,716 average and $55,000 median. This was down 15.8 percent in the average and 26.7 percent in the median from 2008, when 498 horses were offered and 305 changed hands – 38.8 percent of those offered. According to an article in the Thoroughbred Times Today, commercial breeders were in a tough spot, having paid 2007 stud fees to sell into the depressed market of 2009. Also, pinhookers paid 2008 yearling prices and had to sell into the recessed market of 2009. According to Boyd Browning, Jr., most of the key yearling sales last year took place before there was much economic correction. “You have to be very realistic when you evaluate the results from year to year. The stock market’s downturn had an impact on most people’s financial positions and as a result it has eliminated a few people from playing in the game.” On the optimistic side, prior to the sale, Browning felt this may be a time for new faces or the re-emergence of some people who might have stepped back for awhile. THE COWBOY WAY TOP TWO HORSES AT BILLINGS SALE BRING $10,500 AND $10,000; TOP FIVE GELDINGS AVERAGE $8,150. June 11, 2009 -
Billings, MONT.
Geldings owned it from
start to finish as the annual “Best of the Remuda”
ranch horse competition showcased an outstanding set of using
horses at Billings Livestock’s “Cow Country Classic
Catalog Sale” May 23-24. The top two selling horses - both
ranch geldings - brought $10,500 and $10,000 respectively, the
top five geldings averaged $8,150.
May 20, 2009 -
Marietta, Okla. As manager of Polo Ranch in Marietta for more than 12 years, Reed was in charge of all the annual production sales, plus the ranch’s dispersal in 2008. Today, with partner Shane Wilson, Reed manages Polo Ranch Stallions which includes Gallo Del Cielo “Rooster,” Boonlight Dancer and Soula Jule Star, all standing at Reed’s new facility in Marietta. “After the Polo Ranch dispersal last fall,” Reed explains, “my time was freed up and I decided to do what I’ve wanted to do for some time — go out on my own. And, partnering with Shane on the Polo studs, means I have the time to take over full responsibility for putting on my own sale. "When I made this decision last November, it was very important to me to finish up with Ranchers and Breeders on a positive note, and we did just that. The last Ranchers and Breeders Sale this past March averaged $18,710 on the top 20 head, had Surely A Pepto as the high seller at $60,000 and an overall average of $4,360.” Hardy Murphy Coliseum in Ardmore, the venue that has served Ranchers and Breeders for many years, will also be the sale site for The Marketplace at Ardmore. Auctioneers will be Don Green and Steve Friskup. And, like Ranchers and Breeders, Reed’s new sale will sell the performance horses as they work cattle. While many things about The Marketplace at Ardmore will be familiar, Reed plans to implement some things that will set the new sale apart, especially in the areas of marketing. Commenting on the new sale Reed says, “Even though July 15 is the official date to accept consignments, Dick and Brenda Pieper in Marietta have already committed 14 head as a special production sale offering, plus I have a good many additional consignments we will list in the first ad that comes out in July. “I’ve been in the horse auction business for more than 25 years, and know what I like to see happen at a sale both as a consignor and buyer; so, mainly, I just want The Marketplace at Ardmore to be the kind of sale I’d want to put a horse in or know I could buy from with confidence.” For more information, contact Susie Reed, 580-490-1103. ROPE HORSE WORLD TOP FIVE ROPE HORSES
AT BILLINGS AVERAGE $10,150
RANCHERS & BREEDERS SALE HINTS OF IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE SALE ECONOMY By Glory Ann Kurtz The sale featured 152 horses, with the top 10 averaging $18,710, the top 50, $8,020 and the overall average was $4,338. With 78 percent of the consigned horses changing hands, reining horse sires seemed to be in the greatest demand, as the three top-selling horses were stallions with reining earnings. The high-selling horse, Surely A Pepto, brought a $60,000 final bid from Jimmy Jack Biffle from Muenster, Texas. The 7-year-old red roan stallion by Peptoboonsmal out of Freckles O Lena by Doc O’Lena, was consigned by Sunrise Ranch and had over $13,330 in reining earnings. Biffle also paid $8,000 for a red roan 2-year-old filly sired by Surely A Pepto, which sold just prior to the stallion sold. “She was just a cute little filly that Jason Vanlandingham just led into the arena, and when she brought $8,000, we thought, ‘What the heck,’ “ said Reed. DA Jazzy Starlight, a 1999 sorrel stallion sired by Grays Starlight out of Jazzy Starlena by Doc O’Lena, was the second high seller, bringing a $31,500 final bid from a Mexican buyer. Consigned by Tom Mason’s TCM Equine Ventures, the stallion also had reining earnings. Mason also sold the third high seller, Playboys Sugar Daddy, a 1998 sorrel stallion sired by Freckles Playboy out of Miss Sugar Remedy by Doc’s Remedy. The buyer, from British Columbia, Canada, paid $22,000 for the stallion, who had over $8,800 in reining earnings. “When this guy from British Columbia said he wanted to buy a stallion, we let him talk to all the consignors,” said Reed, “and he ended up buying Tom Mason’s Playboy stud.” “The Smart Little Lena and Cat mares without records, have been selling all year at around $5,000,” said Reed, “but they brought $9,500 to $12,000 at this sale. Also cheaper broke geldings that would have brought $2,000 in the fall, brought $5,000.” “I had a good feeling all week about the sale,” said Reed, “because we had a whole lot of calls and you can usually get a feel (about the sale) from that. But you never know. And I didn’t worry because the weather was bad, I usually think that’s good because they’re not going to be out mowing their lawns; they’re going to come to the sale.” Reed also said that it probably helped when a cutting in Gainesville was cancelled due to the weather, freeing up more cutters to come to the sale. “I turned the heat on in the coliseum the night before so when they opened the doors, the people didn’t suffer. It cost us a little extra but it made it tolerable all day in the coliseum. The 33rd Semi-annual Ranchers Production Sale is scheduled for Nov. 7 at the Hardy Murphy Coliseum in Ardmore, Okla.
By Glory Ann Kurtz The Spring Select Sale, produced by Jared and Sarah Lesh and Bill Richardson, held Sunday, March 15, included the sale of 178 head of mostly cutting-bred horses, including a special offering of 14 horses, four breedings to Smart Little Lena and equipment consigned by the family of Bill Freeman. Although it was hard to tell which horses actually changed hands for the last-bid price, most individuals whom I talked with, felt the sale was a bright spot on the horizon of the slowing horse economy. But hot pedigrees seemed to be the key to the success of the sale – along with the huge crowd, which included several buyers from Venezuela. The highest-selling horse of the day was WSR Conchitas Cat, a 2002 daughter of High Brow Cat out of Conchita Gay Rebel by Doc Quixote, consigned by Wes Adams’ Western States Ranches, Dublin, Texas. With earnings of over $12,000, the mare’s sire is the No. 1 current leading cutting sire in the industry and the dam has earnings of $115,300 and offspring earnings over $109,230. The sale price was announced as $66,000. Adams also consigned Peppys Lil Wil, a 1994 stallion by Peppy San Badger out of Smart Little Nancy by Smart Little Lena, which was knocked off at $37,000. The four 2009 breedings to Smart Little Lena averaged $6,850, with the first one bringing $7,300 and the other three selling for $6,700. A total of five bred (or with foals at their sides) daughters of Smart Little Lena sold, with three being consigned by Bill Richardson. The highest sold for $14,000 (Smart Little Maxine, consigned by David Baleman, bred to Peptos Starfish by Peptoboonsmal) and the least expensive brought $6,000 (Smart Jesse Quixote, consigned by Bill Richardson, with a stud colt at side by Smooth As A Cat). Pedigree announcers were Tony
Langdon and Jason Jackson, Aubrey, Texas, while the auctioneers
were Col. Don Green, Roanoke, Ala., and Wade Shaw, Kaufman, Texas.
PROFESSIONAL AUCTION SERVICES TO MANAGE NRCHA SNAFFLE BIT FUTURITY SALES Feb.
26, 2009 - Byars, Okla. According to NRCHA President, Lyn Anderson, the uncertain economy in both the horse industry and the country in general precipitated the need to evaluate the NRCHA Futurity Sale management contract and put it out to bid. She noted, “We are very pleased and excited to have Professional Auction Services, Inc. agree to do our NRCHA Sales. Mike and Tim Jennings have a strong background in sales and all phases of the horse industry with an emphasis on customer service. The NRCHA is looking forward to a long and successful partnership with Professional Auction Services. We also thank Dave Hammond and Dave Hammond Auctions for all the hard work he and his company have put into the NRCHA Sales in the past.” Professional Auction Services was formed in 1978 by Mike and Tim Jennings and since then has managed over 240 auctions in sixteen states with sales of more than $165,000,000.00, drawing horses and buyers from all 50 states and 14 foreign countries.
BILLINGS LIVESTOCK SALE PRICES HOLD UP Dec. 29, 2008
- Billings, Mont. Mao Moon Creek Flash, 3, with consignor Ada Osteen, Miles City, Mont., who showed the handy gelding bridleless in the preview. He brought $3,200 from Lynn Simonson, Saco, Mont. Pretty mares popping with pedigree, ready-to-ride rope horses, and better broke geldings made the market at Billings Livestock's "Holiday Special" catalog sale Nov. 29-30. It was a very good sale, with all classes and all kinds of horses being strong and stronger than one month ago - and better than one year ago! A weekend total of 718 head of horses came to Billings Livestock with the top selling horse commanding $12,700. Ms Skeets Lil Peppy took home top-sale honors and the 2003 AQHA daughter of Skeets Peppy sold in foal to the reining superstar, Wimpys Little Step. Purchased by Shannon Gecse, Eckville, Alberta, Canada, the special package was consigned by KC Performance Horses, LLC, Bayfield, Colo. All over beautiful, Shine A Shine, a 1997 AQHA buckskin mare sired by Carol Rose's great Shining Spark was out of a daughter of Doc O Dynamite. Offered by Dana Russell, Acton, Mass., the mare had her Open Performance ROM, in addition to being a World Show qualifier in the Working Cowhorse. Jess and Lana Matt, Bridger, Mont., purchased the mare for $10,000. Rope horses saw strong demand as three out of the top 10 sellers proved their skills in the pre-sale previews, including Sign of Trouble, a 19999 APHA brown tobiano gelding by Cheyenne Sign. The rodeo-ready head horse was raised and owned by Paula Harris, Billings, Mont., trained and shown by Chris Witcher, and sold to Jeff Campbell, Cheyenne, Wyo., for $7,000. Rope horse No. 2 was Two Bar, a 2000 grade gray gelding offered by Tom Spencer, Drummond, Mont. The head horse/heel horse had been hauled and won on at jackpots and rodeos and sold to Kelly Baker, Belcourt, N.D. for $5,400. Sale statistics include a 93 percent completed sales percentage with only 49 head no-saled or passed out by the consignor. Averages include the top five at $8,880 compared to $7,560 in 2007; top 10 came in at $6,950 versus $6,270 last year; Top 20 brought $5,315 compared to $5,075 one-year-ago; Top 50 averaged $3,680 versus $3,655 in 2007, and the top 100 brought $2,710 compared to $2,671 one year ago. Loose horses gained momentum as the top five averaged $1,285, top 10 brought $1,148, top 20 at $944 - that's a $298 increase per horse over 2007; top 50 brought $626 compared to $466 one-year-ago, and the top 100 brought $472 versus $353 in 2007 - a $119 per head increase. Billings Livestock's next sale will be Jan. 24 and will feature the “Winter Special Catalog Sale” and regular monthly horse sale in addition to the “Cabin Fever” Tack Sale offering collectible and used tack. To receive a catalog or
consign to future BLS sale events, call Bill or Jann Parker, for
more information at 406-245-4151 or e-mail info@billingslivestock.com NCHA SEASONED CUTTING HORSE
SALE AVERAGES $24,164 ON 70 HEAD; MEDIAN $14,750 By Glory Ann Kurtz SELECT
SEASONED CUTTING HORSE SALE: The final horse that sold for over $100,000 was Soda Rey Bay, a 5-year-old gelding by Dual Rey out of Genuine Soda by Genuine Doc, bringing $125,000. The earner of $207,026 was consigned by Matt and Megan Miller, Poolville, Texas. INVITATIONAL YEARLING
SALE: IS THE KEENELAND SALE RELATED TO THE REINING AND CUTTING MARKET? KEENELAND NOVEMBER BREEDING STOCK SALE SHOWS ACROSS-THE-BOARD DECLINES By Glory Ann Kurtz “The sharp declines we’ve seen in this sale are not only the result of an industry adjustment, they are additionally owed to external market forces the likes of which we’ve never seen before,” said Geoffrey Russell, Keeneland’s director of sales, in the daily Thoroughbred Times Today, which is published on the web. “Globally there is a lack of liquidity, a lack of consumer confidence and a strong U.S. dollar. Those are dynamics we cannot control. They are affecting the conduct of business at every level and in every corner of the world, and the Thoroughbred industry is not immune. The consequences will be significant for everyone in the Thoroughbred industry, including Keeneland.” With 3.6 percent fewer horses offered (4,188 to 2007’s 4,343), 10.7 percent fewer changed hands (3,019 to 2007’s 3,381) and 27.9 percent were unsold, compared to 22.2 percent in 2007. The gross plummeted 45.6 percent from $340,877,200 in 2007 to $185,552,300 in 2008. The average of $61,462 was 39 percent lower than 2007’s $100,821 and the median of $20,000 was down a whopping 42.9 percent from 2007’s $35,000. On an upbeat, Russell said, “The market continued to receive support though at a different level. Quality individuals sold well and were difficult to buy. And there was strong participation from a diverse group of domestic and international buyers.” The results of the Keeneland sale are enough to send chills down the spines of consignors to the three sales held during the National Reining Horse Association Futurity scheduled in Oklahoma City, Nov. 27-Dec. 6. The sales include a Breeders Showcase Select Sale, Dec. 4, with 121 entries (118 in 2007), the Market Place Sale, Dec. 5, with 176 entries (181 in 2007) and the Futurity Prospect Sale, Dec. 6, with 85 entries (73 in 2007) for a total of 382 – 10 more than the 372 offered in 2007. Reining is a very popular
event in Europe and South America, with big-pocketed foreign buyers
usually swarming into Oklahoma City for the 10-day event. Only
time will tell whether or not the current financial crisis will
affect that market – as well as the upcoming NCHA Futurity
sale market. The NCHA Futurity sales will be held during eight
days, Dec. 6-14, and will include 1,530 consigned horses, close
to 280 more than the over 1,250 consigned in 2007. POLO RANCH SALE PROVES TO BE THE SALE OF THE DECADE 121 HEAD NET CLOSE TO $2.6 MILLION; HIGH SELLER $155,000 By Glory Ann Kurtz Ringman Bob Franke was kept busy taking bids during the highly successful Polo Ranch Dispersal Sale.
It was the dispersal sale of the decade – it was a “happening” in the cutting horse industry. It was the Polo Ranch Dispersal Sale held Friday, Oct. 17 at the Polo Ranch in Marietta, Okla. In fact, the sale was so successful that for much of the sale, the traders, who were looking for bargains, were sitting behind the podium with their arms crossed. I saw buyers from the East Coast, the West Coast and even Brazil. According to Polo Ranch Manager, Susie Reed, over 700 prospective buyers were fed lunch. A total of 126 top-bred horses went under the gavel of Don Green and Harold Brown, with 121 changing hands for $2,595,000 and averaging $21,446 for a median of $14,500. The high selling horse, bringing $155,000, was a 3-in-1 package including Katz, a 1995 daughter of High Brow Cat out of Sugar Tend by Son O Sugar, with a red roan colt by Boonlight Dancer at her side and bred back to the red roan stallion. Katz is the earner of $93,496 and has already produced offspring which have earned over $303,000 – including Aristo Katz, the earner of $270,162. She was purchased by Raymond Usher, Cheyenne, Wyo. The second high seller, bringing $115,000 from the Sunrise Ranch, Fayetteville, Ark., was Cat N Gail, a 1998 daughter of High Brow Cat out of Abigail Fletch by Jae Bar Fletch, bred to Boonlight Dancer. The mare has $56,240 in lifetime earnings and has produced offspring earning $112,841. BROODMARES: High Brow Cat and Grays Starlight broodmares were in demand, with six broodmares sired by High Brow Cat netted $449,000 for a $74,833 and eight Grays Starlight daughters netted $342,500 for a $42,813 average. Some of the broodmares were the best buys of the sale, with their offspring outselling the bred mare, sometimes with a foal at her side, by thousands of dollars. For example, Not Quite An Acre, a 1991 daughter of Bob Acre Doc out of doc Hickorys Gal by Doc's Hickory, bred to Boonlight Dancer, sold for $42,000. Her three foals, a yearling, 2-year-old and 3-year-old brought $130,000. Although the mare was a little arthritic, Susie Reed made the comment that she'd rather have the money in this broodmare than a 401K. In today’s economy, she was more than likely right! Another example was Crab Grass, a 1992 daughter of Smart Little Lena out of Sugar Bars Flicka by Sugar Bars, with $50,914 in lifetime earnings and offspring which had won $57,347. She had a colt at her side by Soula Jule Star and was bred back to Boonlight Dancer. The mare brought $38,500, while her three offspring netted $90,000. RIDING
HORSES: In fact, riding horses fared well, with 30 of them netting $603,450 for the second highest average of $20,115 and a $15,000 median. These figures include horses aged 2 and above, no broodmares and also did not count the one turn-back horse. The second high-selling riding horse was Third Cutting, a well-put-together, sorrel, 3-year-old son of Boonlight Dancer out of Crab Grass by Smart Little Lena which brought a $46,000 final bid from Donnie Sparks. Bringing $37,000 from Danny Wood was Boonlights Viper, a 3-year-old, red-roan daughter of Boonlight Dancer out of Starlights Viper by Grays Starlight, which was paid in full in the NCHA Futurity. YEARLINGS: The second high-selling yearling was Soulas Gem, a sorrel son of Soula Jule Star out of CD Precious ($64,426) Gem by CD Olena, selling to Debbie Branch for $24,000. In fact three Soula Jule Star yearlings sold for $50,500, averaging $16,833. Six Gallo Del Cielo yearlings brought $78,700, averaging $13,117 and 24 Boonlight Dancer yearlings netted $206,850 for an $8,274 average. The Boonlight Dancer yearlings were outstanding conformation-wise, with most of them being red roans. Almost all of the horses were either sired by, in foal to, or had foals at their side by the ranch’s three stallions: Boonlight Dancer, Gallo Del Cielo, Grays Starlight (deceased) and Soula Jule Star, co-owned with Sandy Bonelli’s Heart Ranch. The stallions did not sell and will remain the property of Polo Ranch, standing during the 2009 breeding season under the management of Susie Reed and Shane Wilson, who have managed the ranch for owner Joe Schuchert over the last decade. Susie and Shane will be breeding mares through the shipment of cooled semen only. Stud fees will be $3,500 for Boonlight Dancer, $2,500 plus $250 chute fee for Soula Jule Star and $5,000 for Gallo Del Cielo “Rooster.” BUYERS: The Sunrise Ranch purchased four head for $238,500, averaging $59,625 per horse. But the volume buyer was Travis Cummings, purchasing seven head for $105,300 for a $15,043 average. Cummings is not listed in the NCHA membership directory. Several buyers were from south of the border – at least 15 that I could recognize by their names. As much as I hate to see this upstanding ranch leaving the cutting horse industry, I would be remiss if I didn’t congratulate Susie Reed for doing such a great job assembling this horse program, marketing the stallions and their offspring, having the ability to hold the value of the Polo Ranch horses together through a smart breeding program, and putting this highly successful sale together. Also, trainers James Payne and Wayne Czisney will be training horses for the general public in the future, with Wayne training out of the Polo Ranch training facility until it is sold. If you are looking for a trainer, you can reach Wayne at 580-276-1081. Click below for Excel charts
regarding the different divisions of the horses that sold. KEENELAND DAY ONE YEARLING SALE SHOWS DOWNWARD MARKET TREND Sept. 9, 2008
– Lexington, Ky. With fewer horses offered and sold, gross receipts dropped 16.8 percent, from $67,395,000 to $66,047,000 while the average on horses sold dropped 7.7 percent, from $394,123 to $363,942. The buy-back rate was 29.0 percent, up from 24 percent in 2007. According to an article in the Thoroughbred time, the downturn was at the top of the market as the number of seven-figure purchases declined from 11 during last year’s first session, to five on Monday. The highest price so far is $3.1 million purchased on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum. The Sheikh was less of a factor than a year ago, buying nine head for $8,825,000 compared to 13 last year for $13,190,000. Meanwhile, an A.P. Lindy colt out of 2002 Horse of the Year Azeri failed to meet his reserve on a final bid of $7.7 million – the highest buy-back price in public auction history. How the Keeneland Yearling
sale will relate to the NCHA Futurity sales coming up in December
is anyone’s guess. However, traditionally, the cutting horse
market follows the Thoroughbred market. ENTRIES FOR NCHA FUTURITY SALES HORSES DUE OCT. 10; SEPT 1 FOR CHATTER ADVERTISING FEES RANGE FROM $450 TO $1,100 ENTRY FEE AND REPURCHASE FEE By Glory Ann Kurtz Also included will be a Horsemen For Christ Stallion Service Auction on Friday, Dec. 12 at 9 a.m. and a Super Stallion weekend, with stallions being paraded on two days – Saturday, Dec. 13 and Sunday, Dec. 14. A “cutters’ breakfast” will be held those final two days. Entries are due Oct. 10 to be listed in the sale catalog for all of the sales and include a $450 consignment fee and $450 repurchase fee or 8 percent commission on the sale price for the NCHA Mid-Futurity sale sessions held Dec. 6-7. All the rest of the sales have an $1,100 entry fee and $1,100 repurchase fee or 8% commission on the sale price. All sessions using cattle will be charged a $115 fee for three head. Several sales are “acceptance sales,” including the Western Bloodstock Invitational Yearling Sale held Dec. 9, the Preferred Breeders Sales held Dec. 9-Dec. 12 and the new NCHA Futurity Sale of 2-Year-Olds by Select Sires held Dec. 13-14. Other 2-year-olds can be consigned to the Mid-Futurity Sale sessions held Dec. 6-7. For the schedule of the sales, go to the following link: Click here for schedule of sales>> For the consignment contract for the NCHA Mid-Futurity sessions, the Select Seasoned Cutting Horse Sale and the Preferred Breeders Sale Sessions, go to the following link: Click here for regular sale contract>> For the consignment contract for the NCHA Futurity Sale of 2-Year-Olds by Select Sires, go to the following link: Click here for 2-Year-Old contract>> FASIG-TIPTON SALE IS RECORD BREAKING HIGH BUY-BACK RATE DAMPENS RESULTS Aug. 11, 2008
- Saratoga, NY The sale offered 190 head, down from the 193 in 2007. A total of 100 sold, which was down 11.5 percent from the 113 tht sold in 2007. However, the average was $54,390, up 5.4 percent from the $51,606 in 2007 - and breaking the $52,421 recod setin 2006. The median of $45,000 tyed the record hit in 2005 and was up 18.4 percent from the 2007 $38,000 median. Buy-backs were up to 47.4 percent from last year's 41.5 percent. According to an article in Thoroughbred Times Today, Fasig-Tipton Executive Vice President Boyd T. Browning Jr., said, "There is a lot of demand for the quality horses. And below what the buyers perceive as quality horsews, it's very difficult. GOOD & BETTER AT THE BILLINGS SALE TOP FIVE AVERAGE $15,600 Aug. 4, 2008 - Billings,
Mont. Dixie Dunnit Good, a 2004 AQHA Buckskin mare by Hollywood Dun It and out of a daughter of Smart Chic Olena claimed top sale honors selling for $23,000. Blue-chip professionals - reiners, cutters, ropers, and cowhorses - including high-gloss breeding stock and arena horses with performance plus - energized the market at Billings Livestock Commission’s “Mid-Summer Special” catalog sale July 26-27. A better market for a better horse continues as buyers scramble for the finished product - the ready-to-ride kind with a solid education in their chosen field. Numbers for the big summer weekend in Billings include 417 individual registered buyers, 901 head of horses, 35 roping steers, and a 90-percent completed sales percentage. High selling competition reining horse brought $23,000, top selling “hauled and won on” rope horse commanded $12,500, and the high selling ranch broke, honest using gelding fetched $7,600. The July sale event featured cutters and cowhorses, and the top 20 sellers list swelled with sons and daughters of Hollywood Dun It, Smart Chic Olena, Doc O’Lena, Smart Little Lena, Smart Sugar Badger, Doc’s Hickory, CD Olena, Gallo Del Cielo, and Tejons Lena Nic - and packed an average sale price of $8,690. Done it good she did, and Dixie Dunnit Good, a 2004 AQHA Buckskin mare by Hollywood Dun It and out of a daughter of Smart Chic Olena claimed top sale honors selling for $23,000. Offered by American West Reiners, Scottsdale, Ariz., the nifty little number sold to Donna Reid, Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada. Reserve sale honors went to mart Chicago Lena, a 2003 AQHA Sorrel mare by Smart Chic Olena and out of a daughter of Hollywood Jac 86. Also consigned by American West Reiners, Scottsdale, Ariz., the finished reiner was purchased by Bud Fay, Gillette, Wyo., for $19,000. Big, blue, and a rope horse, too, Mr Blue Peppy, a 2000 AQHA Blue Roan gelding by Mr San Cuatro was a rodeo caliber head, heel, or breakaway horse bonused with gentle. Owned and shown by Tyler Morgan, Prosser, Wash, and selling for $12,500 to Karen Stepp, Boulder, Wyo., the good gelding had been hauled to ACTRA and USTRC ropings and had seen plenty of ranch use. Products of their first-class breeding program, and packing an average selling price of $2,500, an extra nice set of yearlings were offered by the Coeur D Alene, Idaho-based Black Rock Ranch. Sale averages remained strong as the top five brought $15,600; top 10 averaged $11,600; top 20 at $8,690; Top 50 brought $5,738, while the top 100 head sold averaged $4,093. A well-attended loose horse trade rocks on strong at Billings Livestock where 350 head were offered as is, where is and the top five averaged $1,035, top ten $915, top 20 at $808, top 50 averaged $617, and the top 100 brought $494. Billings Livestock’s next sale event includes the annual “August Catalog Sale”, and “Montana Miniature and Pony Sale” Aug. 23-24. A special reduction offering from Atwood Ranches, Orland, Calif., will headline the sale. An open, 4-D barrel race with $300 added will kick off the weekend’s activities on Friday evening, Aug. 22 in the BLS Arena. Sale horses are encouraged to compete and enter with a $100 bonus awarded to the sale horse clocking the fastest time. To enter, consign or request a catalog, contact Bill or Jann Parker, BLS Horse Sale Managers at 406-245-4151 or see it all at www.billingslivestock.com SLUGGISH ECONOMY AFFECTS FASIG TIPTON SELECT YEARLING SALE HOW WILL THIS RELATED TO THE UPCOMING DERBY SALES? By Glory Ann Kurtz The 2008 Summer Spectacular Sales feature 270 head selling over two days – Aug. 1-2. A total of 136 seasoned cutting horses and prospects selling on cattle will show on Friday, Aug. 1 in the Watt arena, while 134 broodmares, yearlings and weanlings will sell on Saturday, Aug. 2 in the John Justin Sale Arena. These figures are substantially down from 2007 when a total of 435 head were offered. In fact, consignments are down 62 percent. This coincides with other nation-wide reports that well-known sales which have been in business for years are cancelling their sales due to a lack of consignments. This includes Mid-America Sales Fall Consignment Sale held in Missouri, the Clovis, N.M. Livestock Auction, which cancelled its June sale, and National Equine Sales, Springfield, Ohio, which historically has five sales a year, paring them down to one this year. With fall coming on and the reduction sales held by various ranches across the country coming up, probably the first of these sales was the Fort Ranch Sale, held June 21 in Promontory, Utah, which held their annual sale of weanlings. The word from attendees at the sale was that the average was down somewhat – but not drastically. During the month of August, there are over 15 ranch production sales scheduled to be held in the Midwest, including North and South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Wyoming. Most of these sales feature weanlings raised by the ranches. Also the Atwood Ranch will be holding a production sale on Aug. 23. The Polo Ranch Dispersal Sale will be held Oct. 16-17; however, dispersal sales of high-end horses usually "break the bank." The Lexington Sale of Select Yearlings was the first major sale held since it was purchased in April by Synergy Investments of Dubai. However, the management remained the same; therefore, the economic outlook was obviously what changed. Fastig-Tipton president Walt Robertson said the top-end sales were similar to last year, but horses in the $20,000 to the $40,000 range were selling for less – or not at all. A total of 44 percent of all yearlings cataloged on the first day of the sale did not meet the reserve. Premier horses seemed to get a lot of action; however one consignor said that “anything average or below that, there’s not much there. People have become sophisticated in the kind of horses they’re buying,” said Robertson. John Fort, the buyer of the top-selling yearling for $375,000, said it all in an article about the sale on Yahoo Sports written by Jeffrey McMurray, an Associated Press writer. “I’ve always felt if you could own a racehorse, you should be immune to little glitches in the economy. People sort of on the edge in an economy fluctuating up or down shouldn’t be putting their money in racehorses.” Will the same results be seen in the Summer Spectacular cutting horse sales? We’ll soon know.
BARREL HORSE CLAIMS TOP SPOT FOR SECOND STRAIGHT MONTH AT BILLINGS SALE July 8, 208 - Billings, Mont. For the second straight month
and the third sale this year, a barrel horse has claimed the No.
1 selling position of the weekend at the Billings Livestock Special
Catalog Sale held June 28-29. Wearing the signature black color stamped by his $3 million dollar sire “Dash For Perks,” Pistol Pete Perks was out of a 1-D daughter of Jet’s Pay Day and came hauled and winning at jackpots and rodeos. Offered by Kylan Campbell, Harrison, Ark., the quality gelding brought $11,000 from Jeff Link, Billings, Mont. Good geldings aplenty, the finished,
fit, and fancy kind led the charge at the sale, with a jumbo selection
of 993 head of horses, 430 plus buyers, and 35 roping steers headed
to the Big Sky for the two-day summer supersale - and, hear the
news - in all divisions, all classes - sale averages held steady
or beat the final figures from one year ago. Buckskins ruled supreme
as a special session of buckskins crowned the June event with
the top selling buckskin bringing $8,000 and the top five wearing
the butterscotch tint averaging $6,740. NRHA DERBY SALE AVERAGES $4,130 ON 44 HEAD HIGH SELLER BRINGS $22,000 By Glory Ann Kurtz The high seller was Bunny Smart Chic, a 1992 daughter of Smart Chic Olena out of Bunny Tari by Doc Tari, consigned by The Right Ones and bringing a $22,000 final bid from Leopoldo Riano Diaz. The second high-seller was Litanic, a 1998 daughter of Reminic out of Colonelita by Colonel Freckles, selling for $12,500. Consigned by Debbie Hubbert and Garth Brown, the mare sold to Sergio Elia. Also, Rooster Sunday, a
2004 bay stallion by Gallo Del Cielo out of Doc O Mia by Doc O’Lena,
consigned by the Dan Hirsch Ranche, brought a $10,500 bid from
Mark Lundberg. Lundberg also purchased BR Whiz In Town, a 2005
chestnut gelding by West Coast Whiz out of Holly Tinseltown by
Primary Pine for $10,000. The gelding was consigned by Brian and
Elaine Brown. BRAND NEW DUALLY TOPS POLLY HOLLAR SALE By Glory Ann Kurtz The 1994 gelding, which had over $147,759 in lifetime cutting earnings, is sired by Dual Pep and out of Miss Sabrina Lena by Doc O’Lena. Although buyers were not provided, the gelding was consigned by William Lambright, Houston, Texas. He was bred by Bobby Pidgeon’s Dogwood Farms, Germantown, Tenn., and owned by the Bar H Ranche, Weatherford, Texas. As a 4-year-old, he was sold to Tommy Manion, Inc., Aubrey, Texas and as a 5-year-old, he was owned by Miles Elliott, Estill, S.C. The bay gelding has been ridden in Open, Non-Pro and Amateur competition, with his largest paycheck of $17,193 coming from a fourth-place tie in the 1999 NCHA Open Classic/Challenge. The second highest-selling horse was Travalenas Rey Jay, a 2006 sorrel mare consigned by Mark Hollar, selling for $12,000. Third was Leoetta Ichi, a 2006 red dun mare, consigned by Angela Montalbano, bringing $10,500. Fourth was Mecoms Blue Diamond, a 2005 bay roan mare consigned by the Wichita Ranch, which brought $10,000. Following are full sale results: POLLY HOLLAR'S
5TH ANNUAL BLUEBONNET COUNTRY HORSE SALE RESULTS NEWS FROM THE RACE SALES KEENELAND APRIL 2-YEAR-OLD SALE UP INAVERAGE; MEDIAN DOWN FROM 2007 April 16, 2008
– Lexington, Ky. According to an article in the Thoroughbred Times, the high prices for Storm Cat offspring are fueled by the report that leading sire Storm Cat is dealing with fertility problems related to old age. SYNERGY INVESTMENTS
ACQUIRES FASIG-TIPTON SALE CO Al Habbai is a close associate of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai and owner of Godolphin Racing and the global Darley breeding operation. Fasig-Tipton is North America’s oldest Thoroughbred auctions and conducts auctions in Lexington, Saratoga Springs, New York, Timonium, Md., Miami and Grand Prairie, Texas. WESTERN BLOODSTOCK PLANNING FOUR SESSIONS OF 2-YEAR-OLDS BY SELECT SIRES DURING NCHA FUTURITY SALES April 6, 2008
– Fort Worth, Texas All 2-year-olds consigned must be nominated to the 2009 NCHA Futurity and must be sired by an NCHA Top 100 All-Time Leading Sire, an NCHA Top 50 current leading sire as of Sept. 1, 2008 or an NCHA earner of $100,000. Videos to be used for promotional purposes only must be submitted to Western Bloodstock by Oct. 31. If you don’t have a 2-year-old
with the above qualifications, Western Bloodstock has advertised
that they will consider exceptional applicants by non-qualifying
sires for the sales if you submit a video for inspection by Oct.
10. CALIFORNIA AND FLORIDA PROPOSALS WOULD FOLLOW KENTUCKY IN DISALLOWING DUAL AGENCY IN HORSE DEALINGS RESULTS OF PASSED BILLS COULD AFFECT PERFORMANCE HORSE SALES IF OTHER STATES FOLLOW SUIT
Jan. 26, 2007 Even though these proposals and bills were brought on by the Thoroughbred industry, they simply address “horse sales,” and in the future could affect all horse sales across the United States – even cutting, reining and cow horse sales, if Texas, Oklahoma and other states follow suit. The Kentucky bill was sponsored by Denver Butler, chairman of the House Licensing and Occupations Committee, which heard testimony from Jess Jackson, a wealthy businessman who owns the majority of Curlin, the Horse of the Year. Jackson was involved in a high-profile lawsuit against two agents and a trainer he said defrauded him by accepting undisclosed commissions from horse sellers. Jackson said it happened to him 38 times in 20 months. In September 2007, the suit was settled when Jackson received a $3.5 million settlement. Now the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is seeking to ban dual agency in the horse business and will require a written receipt for all horse sales, under the terms of a proposed law. Also, following suit, the Thoroughbred Owners of California (TOC) are calling for full disclosure of medical and ownership information of horses at auction - and the licensing of bloodstock agents and consignors. Both of these proposals would demand transparency in horse dealings and eliminate dual agency at horse sales. In other words, agents would no longer be able to collect commissions from both sellers and buyers. According to articles in the Thoroughbred Times, House Bill 1427, which was passed in June 2007, ordered the Florida state agency to adopt rules to prevent “unfair and deceptive practices at horse sales.” The movement originated with Florida owner and breeder Earle Mack, but the final proposal fell far short of what Mack and some others had pushed for, including disclosure of ownership and medical information of horses at auction. However, the proposal must go through a public comment period and could still change. Mack issued a press release on Friday, calling it a good first step. Mack said. “There are several additional issues of great importance that will also need to be addressed. These areas were specifically recognized by the Florida Legislature when it passed legislation requiring transparency in the purchase and sale of horses in Florida, and we will work with the agency on the next steps to ensure the goal of transparency.” The law would ban a person from representing more than one party in a transaction without prior knowledge and written consent from the purchaser and seller. Any compensation, fees, or gratuities of more than $500 must be disclosed in writing. The TOC, Mack, and Jess Jackson believe the Sales Integrity Task Force did not go far enough in its recommendations that the auction industry police itself through self-regulation, including a code of conduct for bloodstock agents and voluntary disclosure of medical and ownership information.
INTERNET AUCTION SITE OFFERS BUYING AND SELLING OF COW-BRED HORSES - PLUS MORE By Glory Ann Kurtz Jan. 22, 2008 The site is easy to navigate for both sellers and buyers. Horses and other items only cost a set price to sell – no commission. Due to a special arrangement with CowHorseSale.com and AllAboutCutting.com readers, the consignment fee will only be $50 from now through March. Simply use the discount code of “allaboutcutting2008” when you are asked during the consignment process. The only items charged a consignment fee are horses. Other items that can be consigned and purchased include saddles and tack, farm equipment and videos and books. CowHorseSale.com also holds production sales for large breeders and prospective buyers can check them out on the site. Also available, at no charge, are money-raising auctions held by equine-related clubs or associations to raise money for their club. Benefit auctions and stallion service auctions held by clubs or associations are also held free of charge by CowHorseSale.com. If your association or club is interested in holding such an auction, contact admin@cowhorsesale.com. CowHorseSale.com was created and is owned by a disabled United States veteran who is an NCHA Amateur rider. He has built or consulted on web sites for several world champion horses as well as several multi-million dollar companies. He has worked on or consulted on internet projects for such companies as Coca Cola, Boeing, Cessna, Slimfast, Flexall 454, Athletic Attic and others. Simply click on the CowHorseSale.com
logo on this site or go to www.CowHorseSale.com.
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that the industry, as well as the entire economy of the country,
was going through tough times; however, from the prices garnered
at the sale, it was still more profitable to raise colts than
operate a cow-calf operation.
