Canadians Add to High US Sales

An ambitious market brimming with enthusiasm and energy fueled sale averages to a four-year sale high in all classes, all divisions including blue-chip livestock at Billings Livestock’s expanded three day “February Special Catalog Sale” event February 24-26.

Headlined by an A-list set of quality horses, February’s special “Sons and Daughters” sale session delivered – offering money earners, champions, and real prospects by industry greats including Peptoboonsmal, Dash Ta Fame, and High Brow Cat.

The top ten selling horses – four stallions, one mare, and the balance geldings – averaged a cool $17,775.

A one-stop-shop for arena, performance, and powerhouse prospects, the supersized, three-day sale format hosted 787 head of horses, and came complete with an indoor demonstration of the barrel horses, cutters, saddle, ride, and reiners, and rope horses.

Best news of the weekend – all classes of horses saw significant market increases as optimism gains regarding domestic horse processing.

Pink, fancy, and offered by the man who raised her, Hip 308 “Peptos Cuttin Girl’ a 2006 AQHA Bay Roan Mare x Peptoboonsmal and out of a $60,000 NCHA money earning mare by CD O’lena, earned top sale honors with a final bid of $33,000.

Consigned by Joe Bishop, Steamboat Springs , CO and trained and shown by Robin Hayes, Orchard, CO, the finished cutting mare sold to Claudia Lummis, Cheyenne , WY .

Sired by the Number One sire of barrel horses, Dash Ta Fame – with offspring accumulating over $6.6 million in barrel racing earnings through the end of 2010- Hip 332 “THR Jusda Beda Fame” a 2009 AQHA Bay Gelding – was out of Poo Cheng, a barrel racing money earner, producer, and Beduino granddaughter.

Raised and offered by Two Hats Ranch, Tillamook , OR , the handsome, well started colt sold to NFR Qualifier Shelley Murphy, Helena , MT for $20,000.

Pekisko Ranch, Ltd, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada offered 19 head in their herd alignment offering including “Lil Pepto Pistol” a 2005 AQHA Gray stallion x Sweet Lil Pepto and out of the famous mare and $500,000 money earner, Miss Silver Pistol.

Brad Howe, Empress, Alberta bought the fancy stallion with the top shelf genetics for $23,000.

Good geldings with credible arena records were a sought after commodity as the weekend’s top two selling rodeo-ready rope horses brought $15,500 and $12,000.

In shape and ready to haul , Hip 398 “Tejons Peppy Tucker” a 2002 AQHA brown gelding x Tejons Peppy Doc was a 1D/2D barrel horse and first-class head horse consigned by Dean and Gina Welch, Cottonwood Equestrian, Silesia, MT.

Head steers or run barrels, the strong, all business gelding sold to Dayle Kountz, Bozeman , MT for $15,500.

Hitting a four year best across all classes, sale averages indicate an upgraded market as the top five averaged $23,300, top ten at $17,775, top 20 brought $13,200, top 50 averaged $9,146 – compared with $8,126 one year ago, and $7,242 in 2010; and the top 100 horses averaged $6,697, versus $5,797 last year.

A much improved loose horse market saw an all-time, BLS record price paid for a loose horse of $3,000, followed by $2,900 and $2,100.

Over 30 head of horses that sold loose brought $1,000 or more boosting the top five sale average to $2,410, top 10 at $2,110, top 20 at $1,757, top 50 to $1,235, and the top 100 at a $879 per head price tag.

In 2010, the top 100 loose averaged $518 while just one year ago they calculated at $606 – making the $879 figure for 2012 a whopping $279 per head increase – or total dollars of $27,900 on 100 head.

Billings Livestock’s next sale event will be the “Spring Special Catalog Sale” March 24-25 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, in addition to a big selection of mules.

An indoor preview of the barrel horses, cutters, saddle horses, and rope horses is scheduled for Friday, March 23 at 3 p.m

Loose horses sells on Sunday, March 25 at 9 a.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 www.billingslivestock.com