REAL Ranch Horse Invitational Sale

A very active and enthusiastic crowd of buyers met April 19 at the Yellowstone Boys & Girls Ranch, west of Billings, Montana, for the annual REAL Ranch Horse Invitational Sale.  Interest in guaranteed-to-be-authentic ranch-ridden horses just keeps increasing – as evidence, this eight annual REAL Sale continued to enjoy an ever-increasing average. The top five horses sold averaged $16,500; top ten $13,600; top twenty $11,000; and all ranch horses sold averaged $8,650. Additionally, a few young (and less experienced) ranch horses sold.  The top five young horses averaged $6,750; all the young ranch horses sold averaged $4,650. New to the sale this year was the exhibit and sale of a stock dog, consigned by Chris Hatch of Lovell, WY.  Diamond B Ranch of Maui, HI placed the winning bid at $1,450.

Also new to the sale this year was the presentation of two $750 \”Wanting to Make a Horse Hand\” scholarships.  Offered on behalf of the governing body of the sale, the Montana Ranch Horse Association, these scholarships are available to students pursuing equine studies.  Winning the 2014 scholarship competition open to high school seniors was Kristen Cerroni of Lovell, WY.  Winning the scholarship competition open to second-, third-, or fourth-year students was Bailey Remmich of Hinsdale, MT. Top selling horse results are as follows:

High-selling horse:  Lot 54 \”Rawhide Tari Bonkers,\” a 5-year-old AQHA sorrel gelding consigned by Josh Bilbrey of Bozeman, MT and purchased by Ethan Hall of Mandaree, ND for $27,000. Second high-selling horse:  Lot 10 \”Rawhide Rooster Te,\” a 7-year-old AQHA buckskin gelding consigned by Blaine Humble of Faith, SD and purchased by Ethan Hall for $16,000. Third high-selling horse:  Lot 11 \”Ace,\” an 11-year-old grade red roan gelding consigned by Quinn Larsen of Shell, WY and purchased by Dawn Calderwood of Billings for $15,000. Fourth high-selling horse:  Lot 56 \”Rawhide Stylish Dude,\” a 7-year-old AQHA gray gelding consigned by Nate & TJ Wald of Lodge Grass, MT and purchased by Diamond B Ranch of Maui, HI for $13,000. Fifth high-selling horse (tie):  Lot 16 \”Rawhide Zip Tip,\” a 4-year-old AQHA sorrel gelding also sold by Josh Bilbrey and purchased by Diamond B ranch for $11,500. Fifth high-selling horse (tie):  Lot 76 \”Captain Jack,\” an 8-year-old grade buckskin gelding consigned by Jared Gill of Lysite, WY and purchased by Ethan Hall for $11,500.  The top selling young ranch horse:  Lot 43 \”FQHR Swivel Watch,\” a 5-year-old AQHA bay roan gelding consigned by Charles Hall of Red Lodge, MT and purchased by Randy Stoner of Kilgore, NE for $7,500. Second high-selling young ranch horse:  Lot 58 \”Gumbo Sugar Nic,\” a 5-year-old AQHA bay roan gelding consigned by Matt Noyes of Big Horn, MT and also purchased by Randy Stoner, for $7,000. The final sale tally showed that horses sold to California; Colorado; Hawaii; Montana; North Dakota; Nebraska; Wyoming; and Alberta, CA.  Volume buyers included Diamond B Ranch of Maui, HI; Park Range Ranch of Walden, CO; Ethan Hall of Mandaree, ND; Michael Hooks of Red Lodge, MT; Taylor Brown (LO Bar Ranch) of Sand Springs, MT; and Randy Stoner of Kilgore, NE. Each year at the REAL Ranch Horse Invitational Sale a benefit colt is sold with 100% of the purchase price going to Yellowstone Boys & Girls Ranch.  This year the benefit colt, a 2-year-old AQHA red roan gelding, came from Froelich Quarter Horses of Selfridge, ND. The colt was purchased by Robert Model (Mooncrest Ranch) of Cody, WY for $2,400. Dates for next year\’s sale are April 17-18, 2015, and next year’s catalog is already filled with horses that are making lots of tracks this branding season.