Top seller barrel stallion comes to Canada

The noise was all about the working boys – the strong, solid kind that deliver day in and day out – and – professional, service oriented horses and mules enjoyed a big weekend at Billings Livestock Commission‘s “Spring Special Catalog Sale” March 27-28.

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% 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 Hip 409 “Roy” was good to catch, load, saddle, and shoe.

Mules came in all colors, kinds, and areas of expertise, with the top five mule average at $3,300 and the top ten at $2,620.

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 ten at $4,905, top 20 brought $4,097, top 50 came in at $3,293, and the top 100 averaged $2,730.

Double gentle and rides the same everyday, Hip 17 “Black Jack” a 2004 Grade black gelding offered by RMO Horses, Heber, UT brought $4,400 and went home with Bob and GayAnn Masolo,Townsend, MT.

Wildnerness Adventures, Powell, WY brought a stand-out assortment of mules and horses that had been used in their pack trips, dude rides, and hunting camps and included Hip 66 “Bones” a 2003 Grade Gray Quarter Draft gelding.

The gentle, trail and cowhorse sold to Mark Dunsley, Couer D’Alene, ID for $4,400.

Ray and Marjorie Beecher, Grass Range, MT 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, he top five averaged $1,920 compared to $1,210 in 2009, the top ten averaged $1632 versus $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, WY addressed the Sunday Sale crowd and updated the audience on the latest processing legislation. For more information 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.

Lots of cattle, lots of opportunities to watch the rope horses, including a jackpot team roping open only to sale horses set for Friday, April 23 in the BLS arena.

PRCA World Champion Team Roper, Bobby Harris, will be on-site Friday, 12 noon, prior to the jackpot, for an informal, free roping seminar which will touch on scoring, horse position, facing, stopping, and roping basics.

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.

Catalog closing date is April 5, with a supplement printed for later entries.