Undeterred by Mother Nature’s winter blast of snow and cooler temperatures, nearly 200 buyers registered for the day’s event where one-third of the entire sale - including loose and catalog horses - averaged $1,525.

Solid, from start to finish, only 9 horses were “passed out” or “no-saled” by the consignor, bringing the completed sales percentage to a new high of 96.6%.

Sale averages include the top five at $6,150, top ten at $4,315, the top 20 averaged $3,122, while the top 50 came in at $2,041.

Horses sold to Utah, Texas, Idaho, Washington, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Canada, Montana, and Wyoming.

Top sale honors went to Hip 71 “Smart Memory” an 88 AQHA Brown stallion sired by the $743,000 money earner and sire of $10 million in produce - Smart Little Lena - and out of the money earning and producing daughter of Jewel’s Leo Bar - Freckles Memory.

Standing 15 hands, the well balanced, strong stallion weighed in at 1100 lbs and came with $5,700 in NCHA earnings in addition to his Certificate of Ability and ACHA money won of $2,000.

The genetic powerhouse brought $15,500 and sold to Bill Leingang, Leingang Paint and Quarter Horses, Bismarck, ND.

Big and buckskin, the day’s high selling gelding was Hip 7 “Im Not A Blue Moon” a 2000 AQHA Buckskin gelding x Deck Blue Moon offered by Leslee Ragan, Wellfleet, NE.

Used to sort cattle and as a turn back horse, the gentle, pretty gelding brought $6,000 and sold to Rattlesnake Ranch, Crockett, TX.

A sale highlight included a special offering of veteran dude and kid horses from Sombrero Ranches, Boulder, CO. With 1,600 head of horses, Sombrero is the nation’s largest horse ranch, leasing horses to stables, camps, and hunters in ten western states.

John Bubel, Center, ND offered seven head from his breeding program including Hip 72 “Foxy Bully” a 2003 AQHA Bay mare x Bully Bullion and out of a Blurr The Bux daughter. The fancy, speed-bred filly brought $2,500 and sold to Kylan Campbell, Jasper, AR.

Drew and Judy Hutchinson, Hay Creek Quarter Horses, Alladin, Wy brought 15 head from their program including Hip 89 “Some Classy Tramp” a 2001 AQHA Red Roan mare x Amegos Temptation. The mare with 45 days riding sold to Stacey Lake, Delta, UT for $2,000.

Loose horses stayed strong where the top loose horse of the day brought $1,300. The top five loose averaged $970, top ten at $889, top 20 averaged $786, while the top 50 brought $578.

January 22 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, BLS Horse Sale Managers, for more information at 406-245-4151 or e-mail info@billingslivestock.com