Annual "February Catalog Sale" featuring "Sons and Daughters of Champions and Money Earners"

Billings, MT - Bearing the King Ranch brands on every corner and belonging to an elite fraternity - a direct son of the famous King Ranch sire "Peppy San Badger" - a 1988 AQHA bay stallion "Jettin Peppy" - smashed all previous sale records with a final bid of $29,000 at Billings Livestock Commission Company’s "February Catalog Sale" and regular monthly horse sale February 23 - 24.

Accented by a special sale session of "Sons and Daughters" of AQHA Champions and Money Earners, the weekend’s selection offered sons and daughters of a "who’s who" in the horse business with a definite focus on genetics.

The two-day horse sale blitz welcomed a total of 554 head of horses selling to an overflowing crowd of buyers from 18 states and Canada.

It was "Little Peppys" front and center with three out of the top five sale positions bearing his famous bloodline - including daughters of Paddy’s Irish Whiskey and Haidas Little Pep.

Number one and looking every bit the part - Hip 141 "Jettin Peppy" was proof-positive why the "Little Peppys" pack the power - sensible, strong, and 100% cowhorse - while "Jettin Peppy’s" dam side - his mother is a granddaughter of both Jet Deck and Top Moon - provided the run, size and stretch.

Offered by Paul Reinert, Wynnewood, OK, the special stallion was purchased and will stand with Allen Munger, Borderview Ranch, Opheim, MT.

He’s a son of "Little Peppy" and a top-ten, all-time leading sire himself, and "Haidas Little Pep" has sired over $6 million in money earners and sired the number-two horse of the sale - "Haida Rositta" a 99 AQHA sorrel mare consigned by John Johnson, Brookings, SD.

The pretty mare with plenty of style was out of a producing daughter of Doc O’Lena - already the mother of $150,000 in money earners. The quiet, balanced filly sold to Warren Podany, Hilger, NE for $16,000.

Daughters of Doc’s Hickory and Doc’s Oak also claimed top sale positions with "Hickory Mia" a 97 AQHA Bay mare by Doc’s Hickory bringing $10,500. Offered by John Johnson, Brookings, SD, the stand-up mare sold to Rhett Searle, Vernal, UT.

"Oaks Jameen" a 97 AQHA sorrel mare by Doc’s Oak had been started on cattle and used on the ranch. Consigned by Marty McCormick, Weatherford, TX and purchased by Carla Conway, Decula, GA the attractive mare sold for $9,500.

Geldings with good credentials saw strong demand in a very potent gelding market where the top five geldings alone averaged $7,510. The honest, ready-to-haul geldings with documented money earnings - from roping, cutting, or barrel racing - were truly the stars of the show.

Affordability and value came in the prospect department, where the geldings "looking for work" brought from $1,000 to $2,500.

He raised him, showed him, and brought him to town and Woking, Alberta trainer Jim Meyaard consigned Hip 59 "Shellac’s Blackburn" a 94 AQHA Bay gelding by Shellac x Kitaman.

Purchased by Terry Logan, Belfield, ND the been-to-the-arena and ready-to-go back barrel horse brought $7,900.

A wild and wooly loose horse trade continued at Billings Livestock where the top selling loose horse rang the bell at $1,450.

Better than that, the top 50 horses selling on the loose averaged $800 - the top five brought $1,250, with the top ten coming in at $1,149.

Overall sale averages came in with the top five at $15,000; top ten brought $11,380; top twenty averaged $8,328; top 50 at $5,495; and the top 100 horses sold averaging $4,019.

Billings Livestock’s next sale event will be March 23 - 24 and will feature the "March Catalog Sale" featuring foundation-bred horses and the "Canadian Classic" - a special session of Canadian horses. Loose horses will sell Sunday at 9 a.m.

Contact Bill or Jann Parker, Billings Livestock Horse Sale Managers to consign or request a catalog at 406-245-4151 or see it all at www.billingslivestock.com