They packed prominent performance and produce records, and an impressive collection of celebrity stallions rocked the house at Billings Livestock Commission’s “February Special Catalog Sale” February 23-25.

Highlighted by a special session of “Sons and Daughters” of AQHA Champions and money earners, the top ten selling horses - six stallions, two mares, and one gelding - averaged $24,800 and read like a who’s who in the performance horse industry - including sons of Frenchman’s Guy, Smart Little Lena, Peppy San Badger, Doc O’lena, High Brow Cat, and Dual Rey, complimented by daughters of Grays Starlight and Smart Chic O’lena.

The supersized, three-day sale format, complete with an indoor demonstration of the barrel horses, cutters, saddle horses, calf horses, and team roping horses - hosted a keen buyer base from across the country as horses sold to 21 states and two Canadian provinces.

A solid 89 percent of all horses offered - sold - with only 86 of the 731 head consigned “no-saled” or passed out by the consignor.

Owned, shown, and promoted by North Star Ranch, LaVeta, CO, Hip 326 “Little Blue Lynx” a 94 AQHA Bay stallion by Smart Little Lena and out of Blue Lynx x Docs Lynx topped the charts with a $35,000 price tag.

He’d earned $32,930 NCHA, came with 15.5 AQHA performance points, and sired nearly $40,000 in money earners to date, and the prime-age, show-business stallion sold to Mike Gentry, Versailles, KY.

Dressed in the tell-tale bright palomino color and bred to be a winner, Hip 319 “Frenchmans Mercedes” a 1999 AQHA stallion sired by Frenchman’s Guy - the sire of nearly two million dollars to date in progeny earnings - and out of a three-times Badlands Circuit champion mare, Iris Skoal Sister - commanded $33,000.

Run barrels, poles, rope calves, or have you a snappy heel horse, the special yellow package was purchased by Charles Decher, Oelwein, IA.

He’s one-of-a-kind, and the day’s top selling gelding Hip 364 “Luther Rey” a 99 AQHA Chestnut x Dual Rey brought $27,500.

Offered by Browne’s Bar XL Ranch, Wilberton, OK, and originally trained by Lloyd Cox, the gelding with the unique style and $28,000 in earnings sold to Joe Archuleta, Billings, MT.

Mares made news as the top five selling mares averaged $17,200 and included daughters of Smart Chic O’lena, Topsail Whiz, Doc’s Stylish Oak, and bonused by two daughters of Grays Starlight.

Hip 398 “ImA Topsail Too” a 1998 AQHA Bay mare x Topsail Whiz came consigned by Dana Russel, Acton, Massachusetts. An NRHA money earner, and in foal to Lenas Telesis, the good mare was purchased by Mike Cutler, Stratford, SD.

An extremely motivated gelding market saw big-time demand for the “real-deal” ropers, cutters, and ranch horses - and pushed the top five average on the geldings - Luther Rey excluded - to $12,140 each.

A blistering Billings Livestock loose horse trade saw the best loose horse market in months where the top loose horse fetched $2,050 and the top five averaged $1,545.

Despite the continued temporary closure of the two Texas processing plants, February’s pressure on this segment of the market at BLS went unnoticed - the top ten averaged $1,322, top 20 averaged $1,076, top 50 brought $801, and the top 100 head of horses selling as is, where is, how is - averaged $626.

Billings Livestock’s next sale event will be the “Spring Special Catalog Sale” March 24 - 25 and will feature the annual “Outfitters, Guides, Guest and Dude Ranch” offering in addition to a special session of “Roans Only”. All classes of horses will sell.

An indoor preview of the barrel horses, cutters, saddle horses, and rope horses is scheduled for Friday, March 23 at 1 p.m.