Firm facts of a powerful market is evidenced by the 5% pass out rate for the weekend - out of 570 head of horses offered, all kinds and classes, from the top to the bottom, only 32 were passed out or "no saled" by the consignor.

They came for the real thing - and backed by Billings Livstock’s soundness guarantee - and gettin’ around geldings glimmered in cowtown where a blistering gelding market saw the top selling gelding of the day bring $8,000, followed by $7,400, and $7,000.

From the mountains to the plains, folks came to gather them under the Big Sky as the two-day sale spree welcomed over 400 buyers who took horses to new homes in 17 states and Canada.

Outfitters, guides, and guest horses were the month’s sale feature with gentle, user friendly, ranch, ride, and recretation horses aplenty - and depending on quality - had final price tags from $800 to $2,500.

Saddle horses, rope horses, and cutting horses previewed on cattle and under blue skies prior to the sale allowing buyers and sellers alike an honest opportunity to view and show the consignments.

He’s a pretty boy and he packed the famous Scott Ranch brand and all the genetics that come with it, and Hip 155 "Hickory Merada Peppy" a 99 AQHA Bay stallion by Paddys Irish Whiskey and out of Miss Hickory Merada x Freckles Merada was a finished reiner ready to go show.

Courteous and respectful, the very balanced stallion was in training with Ann Salmon, Aubrey, TX.

Purchased for $17,000, he headed to South Dakota to compliment a first-class horse program and broodmare band, including daughters of Grays Starlight and Paddys Irish Whiskey, and will stand to a limited number of outside mares at Mike and Terri Karrells, Belvediere, SD.

Billings Livestock was proud to host the John and Lois Hill dispersion including get from their nationally ranked barrel horse sires "Cash in Your Bux" and "Vegas the Third".

The majority of the horses offered were eligible for seven barrel futurities including the NorthWest Breeders, 5-State, Bold Heart, SunRise, Valley Girls, Speed Horse, and Barrel Breeders Incentive in addition to the Hill’s Quarter Horse Incentive Program.

Hill’s offered 69 head from their program, including Hip 130 "Flyin To Vegas" a 96 AQHA Sorrel Mare by Flying Effort and out of their well-known, $50,000 barrel racing money earning mare "Acute".

In addition to being a finished barrel mare, "Flyin" was also started heading and heeling, had been ranch used, and sold for a final bid of $12,000 to Boehm Land and Livestock, Rudyard, MT, Aaron Boehm, who purchased the mare for his granddaughter, Whitney Kline, Great Falls, MT.

Earning the title of "quantity buyer", 7 Cattle Company, Lodge Grass, MT purchased six head from the Hill’s program.

A special mare, Hip 181 "Truely A Pandemar" a 93 AQHA Sorrel Mare x Pandemar, had been Lois’ personal using horse for the past five years.

Ridden in the barrel futurities by Bunny Bail, Camp Crook, SD the money-earning barrel horse had also been used extensively on the ranch and in the arena as a heading horse.

Tony Triplett, Burlington, WY purchased the exceptional mare for $7,250.

Hill’s horses claimed two out of the top five selling positions for March and sold into seven states and Canada.

Big, roan and ranchy - Hip 53 "Rich Roan Fool" a 98 AQHA Blue Roan gelding offered by Mike Landers, Miles City, MT had seen steady employment calving over 1,000 first calf heifers in the past three years.

The solid, ultra-gelding was sired by Smokeys Fool and out of a High Rolling Roany daughter, and sold for $6,250 to Charles Jerviss, Oak View, CA.

The goods on the geldings included the top five averaging $7,130, and the top ten coming in at $6,175.

Again, a "something for everyone" gelding market pushed by quality, pedigree, and education, ran the entire spectrum of the market from a low of $1,200 to an $8,000 high.

A tiger-by-the-tail loose horse trade saw 183 offered as is, where is, with the top loose horse cashing in at $2,450, followed by $1,750.

Calculating the loose horse averages, the top five came in at $1,490, top ten at $1,216, top 20 at $1012., top 50 at $776, and the top 100 - that’s 54% - averaging $590.

Across the board, complete sale averages, including all catalog entries, figured the top five at $10,330, followed by the top ten at $8,390, top 20 at $6,627, top 50 at $4,670, and the top 100 head averaging $3,548.

Sale-goers were treated to four Native American dancers from the Montana Mavericks 4-H Club from the Northern Cheyenne Reservation who performed Native American dances as part of their cultural Cheyenne tradition.

Billings Livestock’s next sale event is set for April 26 - 27 and will feature the fifth annual "Rope Horse Special" catalog sale and regular monthly horse sale.

A jackpot team roping - open only to sale horses - will kick off the weekend’s activities on Friday, April 25, where buyers and sellers alike will have the opportunity to watch the rope horses under competition circumstances.

All classes of horses will sell including mares, stallions, finished horses, prospects, and young stock. Cattle will be available to show the cutting horses, calf horses, and rope horses. Catalog deadline is April 5, with a supplement printed for later entries.

See it all at www.billingslivestock.com or contact Bill and Jann Parker, BLS Horse Sale Managers at 406-245-4151.