Reds, Blues, and Grays - Focus on Foundation

Billings, MT - Roans and grays ruled the roost and real using horses met with strong demand at Billings Livestock Commission Company’s March 23 - 24 "Spring Special Catalog Sale" and regular monthly horse sale featuring "Foundation-Bred" horses and the "Canadian Classic" sale sessions.

Blue roans and grays gathered attention and claimed six of ten top sale positions while winter-like weather brought a standing-room only crowd to town where 595 head of horses sold to 18 states and Canada during the two-day sale spree.

A crazed loose horse market plowed a path for the rest to follow with the number one horse selling on the loose bringing $1,500, followed by $1,475, $1,450, $1,300, and $1,275 - for an unprecedented top five average of $1,400.

Proving that it’s not a hit and miss market, the top ten on the loose averaged $1,244, the top 20 brought $1,020, while the top fifty loose horses averaged $831.

Interest and excitement remained strong on first-class mares and name-brand stallions and genetics maintained it’s hold on the top sale positions with Hip 107 "Boon Bars Last Gift" a 97 AQHA sorrel mare x Boon Bar and heavy in foal to Highbrow Hickory seizing the number-one sale position with final bid of $12,000.

Consigned by Double D Creek Ranch, Sauk Rapids, MN, the pretty cutting mare sold to Rimrock Livestock, Shawmut, MT.

King Ranch bred and branded and sired by their famous Doc Bar son - Dry Doc - and out of Rojo 53 by El Rey Rojo - "Doc’s Reddy" an 86 AQHA Bay stallion - brought $9,000 from Hugh Aycock, Tolleson, AZ.

Also consigned by Double D Creek Ranch, the text-book stallion had produced AQHA point earners in addition to NCHA money earners.

Pure using geldings with the goods - a job, eye appeal, and disposition, saw plenty of demand for the tried-and-true type where the top five geldings averaged $4,540.

Overall price range on the stock horse geldings - from the number one gelding to the number 50 gelding - was $5,300 for the high and a $2,100 low - on an honest, working class gelding.

A something-for-everyone horse market saw the entire sale - from breeding stock to riding stock - average $7,520 on the top five, with the top ten at $5,860, top 20 at $4,642, top 50 bringing $3,447, while the top 100 head of horses sold averaged $2,676.

Billings Livestock’s next sale event is set for April 27 - 28 and will feature the fifth annual "Rope Horse Special" catalog sale and regular monthly horse sale.

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.