The truth was told at Friday afternoon’s snappy, full-to-the-rafters, team roping jackpot where 141 teams - all aboard sale horses - previewed at the Horse Palace Arena.

With 140 head classified as “Rope Horses”, buyers came from coast to coast as horses found new homes from New York to California and 16 states in-between.

A weekend total of 945 head of horses were offered with 90% completed sales.

Rope horses swelled the top twenty sellers listing where 15 out of the top 20 selling horses were classified as “Rope Horses”, and all but one were geldings.

Head, heel, or ranch on him, he’d been hauled to rodeos and ropings, ridden at the USTRC Finals and showed outstanding in the pre-sale jackpot and Hip 297 “Bay Fish” a 95 AQHA Bay gelding consigned by Dallas Gerhardt, Mandan, ND took home the weekend’s top sale honors.

Purchased by Bo Ramsey, Shandon, CA, the hard-to-find-kind brought $13,750.

Heeled on by Dennis Tryan, Huntley, MT and cashing in second and third in the pre-sale roping, Hip 175 “GK Oaks Budah” was bred to do it and looked every bit the part.

Offered by Rockin W Quarter Horses, Roundup, MT, the made heel horse was also a finished cutter.

Sired by Doc‘s Oak and out of a daughter of Doc‘s Budah, the designer gelding sold to Steamboat Ranch, Roberts, MT for $10,700.

He made it look easy, and World Champion team roper Bobby Harris, Ree Heights, SD brought three head to Billings Livestock, including Hip 135 “Little Tranquery Doc” a 96 AQHA Bay Gelding x Little Lena Doc.

A head-horse deluxe, the top-end gelding brought a final bid of $6,400 and sold to Greg Kral, New Ulm, Minnesota.

Jhett Johnson, Casper, WY put on a little roping clinic at the jackpot where he placed first, fourth, and fifth heeling aboard Hip 33 “Tuckers Sweet Salty” a 96 AQHA Red Roan gelding sired by Tucker Mando x Doc Tom Tucker.

Owned by Randy England, Ft. Lupton, CO and purchased by Keith Sonesen, Douglas, WY the hauled and won-on gelding brought $6,000.

An extremely solid sale from start to finish, demand continues for the honest broke horses with an occupation , while the younger, less experienced horses continue to meet with lessened demand.

Sale averages reflect the strength of the Billings market as the top five horses commanded $10,260; Top ten brought $8,255 followed by the top 20 averaging $6,907, top 50 came in at $5,281, while the top 100 head averaged $4,235.

Sunday morning’s loose horse session welcomed a standing-room-only crowd as exactly 400 head of horses were offered as is, where is, how is - no rider, no speech, no warranty - with the top selling horse fetching $1,525.

America’s number one loose horse market saw the top five average $1,305, top ten bring $1,165, top 20 at $1,044, top 50 averaged $872, and $732 on the top 100.

Billings Livestock’s next sale event is set for May 28 - 29 and will feature the annual “Cow Country Classic” catalog sale in addition to the “Best of the Remuda” Ranch Gelding competition. Featured in May will be Ranch geldings along with kid’s ponies and horses.

New for 2005 and set for Sunday, May 29 - a special, limited session of Appaloosa horses.

Ranch Horse competition is set for 5 p.m. Friday, May 27 in the BLS Arena.

Cattle will be available both days to preview the rope horses and cutting horses.

For more information, to consign or request a catalog, contact Bill and Jann Parker, BLS Horse Sale Managers at 406-245-4151 or see it all at www.billingslivestock.com