Better-end geldings with ranching backgrounds, cowboy color, and a gentleness factor took top billing and commanded top dollar at Billings Livestock Commission’s “Summer Special Catalog Sale” June 24-26.

Horses by the hundreds and good geldings by the bunches as a whopping 1,119 head came to cowtown creating a super selection of horses for kids to cowboys.

Friday evening’s Wagonhound Land and Livestock’s Driftwood Dispersal offered a distinguished selection of foundation bred horses - 76 head in all - with the high selling individual bringing $16,000.

One of the highest percentage young Driftwood mares anywhere - she’s 29.69% Driftwood - Hip 54 “Genovesa Tule” a 2004 AQHA Dun mare by Drifts Chip and out of Mel Potter’s Driftwood Ike daughter - Drifting Tule - topped the evening’s sale offering selling to Dale Schnee, Atwood, CO.

Hip 52 “Badger Echolena” a 91 AQHA Chestnut daughter by Peppy San Badger and out of Doc’s Baretta by Doc Bar sold bred to the Wagonhound sire “Smart Whittle Play”.

The Little Peppy daughter brought $14,000 and sold to Painted Horse Stables, Great Falls, MT.

Driftwood breeders from far and wide attended the event with buyers taking home horses from California to Kentucky.

An absolute sale - all horses sold - the top five Wagonhound horses averaged $11,700, top ten brought $9,200, with the top 20 averaging $6,845.

In the regular sale session, roan was the rage as six out of the top ten selling horses - every one a gelding - wore the red roan or blue roan color.

19 out of the top 20 selling horses were geldings, all five years old or older.

Big Sky bred and educated, big and bay roan, Hip 222 “Dancers Roany” a 1997 AQHA roan gelding sired by Gumbo Roany stood 16.1 hands, weighed 1,400 lbs and came broke, broke, broke.

The gentle giant had roped buffalo, was careful in rough country, brought $8,900 and left with Kendrick Redland, Manderson, WY.

Montana Rancher and cowboy, Les Best, Big Horn, MT brought two dead-shot ranch horses to town including Hip 206 “JG Valentine” a 1995 AQHA Blue Roan gelding by Shi Blue Valentine.

Solid and gentle, the true blue boy brought $6,100 selling to Lakeside Cattle Co., Lakeside, MT.

Hip 194 “Peppas Blue Doc” a 2000 AQHA Blue Roan gelding x Champs Blue Chip and out of a Peponita bred dam came well broke and stayed gentle.

Ready to head steers in the arena, the 15.2 hand powerhouse consigned by Lee Pedersen, Milestone, Sask, Canada, brought $5,700 and sold to Dennis Ginkens, Nevis, MN.

A nice set of rope horses showed in Saturday’s snappy rope horse preview, including Hip 146 “Azure Tater” a 1995 AQHA Gray gelding x Easy Cord.

Owned by Mike and Cara Wells, Hudson, CO, the solid head horse had been hauled and won on at USTRC ropings in addition to URP ropings.

Jack Marton, Buffalo, WY purchased the good gelding for $4,900.

Proof of the quality of rope horses offered, six cracked the top twenty sellers list, with an average sale price of $5,683.

David Lien, Ulen, MN offered his personal team penning horse Hip 138 “Sandstone Quil” a 1992 AQHA Sorrel gelding by Quilchina Bar x Doc Tari.

With 244 performance points, and eight AQHA World qualifications, the hard knocking gelding showed outstanding in the pre-sale team penning competition.

Howard Gipe, Kalispell, MT purchased the go-show gelding for $5,600.

Billings, Montana makes the market, and a ripping loose horse trade saw 446 head sold “as is, where is, how is” - 58 registered, 388 grade, with the number-one-selling horse- a grade, red roan gelding - fetching $2,400.

Horses sold in the Loose division are sold with no guarantee, no rider, and no speech - and the top five averaged $1,700, top ten $1,480, top 20 at $1,231, top 50 brought $945, and going 100 head deep - $790.

Complete weekend sale averages on the catalog horses - not including the Wagonhound offering - show the top five at $6,980, top 10 brought $6,130; top 20 came in at $5,210, top 50 averaged $3,941, with the top 100 head of horses bringing $3,018.

Billings Livestock’s next sale event is the “Mid-Summer Catalog Sale” featuring cutting horses set for July 23 - 24.

Cutting horses will preview on fresh cattle Friday evening and again on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Cattle will also be available to show the rope horses.

All classes of horses will sell, including finished arena horses and prospects for ranch, roping, arena, cutting, or recreation.