Studs stole the show as five of the top six selling horses were stallions, coming complete with show and produce records or bred for the performance promise. The top five averaged $14,500.

Mares also made their mark with seven mares claiming a spot in the top twenty sellers list - including daughters of Hollywood Dun It, High Brow Cat, Smart Mate, Meradas Money Talks, Like A Diamond, and two mares by Peppy San Badger. The top twenty averaged $8,380.

Sound and solid, the 864 head of horses offered over the two-days met with extremely strong demand as evidenced by the low “pass out” or “no sale” percentage of 12%. Horses sold to 24 states.

Rope horses strutted their stuff Friday afternoon in a pre-sale team roping jackpot where 90 teams competed aboard sale horses under competition circumstances.

Hips 114 “Spiderman” an 87 Grade Black gelding consigned by Brad Carpenter, Nampa, ID, and shown by Mark Eldridge, Caldwell, ID and Hip 42 “Pepper Bars Pepper” a 96 AQHA Sorrel Gelding offered by Taylor Bang, Killdeer, ND and ridden by Dennis Tryan, Huntley, MT won the championship buckles with a time of 23.68 on three head. The horses brought $2,400 and $5,000 respectively.

He had it all going on - head, heel, breakaway, or gather cattle, he was an all-around kind of guy wearing the Matt Dillon buckskin color and Hip 88 “Cragos Doctor Nick” a 90 AQHA Buckskin stallion x Docs Decatholon passed on his no-nonsense disposition and sought after color to his offspring.

Shown in the team roping jackpot - entered on both the head side and heel side- the versatile pretty boy joined the BLS High Sellers Club with a final bid of $20,000.

Consigned by Mill Creek Genetics, Bellevue, Iowa, the guy with the glitter sold to Carl Rivers, Tulsa, OK.

Daniel and Louis Mauch, Fordyce, NE purchased Hip 32 “Hickorys Diamond Man” a 95 AQHA Sorrel stallion x Doc’s Hickory.

The finished cutter was offered by Richard and Edna Grabow, Douglas, WY and brought $17,000.

Sired by the number one sire of cutting horses, the NCHA Triple Crown winner, and sire of over $26 million in money earners - Smart Little Lena - and - out of a Peppy San daughter that had earned $103,357 herself and produced earners in excess of $146,000 - Hip 182 “Lynneas Lena, a 2000 AQHA Sorrel Stallion had all the right genetics.

Paid to date in the NCHA Futurity, the rising star was offered by Pat Fitzgerald, Pauli, OK and sold for $16,000 to Dean and Wendy Briggs, Whitehall, MT.

The gig on the geldings proves that age and occupation matter - 18 out of the top 20 selling geldings were five years old or older, 15 out of the 20 wore the black, gray, dun, buckskin, or roan color, and 16 out of the top 20 were entered in the rope horse session. The top 20 geldings alone brought from $4,000 to $6,000.

The top 50 working geldings offered over the weekend ranged from a low of $1,200 to a high of $6,000, depending on experience, condition, pedigree, and disposition.

Offered by the folks who raised him, the one owner gelding “Primetime Azure” a 96 AQHA Gray gelding x Band of Azure took home the honors of Top Selling Gelding.

Brought to town by Sue Rogers, Temecula, CA, the special gelding brought $6,000 and sold to Joe Painter, Buffalo, SD.

Demand for gentle, finished geldings continues to be strong, while true value was found in the younger, less experienced horses.

Montana’s cowboy climate saw the overall sale averages strong - the top five averaged $14,500 followed by the top ten at $11,045; The top 20 brought $8,380; top 50 averaged $5,918; and the top 100 head averaged $4,398.

A sale highlight included the famous Two Dot Ranch offering including their King Ranch branded stallion “Badgers Spirit” - a 96 AQHA Bay stallion x Ritas Sweet Badger. The stallion who was ridden and used daily at the famous Cody, Wy ranch brought $9,000 and sold to Kylan Campbell, Jasper, AR.

An absolute screaming loose horse trade saw 262 head offered “as is, where is, how is” with the number one selling loose horse bringing $2,400 followed by $2,000 and $1,900.

America’s number one loose horse market saw the top five average $1,850, top ten loose at $1,540; top 20 came in at $1,280; top 50 at $949; and the average on 100 - 40% of the loose horses sold - brought $733.

Billings Livestock’s next sale event is set for October 25  - 26 - and will feature the annual “Fall Special Catalog Sale” in addition to the BNH Production Sale Offering and Harry Thomas Quarter Horses Consignments .

All classes and types of horses will sell with Performance Horses featured.

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