FEBRUARY 28-29 SALE REPORT:
Pretty Boys -
Stallions Seize Top Sale Positions
Sons and daughters of super stallions - Peppy San Badger, Doc O’Lena, Smart Little Lena, and Freckles Playboy - captured the top six sale spots at Billings Livestock Commission’s “February Special Catalog Sale” February 28 - 29.
The top six selling horses - four stallions and two mares - each packed their own performance or produce records - and commanded a $26,833 average.
With 458 buyers registered for the two-day sale blitz, horses sold to 17 states and three Canadian provinces.
A strong market from start to finish saw 540 head of horses offered over the weekend with a mere 6% no-sale or pass out percentage.
Canada took home three of the four top selling stallions including the day’s top sale horse “Some Little Peppy” a 92 AQHA sorrel x Peppy San Badger.
Consigned by the Krebs Ranch, Inc., Gordon, NE, the perfectly pretty stud horse was a finished reiner. His dam - an own daughter of Doc Bar - brought her performance and halter points to the mix.
Producing ropers, reiners, cutters, and ranch horses, and with Krebs Ranch retaining every daughter he sired to date, “Some Little Peppy” sold to Rory and Geraldine Patton, Buck Lake, Alberta for $40,000.
Matching the day’s top sale price was “Farily Smart” a 97 AQHA Sorrel stallion by Smart Little Lena.
Sired by the NCHA Triple Crown winner and sire of earners of over $28 million, “Fairly Smart” also boasted a big-time mama “Lil Peppy Fair” x Peppy San Badger - a full sister to Little Tenina.
With earnings and a style of his own, the stallion sold to Kaufman Woodbury, LLC, Buffalo, WY.
An incredible genetic package - his sire is Doc O’Lena and sharing the same mother as Smart Chic O’Lena - Gay Sugar Chic - the proven stallion “Shawn O’Lena” had acquired $43,000 in earnings himself.
The big, athletic stallion boasted 35 first place wins and came consigned by Shane Prescott, Twin Falls, ID.
Canim Lake Quarter Horses, Canim Lake, British Columbia, purchased the big-time stallion for $31,000.
Working ranch and arena geldings were in strong demand with the weekend’s top selling gelding bringing $7,000, followed by $6,800, and $6,000. Top five geldings averged $6,180.
Rope horses, cutting horses, and saddle horses previewed to a full house on Friday afternoon at the Horse Palace Arena.
The inclusive average on every gelding sold under saddle - 138 head - all ages, sizes, experience, both registered and grade - was $2,234 - with 97 registered at $2,509 and 41 grade using geldings at $1,583.
Billings Livestock welcomed National Finals Rodeo qualifiers, including World Champion cowboys to the “NFR Session” of the February Sale, including Deb Greenough, Bruce Ford, Bill Parker, Loyd Ketchum, Ike Sankey, Harold Baumgartner, and Colin Murnion.
Hip 209 “Versaryclassyson” a 94 APHA Sorrel Overo Gelding x Versarys Blossom was shown in the pre-sale preview and had won money barrel racing and team penning.
The elite gelding had worked on ranches in four states branding, doctoring, and holding herd. The one-owner gelding came consigned by Jeff Etheridge, Hayden Lake, ID and sold to Jay Linderman, Savery WY for $7,000.
Overall sale averages include the top five at $29,200; Top ten at $20,625; Top 20 averaged $13,737, followed by the top 50 at $8,079, and the top 100 head brought $5,347.
Loose horses met with a raging market where the day’s top loose horse - offered as is, where is, how is - brought $2,500.
With 220 head offered loose the averages include the top five at $1,645, top 10 at $1,417, top 20 came in at $1,207, top 50 at $896, followed by the top 100 - nearly one-half - at $668.
Billings Livestock’s next sale event will be March 27-28 and will feature the “Spring Catalog Sale” featuring foundation-bred horses and a special session of Outfitters, Guest, and Dude Ranch horses.
Loose horses will sell Sunday, March 28 at 9 a.m.
Contact Bill or Jann Parker, Billings Livestock Horse Sale Managers to consign or request a catalog at 406-245-4151 or see it all at www.billingslivestock.com