SALE REPORT FOR APRIL 22-23

Ropers Wild!

Young guns, old pros, and prospects chocked full of promise - rope horses of every kind and caliber made magic at Billings Livestock’s eighth annual spring “Rope Horse Special” catalog sale April 22-23.

The two-day mega sale offered 758 horses, with 100 head specifically consigned to the popular “Rope Horse Sale Session”.

High selling rope horse topped the charts at $10,000.

From California to Connecticut, horses sold to 17 states and three Canadian Provinces, as the weekend’s completed sale percentage bumped 92%.

Good cattle, good conditions, and a competitive atmosphere combined to make Friday afternoon’s jackpot team roping rock - and - make the shopping, sifting, and sorting of sale horses a manageable task. Every horse a sale horse, the professionally produced jackpot drew 150 teams.

Posting a time of 26.07 on three, MPRC All-Around Cowboy, Ryan Siemsen, Huntley, MT rode Hip 56 “Shilohs Class” a 97 AQHA Sorrel Gelding - with partner Brad Ostrum, Big Timber, MT on Hip 149 - “Trigger” a ten-year-old grade palomino gelding - to take home Hy O Silver buckles and $380 each.

Top five rope horses averaged $8,290 and the top ten ropers brought $7,275.

Red roan and ready to rope, Hip 113 “Top Mac Pine” a 2001 AQHA gelding x Precision Mac and out of a Paprika Pine daughter claimed “High Selling Rope Horse” honors.

Already hauled and won on at jackpots, the finished head and heel horse had also seen ranch duty by consignor Dallas Gerhardt, Mandan, ND.

The strawberry roan dynamo brought $10,000 and sold to Frank Hough, Grand Junction, CO.

With age comes experience and Hip 85 “Wendys Rosillo” a 1993 AQHA Gray Gelding x Twedys Windy Blue was one of four rope horses in the top 20 sellers listing that was 13 years old or older.

He won the first go-around with a 7.08 and placed fourth in the average, and the top-of-the-line heel horse was also a finished barrel horse.

Owned and shown by Shawn Hagler, Fort Lupton, CO, the stylish gelding sold to Brian Knutson, Dawson Creek, British Columbia for $8,500.

Both grade, both could grab it, work the rope, get back and stay back, and Hip 240 “Beaver” a 13-year-old bay gelding and Hip 138 “Big Bear” a nine-year-old red dun mare were hauled and won on calf horses.

“Beaver” was owned and ridden by Aden Glaze, Oberline, KS and sold to Ken Wood, Caldwell, ID, for $6,700 while “Big Bear” came consigned by John Colliflower, Box Elder, MT and went home with Tom and Karen McGuire, Wheatland, WY for $6,000.

Call her a Cadillac with class genetics and Hip 62 “Lena Jo Peppy” a 92 AQHA Bay mare x Peppy San Badger was out of a Doc O’Lena daughter .

Offered by C.W. Ray, Lufkin, TX the extra-pretty mare had a Smart Lil Highbrow foal at side. The special package brought $12,700 selling to Curtin Performance Horses, Waukon, IA.

He came with a fashionable pedigree and wore the color black, and Hip 117 “Rey Sprat” a 2005 AQHA stud colt x TR Dual Rey was out of a daughter of Jae Bar Milo.

Raised and offered by Scott Murdock, Loveland, CO., the boy with the business brought $7,200 selling to Teresa Dykes, Stony Plain, Alberta.

An overall aggressive April market, with a continued push on the solid, finished, honest horses, saw the complete sale averages increase substantially over 2005 figures.

In comparison, April 2005 top 50 averaged $5,281, while in 2006 the top 50 came in at $6,098 – an increase of $800 on 50 head.

Deeper into the sale, 2005’s top 100 brought $4,235 per head, while this year the top 100 averaged $4,815 – nearly $600 per head higher.

Top five averaged $9,930, top ten at $8,850, and the top 20 averaged $7,742.

A screaming loose horse market hosted a full sale arena Sunday morning where the top 50 averaged $976 - a $105 per head increase over 2005 figures.

Top five on the loose pushed $1,710, top 10 at $1,452, and the top 20 averaged $1,247.

An expanded three-day sale schedule May 26-27-28 at Billings Livestock 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.

The judged “Best of the Remuda” Ranch Gelding competition is set for 10 a.m. Friday, May 26. Complete preview of sale horses follows.

The second annual “Appaloosa Session” is set for Sunday, May 28 - and offers a special, limited session of Appaloosa horses.

Cattle will be available all three 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