It was full speed ahead with genuine ranch geldings fueling a strong market where a total of 788 head of horses were bought and sold during the two-day sale spree.

Reflecting the solid market was a 13% pass out or “no sale” percentage overall.

As the crowd witnessed, 44 head of the “real deal” geldings tested their stockhorse skills Friday evening in a judged “Ranch Horse Competition” with Hip 83 “Mr Powder River” a 99 AQHA Palomino gelding owned and shown by Lyle Mitchell, Wolf, WY taking home the Championship buckle.

Geldings were the stars of the show and shine they did as 16 of the top 20 selling horses were geldings, three of them grade.

The top five selling geldings alone averaged $6,010, and the top ten brought $5,435.

Top gelding honors went to Hip 443 “Continental Storm” a 95 APHA Sorrel Overo gelding who came packing his ROM points in Youth barrel racing, Youth pole bending, and Youth key hole.

Sired by Adios Omega and out of a Continental Dude bred dam, the quiet, flashy guy was offered by Lisa Redfield, Opheim, MT and sold for $6,900 to Diane Taylor, Canon City, CO.

Roan, gentle, and grade - Hip 19 “Dallas” a 91 model red roan gelding consigned and shown in the ranch horse competition by Clint Humble, Newell, SD, was also a finished head and heel horse.

Purchased by Glenn Stuckey, Kiowa, CO, for $5,700, the quiet, unassuming guy had also been used to pick up broncs at rodeos.

Used in the mountains of Utah on elk and deer hunts and ridden by the entire family, Hip 84 “Woody” an eight-year-old dun gelding consigned by Shawn Kelly, Midway, UT, was a big, standup fellow who was easy to be around.

The real gelding brought $4,250 and sold to Bob McIlhattan, Bozeman, MT.

Stallions snuck in and claimed the number one and two selling spots of the weekend, where color, conformation, and parentage played a part in their appeal.

Bringing a final bid of $17,000 and heading north to Macklin, Saskatchewan, Hip 94 “Peponita Lena Flo” a 00 AQHA Black stallion sired by NCHA Open Futurity reserve champion Mr. Peponita Flo and out of a daughter of Shorty Lena, rode like a reiner and was started and shown on cattle.

Purchased by Len Bast, Macklin, Sask, the stallion deluxe was shown and offered by Marty McCormick, Weatherford, TX.

A buckskin beauty with a disposition to match, Hip 175 “True Collins Jessie” a 00 AQHA Buckskin stallion consigned by Jackie Entzel, Killdeer, ND had been used on the ranch and was lightly started in the arena.

Sired by True Command N Moore and out of a Friendly Fritz granddaughter, the pretty boy brought $11,500 and sold to Lon Brest, Richey, MT.

The only mare to crack the BLS top twenty in May was Hip 73 “Poco San Holly” a 94 AQHA chestnut mare by Poco San Lena and out of a Hollywood Gold bred dam.

Shown and owned by Sarah Ann Parrish, Joplin, MO, the trained cutting mare sold to Tres Lund, Minnetrista, MN for $6,000.

It was “loose horse lunacy” as fireworks continued in the BLS loose horse department where 291 head were offered to a full sale arena and - get this - the top 50 on the loose - that’s 17% of the day’s loose horse offering - averaged an unheard of $998 each.

They came to get them as is, where is, and how is at BLS where the top loose horse of the day brought $1,850, followed by $1,525, and $1,500.

Loose averages hammered all previous records - again - with the top five averaging $1,510; top ten bringing $1,365; top 20 at $1,215, and the top 50 averaged just two dollars shy of $!,000 apiece. And…even deeper, the top 100 head on the loose averaged a whopping $811 a head.

Tallying up the entire sale event, overall sale averages for the second month in a row at Billings Livestock Horse Sales exceeded the figures from a year ago.

The top five averaged $9,580; Top ten at $7,525; Top 20 came in at $6,040; Top 50 brought $4,407, while the top 100 averaged $3,381 - a $118 increase over 2001.

Billings Livestock’s next sale event is set for June 28 and will feature “Team Penning” horses. All classes and types of horses will sell, from prospects, mares, stallions, and finished horses. An open, draw-pot team penning is set for Friday, June 27 at 3 p.m. with one horse in each team being a sale horse.

Cattle will be available to show the cutting horses and rope horses beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning. Ride horse preview will follow.

To consign or request a catalog, contact Bill and Jann Parker, Billings Livestock Horse Sale Managers at 406-245-4151 or see it a all at www.billingslivestock.com