Even as winter weather pounded the west bringing upwards of a foot of needed snow to some areas and highways and interstates closed, the one-day sale event offered buyers from Utah to Minnesota the opportunity to bid on 149 head of horses where one-third of the entire sale - 50 head - including loose to the purple pedigreed - averaged $2,269.

They make them here in the west, and ranch ridden, honest geldings complete with work-place experience saw genuine demand throughout the day as 13 out of the top 20 selling horses were geldings.

He wore the red roan color and came a real cowhorse, and Hip 98 “Rands Cash” a 97 AQHA gelding x Cash Available was the using kind. The gentle, classy gelding had worked on the ranch, drug elk out of the Missouri Breaks and was consigned by Justin Hanley, Miles City, MT.

Page Livestock, Dillon, MT purchased the quality cow pony for $4,000.

Kind, quiet, broke to ride, and bred - the day’s top sale horse “Gun Shy Ann” was a pretty, buckskin package of pedigree, class, and sense.

Sharing the same mother as $180,000 in money earners, including Dos Palomino, the 96 AQHA Buckskin mare x Young Gun and out of Docs Flying Sug x Docs Sug sold bred to Shorty Lenas Promise.

Diamond J Ranch, Woodland, UT, bought the mare for $11,000.

Offered by the one of America’s top horse hands, Bobby Lewis, Clovis, NM, Hip 29 “Its Cash on Lena” a 2002 AQHA sorrel stallion x Miss N Cash and out of a Commander King and Doc O’Lena granddaughter.

The extra-keen stallion prospect brought a final bid of $4,000 and sold to Don Meyers, Lolo, MT.

Looking every bit the part of a rope horse, he came ranch ridden and pasture roped on, and Hip 4 “Raney Oak Bar” a 98 AQHA sorrel gelding x Apaches Tank was consigned by Bob Albrecht, Hershey, NE.

The top arena prospect brought $3,200 and went home with Monte Mallett, Broadus, MT.

Billings Livestock was proud to welcome six head from Bubel Quarter Horses, Center, ND. The intensely race bred offering included sons and daughters of Bubel’s stallions “Blurr the Bux” x Murrtheblurr and “Up to Victory” x Victory Dash.

A very low pass-out percentage - a slim 8% of the day’s offering - proved a strong market which is reflected in the overall sale averages - top five horses brought $7,250; top ten at $5,375; top 20 averaged $3,817; top 50 came in at $2,269 and the top 100 at $1,422.

Loose horses saw the day’s top selling horse sold on the loose bring $1,275, top five $975, and the top ten average $843.

January 24 will feature the “Winter Special Catalog Sale” and regular monthly horse sale in addition to the “Cabin Fever” Tack Sale offering collectible and used tack. To receive a catalog or consign to future BLS sale events, call Bill or Jann Parker, BLS Horse Sale Managers, for more information at 406-245-4151 or e-mail info@billingslivestock.com

A “cowboy kind of morning” greeted sale goers on November 22 as unseasonably cold weather pushed it’s way west to Billings Livestock Commission Company’s “Holiday Special Catalog Sale” and regular monthly horse sale.

Even with interstate highways closed,  buyers put weather woes aside, and came to bid on the “ready to go to work” kind - including “Hitch and Giddyup” a grade team of seven and eight year-old black percheron mares offered by Randy Bancescu, Oak Lake, Manitoba.

They’re headed to star on the big screen as the team of work horses sold to John Scott, Longview, Alberta, for use in the movie production of “Little House on the Prairie”. The quiet, gentle team were the day’s top sellers bringing $4,000.

Horses are the tools of his trade so he always rides a good one and working cowboy Joe Fox, Hysham, MT brought Hip 10 “Bobbies True Bum” a 97 AQHA Sorrel Gelding x Bunny Sax and out of a True Roman daughter to town.

Used on the largest contiguous ranch in Montana - J.B. Grierson Cattle Company - the real cowhorse was used branding, dragging calves, and gathering in those big pastures for the past three years.

Paul Hansen, Dillon, MT purchased the “all business” package for $3,800.

Strawn Valley Ranch, Strawn, TX, home of Peppys Boy 895 - offered six head of two-year-olds - all riding well and started on cattle - and - all buckskins or palominos - from their well-known program.

“Bingos Pep” - an 01 AQHA Buckskin Mare x Peppys Boy 895 and out of a daughter of Bingo Hickory brought $3,500 and was purchased by Chris Evans, Elwood, UT.

His mother is a daughter of Doc‘s Oak who has $29,000 in earnings and “Oaks Peppydonna” - an 01 AQHA Palomino Gelding x Peppys Boy 895 was packed with promise and purchased by Wyatt Harbert, Manhattan, MT for $3,500.

South Dakota cowboys Billy Martin of Faith, and Justin Swires from Isabel, brought a nice set of using geldings to the November offering, including Hip 72 “Sugar Hancock Bars” a 99 AQHA Red Roan gelding x Tiny Sugar Bars and out of a Quarter Hancock granddaughter.

Handy combined with pretty brought $3,100 and sold to Jack Wipplinger, Roberts, MT.

501 head were offered, including 270 loose horses. The top selling loose horse of the day brought $1,750, followed by $1,350 and $1,200. Offered as is, where is, how is, the loose horse averages include the top five at $1,290, top ten $1,090, top 20 came in at $844, while the top fifty averaged $591.

Overall sale averages - including the cataloged horses - show the top five averaging $3,610, top ten at $3,140, top twenty came in at $2,620, while the top fifty averaged $1,990.

Billings Livestock’s next sale event is set for December 27 with the “New Year’s Special Catalog Sale” and regular monthly horse sale.

A record number of horses were offered - 990 head - at the two-day sale blitz with a market driven by quality - the top-end horses continued to hold their own and drive demand, while plainer, less experienced type horses met with a softer market.

Every horse in the top ten - all stallions or geldings - were proven performers, some complete with show records, or true prospects, sired by industry leaders - from barrel racing, reining, cutting, or reined cowhorse - and out of mares with their own credentials. All were products of a plan.

A well attended pre-sale preview for the cutters, ropers, and ride horses allowed the sale horses to show their stuff.

Shown on cattle in the preview, the weekend’s top selling horse was offered by Hutchings Quarter Horses, Mel and Virginia Hutchings, Thayne, WY and “RM Arizona Playboy” a 94 AQHA stallion x Freckles Playboy brought $18,000 and sold to Robbin Thayn, Oxford, NE.

As cool as they come, and as class as can be, Hip 132 “Dudes Te” a 97 AQHA sorrel stallion x The Big Te and out of a daughter of Blondys Dude packed the points to prove it and was offered by Harold and Kathy Ott, Troy, ID.

With his GQ looks and 64 AQHA points - in halter, heading, and heeling - the easy to look at stud horse was a big-time rope horse. With a list of wins and credentials that read like a who’s who, the superhorse sold to Alpine Vet Service, Billings, MT for $14,000.

A solid, top-end gelding market was lead by son’s of Doc’s Oak and Frenchman’s Guy, and the top five geldings averaged $6,140.

Nine-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier and currently the number four professional steer wrestler in the world, Birch Negaard and his wife, Louise, Sundance, WY consigned Hip 136 “CG French Fry” a 2000 model AQHA Sorrel gelding x Frenchman’s Guy.

He’d been ranched on, calved on, roped on, and started around the barrels, and the gelding with the shiny bright future brought $7,100.

Folks purchasing horses in the top twenty came from Nebraska, California, Utah, Arizona, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming and Montana.

Sale highlights included offerings from BNH Quarter Horses, Buster and Helen Brown, Whitlash, MT, Thomas Ranch Offering, Harry Thomas, Harrold, SD, and 246 Ranch, Harold and Deb Adema, Sundance, WY.

Complete sale averages include the top five at $11,420; top ten averaged $8095; top twenty came in at $5767; followed by the top 50 at $3898; and the top 100 head of horses sold - averaged $2875.

Continuing the trend, value remains in the younger, less experienced horses looking for a job, while buyers scramble to purchase the finished, honest and proven type horses.

In the loose horse division, 491 head of horses were offered “as is, where is, how is” with the top horse fetching $1,500, followed by $1,250, and $1,200.

Loose averages include the top 5 at $1230; top 10 at $1095; top 20 averaged $958; top 50 at $758; and the top 100 averaged $595.

Billings Livestock’s next sale event is set for November 22 and will feature the “Holiday Special Catalog Sale” and regular monthly horse sale.

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

A ripping good offering of true-blue rope horses, traditional ranch horses, and breeding stock with powerhouse performance pedigrees brought 582 buyers to town for Billings Livestock Commission Company’s annual “Cow Country Classic Catalog Sale” September 27 - 28.

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.

Featuring speed bred and performance horses, the “August Catalog Sale” kicked off with a WPRA/NWBRA approved barrel race Friday afternoon while Sunday’s “Montana Miniature and Pony” sale wrapped up the sale weekend.

Arena ready and ridden, four of the top five selling horses were geldings - coming complete with earnings or points, while the fifth - a mare - had produced two money earners. All were five years old or older.

With 625 head offered over the two-days, horses came and went across the globe - including 16 states and three Canadian provinces, from Washington to New Hampshire and from Manitoba to Texas.

Top guns showed their stuff each day in the pre-sale preview, including the saddle horses, cutting and rope horses.

It keeps on getting better as quality ran deep - the top fifty horses averaged $3,326 - an increase of $534 per head over August 2002, while - the top five averaged an incredible $2,960 over 2002 figures, averaging $7,040 per head.

The weekend’s top sale horse was made-to-order for high school or college rodeo competition, a do-it-all kind of guy, qualifying for the National High School Rodeo Finals four times in the goat tying, four times in the breakaway roping, three times in team roping, and twice in pole bending, and Hip 173 “Hand Ford Doc Bailey” a 94 AQHA Chestnut gelding by Allee Hand and out of a Doc’s Rickashay bred dam was offered by Chelsea Driedger, Virden, Manitoba.

Voted the 2002 Manitoba High School Rodeo Association “Girl’s Quarter Horse of the Year”, the honest competitor brought a final bid of $10,000 and sold to Barbara Barber, Manhattan, MT.

Earning the $100 cash bonus to the BLS Sale Horse that clocked the fastest time in the WPRA/NWBRA barrel race, Hip 128 “Dash For Music” a 98 AQHA Sorrel gelding sired by Motatin For Cash and out of a Super Tease/Jet Music bred mare had been started right and offered by Corlene Phillips, Rozet, WY.

Bringing $5,500, the headed-to -the-pay-window gelding sold to Jim Riggle, Woodenville, WA.

Billings Livestock was proud to welcome IPRA World Champion Team Roper, Bonny Holt, San Jacinto, CA who purchased Hip 126 “Freckled Ace” a 97 AQHA Sorrel gelding consigned by Steve and Audrey McLean, Dayton, WA.

Used branding calves, team penning, sorting, turning back, and in the mountains, the gelding had earned his general business diploma and was lightly started in the arena.

Sired by Ace O’Lena x Doc O’Lena, and out of a Colonel Freckles grandddaughter, the mega-gelding cost $5,600.

Experience and work ethic are sought after virtues, and he came spiffed up and riding better than many horses, and Hip 287 “Festus” a 91 Grade John Mule was a no-nonsense, do what it takes gentleman.

Ride or pack, sun-up to sun-down, broke to picket and hobble, the extra-nice mule was offered by Allen Lloyd, Round Mountain, Nevada and sold for $3,700 to Jake Clark, Powell, WY.

Young, plainer, less experienced horses, including weanlings and yearlings, were again the buy of the weekend, while traditional ranch geldings - the dependable, honest, and educated kind - propelled the market, with the older, seasoned geldings selling well throughout the two-days.

Sunday’s “Montana Miniature and Pony Sale” saw Hip 405 “Zorro” an 89 Quarter Pony gelding bring $3,900.

Roped on in the team roping preview, the all-around pony ran barrels, poles, heeled, and breakaway, too.

Bart Byrd, Douglas, WY purchased the well-exposed fellow for $3,900.

Mini’s, both AMHR and AMHA registered averaged $825 on the top five, with the top selling mini bringing $1,000.

A solid market from start to finish is reflected in the overall sale averages for the weekend - the top five averaged $7040; top ten brought $5,740; top 20 averaged $4,600; the top 50 came in at $3,326, while the top 100 head of horses sold averaged $2,424.

The heat was on in the loose horse trade - again - where the top selling horse offered “as is, where is, how is” pushed the market at $1,600, followed by $1,550, and $1,300.

With 215 offered on the loose, the top 20 averaged $1,133, while the top ten averaged $1,273, and the top 50 - that’s nearly 25% of the day’s loose offering - averaged $915, while the top 100 - nearly one-half - averaged $708.

Billings Livestock’s annual “Cow Country Classic” catalog sale is next on the BLS Sale agenda September 27 - 28.

Featuring “Rope Horses” and a special session of John Scott Ranch bred and branded horses.

All classes of horses will sell including mares, stallions, finished horses, prospects, and young stock. Cattle will be available to show the cutting horses, calf horses, and rope horses. Catalog deadline is September 5, with a supplement printed for later entries.

See it all at www.billingslivestock.com or contact Bill and Jann Parker, BLS Horse Sale Managers at 406-245-4151.

With 701 horses brought to town for the one-day sale binge, the day’s offering met with a big crowd ready to do business - only 11% of the day’s offering were passed out or no saled by the consignor.

Horses hit the road to twenty states and two Canadian provinces, from New York to California, with 392 buyers registering to play ball.

"Team Penning" horses were featured as a good set of horses competed in a pre-sale team penning jackpot of Friday afternoon in the BLS Arena.  The championship team of David Pancost, Penrose, CO, JB Lockie, Minnesota, and Donny Stevens, Kalispell, MT took home the buckles awarded to the number one team.

The good geldings were golden as 16 of the top 20 selling horses were geldings - four of them grade.

All of the geldings gracing the Billings Livestock Top Seller’s list were five years old or older - with five of the geldings being 1994 models - making them nine-years old - and coming as a been-there, done-that package with an occupation.

In addition, the top five selling geldings wore the black, buckskin, or gray color - and hammered home a $5,950 head average.

Proof that quality ran deep, only $600 separated the top five gelding average from the top ten average - the top ten geldings averaged $5,350 a piece.

Testimony to the call for quality - that if you have it, sale order is secondary- he sold 11 hours into the sale and six horses from the end of the catalog - and Hip 353 took home the day’s top gelding honors.

Deserving of his title, the 94 AQHA Buckskin gelding “Silk Can Run” x Buckskin An Silks back to Go Man Go and out of a Sea Bar/Go Man Go mother, was consigned by Nichols and Kara Caspers, New Underwood, SD.

Hauled to some calf ropings, the finished breakaway and heel horse had earned his arena credentials while covering a lot of country day-working on ranches.

Purchased by Kirk Baty, Middleton, ID, the extra-nice gelding brought a final bid of $6,500.

Geldings number two and three on the top selling chart were both coal black and classy critters, bringing $6,250 and $6,000 respectively.

Number two “Yankee” a 96 Grade black gelding offered by Lee Pedersen, Milestone, Saskatchewan, stood 16.1 hands and tipped the scales at 1,350 pounds.

Balanced and fancy, the big guy sold to Lisa Clarke, Billings, MT.

Third on the gelding list was Hip 65 “Cowtown Drifter” a 96 AQHA Black gelding consigned by J.T. Collingwood, Greybull, WY.

With a ranching background, the quiet, gentle gelding had sorted pairs, branded, roped and drug calves, hunted on, packed elk - all in addition to his arena experience - where you could rope either end.

Bruce Millward, Jackson Hole, WY bought the easy to look at, multi-talented individual.

Sired by the NRHA Futurity Winner and World Champion reined cowhorse, Todaysmyluckyday - and out of the great mare “Patiences Reward” - Hip 155 “Rebas Lucky Day” a 99 AQHA Bay mare carried all the right genetics and topped the day’s sale event .

Offered by Mark Robinson, Billings, MT the class mare came eligible for the Reining Breeders Classic and sold to Clyde Krebs, Glen Ullin, ND - home of RW Peppy O’lena - for $8,750.

The BLS loose horse market rocked again where the top selling horse on the loose brought $2,350, followed by $1,525 and $1,500.

With 332 head offered as is, how is, where is - Montana makes the market - where the top five averaged $1,540, top ten at $1,325, top 20 at $1,150, top 50 averaged $906, and almost one-third of the day’s loose offering - 100 head deep - averaged $711.

Total sale averages for the one-day event include the top five at $6,600; top ten averaged $5,805; Top 20 came in at $4,847; Top 50 brought $3,675, and beating the 2002 figures on the top 100 head by a $300 bill, the top 100 averaged $2,734.

Billings Livestock’s next sale event is the “Mid-Summer Catalog Sale” featuring cutting horses - set for July 26 - 27.

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

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

Performance power was proven in a packed pre-sale team roping jackpot held Friday afternoon at the Horse Palace Arena where 144 teams - all aboard sale horses - showed their stuff under competition circumstances.

When it was all said and done, a weekend total of 897 head of horses - all kinds and classes - were bought and sold, finding new homes in 20 states and scattering across the map from California to New Jersey.

The gather was on the ropers as 12 out of the top 20 selling horses - 3 of them grade - were cataloged as rope horses and shown in the pre-sale jackpot.

And rope he did, entering the jackpot as both a heel horse and head horse, and Hip 140 “Niks Trip” a 92 AQHA Gray gelding by Kaniksu Kid and out of a Jet Deck bred mother, was a solid, stylish, and all-business kind of guy, turning heads and bringing a final bid of $8,500.

Shown by Jeff Bailey, Bend, OR, and owned by Tonya Mott, Bend, OR, the 15.3 hand, 1275 lb., gelding moved to the Silver State with Garry Rogers, Sparks, Nevada.

Another switch-ender who had seen plenty of trips to the pay window, Hip 146 “Blue” a 96 Grade Blue roan gelding consigned by Pablo Good, Greybull, WY had the magic mix of talent, gentleness, and eye appeal.

Placing in the jackpot on the heading side and with a background in ranching, the quality arena and using gelding brought $7,000 and sold to Double RL Ranch, Ridgeway, CO.

They don‘t make them anymore and “Neats Star” was every bit the star she was bred to be, and the 00 AQHA Red Dun mare by Gray’s Starlight and out of AQHA World Champion “Neats Prescription” x Docs Prescription topped the weekend’s sale event with a selling price of $14,500.

Consigned by Double D Creek Ranch, Sauk Rapids, MN the special mare was purchased by J H & Associates, Kimball, SD.

Bred to be a cowhorse and earning his living as a top flight calf horse, “Especially Chick” an 86 AQHA Sorrel gelding x Especial was the hauled and won on kind having won go-arounds and earning paychecks in the last two months at PRCA rodeos and Circuit Finals.

Offered by Chris Witcher, Miles City, MT, the dead-shot rope horse sold to Corey Alban, Sidney, MT for $7,500.

Offered by three-time World Champion Allen Bach, Millsap, TX and purchased by PRCA Stock contractor and NFR Qualifier - Ike Sankey, Joliet, MT, Hip 162 “Frosty Fourteen” by Frosty Eddie was a tried and true head horse.

Shown in the pre-sale jackpot by well known roper, Phil Luman, Poplar, MT, the 91 AQHA Bay gelding brought $3,900.

He’s living proof that it’s wild out west and Hip 424 “Taz” - a 99 Tri-colored Longhorn cross steer - was gentle, broke to ride, used to wrangle the saddle horses, ridden in the Days of 76 parade in Belle Fourche, SD, and the Sturgis Bike Rally parade last summer.

A cool dude, the steer was owned and ridden in the saddle horse preview by Troy Crowser, Whitewood, SD.

The big guy with the good attitude moved to Green Bank, New Jersey with Buddie Pino for $2,700.

Loose horses rock and rolled with 293 head offered “as is, how is, where is” - from riders to buckers - with Billings Livestock’s loose horse market again setting the pace for the nation.

The top horse on the loose demanded $1,600, followed by $1,400, $1,350, and $1,300.

Loose horse averages came in at $1,360 on the top five; top ten at $1,197; Top 20 brought $1,044, the top 50 averaged $851, and the top 100 head of loose horses brought $686.

The top 50 working geldings offered over the weekend ranged from a low of $1,800 to a high of $8,500, depending on experience, condition, pedigree, and disposition.

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

Ranch Horse competition is set for 5 p.m. Friday, May 23 in the BLS Arena.

Cattle will be available both days to preview the rope horses and cutting horses.