Good geldings aplenty, the finished, fit, and fancy kind lead the charge at Billings Livestock’s “Summer Special Catalog Sale” June 28-29.

A jumbo selection of 993 head of horses, 430 plus buyers, and 35 roping steers headed to the Big Sky for the two-day summer supersale - and, hear the news - in all divisions, all classes - sale averages held steady or beat the final figures from one year ago.

Top ten averaged $7,200, compared to $7,025 in 2007, top 20 brought $5,932 compared to $5,832, and the top 100 averaged $3,402 against $3,468 one year ago.

Pass outs or no-sales were cut in half over 2007 figures with 64 head of the 993 horses “no-saled” by the consignor compared with 144 of 874 last year.

For the second straight month and the third sale this year, a barrel horse has claimed the number one selling position of the weekend at Billings Livestock.

Wearing the signature black color stamped by his $3 million dollar sire “Dash For Perks” Hip 183 “Pistol Pete Perks” was out of a 1-D daughter of Jet’s Pay Day and came hauled and winning at jackpots and rodeos.

Offered by Kylan Campbell, Harrison, AR the quality gelding brought $11,000 and sold to Jeff Link, Billings, MT.

Buckskins ruled supreme as a special session of buckskins crowned the June event with the top selling buckskin bringing $8,000 and the top five wearing the butterscotch tint averaging $6,740.

At the top of the buckskin list, Hip 45 “Pistol” a nine-year-old grade gelding offered by Bruce Nelson, Pine Bluffs, WY came honest, gentle, parade broke, ranch ridden, and attractive - and sold to Michelle Porter, Colburn, CO for $8,000.

Well attended previews included a “Team Penning” competition on Friday afternoon, and on Saturday a full saddle and ride horse exhibition bonused by team sorting, cutting, and rope horse previews.

One owner and another pretty buckskin, Hip 89 “Biebers Shiner” a 2001 AQHA Gelding sired by Great Jab O Lena and out of a daughter of Doc’s Oak was raised and offered by Leroy Beiber, Leola, SD.

Broke, strong built, and sensible, the gelding brought $5,900 and sold to Charles Jerviss, Oak View, CA.

A steady summer loose horse market prevailed as the top five prospects averaged $1,540 against$1,350 one year ago; top ten averaged $1,347 vs. $1,142 in ‘07; Top 20 brought $1,115 compared to $946; top 50 came in at $828 against $704; and the top 100 averaged $643 compared to $563 last year.

It’s a good one with a big line-up and Billings Livestock’s next sale event is the “Mid-Summer Catalog Sale” featuring cutting and cowbred horses July 26 - 27.

Rope horses and cutting horses will preview both days, with a special cutting horse preview set for Friday, July 25 at 5 p.m. .

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

SALE REPORT FOR May 24-25

Dressed up and dressed down, they came in all colors, kinds, and sizes, and the working-class geldings had it going on at Billings Livestock’s “Cow Country Classic Catalog Sale” May 24-25.

The rip-roaring gelding supershow featured the annual “Best of the Remuda” ranch horse competition where 55 head of using horses auditioned to a full house at the HorsePalace Arena Friday afternoon.

One brand, one ranch, one program, just call them the “goods” - Billings Livestock was proud to welcome the AQHA Remuda of the Year, “S Ranches”, John R. Scott and Family, Billings, MT and Miles, TX.

S Ranch offered seven head of prime working ranch geldings - direct from the branding pasture to Billings Livestock - all packing the respected “S” brand - and the ready-to-work rides averaged $6,571.

Buyers numbered 485 and hailed from Florida to California.

A weekend total of 877 head of horses came to Billings with 75 “no sales” or pass outs - computing to a 91.5 completed sales percentage.

He came sired by Frenchman’s Guy - the nation’s #4 leading sire of barrel horses - all ages, all divisions - and Hip 184 “Frenchman’s Nino” a 2001 AQHA Gray Gelding was a money earning 1-D, 2-D barrel horse offered by Justin Swires, Tonopah, AZ.

Also started roping in the arena, the extra-nice gray gelding brought $24,000 and moved north with W7 Running Horses, British Columbia.

Daughters of High Brow Cat - Equist’s #1 leading sire of cutting horses for 2007 - and Peptoboonsmal - the #4 leading sire - claimed top seller spots two, three, and four - commanding an average sale price of $18,333.

Offered by Black Rock Ranch, Harrison, ID, Hip 204 “Peptos Barbie” a 97 AQHA red roan daughter of Peptoboonsmal and out of a daughter of Smart Little Lena sold with a ripping palomino filly at side by Black Rock’s sire, “Shiners Diamond Sun”.

Jan Moles, New Ulm, TX purchased the solid, pretty mare and baby for $18,000.

He won the buckle and top ranch horse sale honors, too, and Hip 19 “Cash’s Ranger” a 2002 AQHA Sorrel gelding by Cash N Pep was the complete package - rein, cut, ranch, or rope - this guy is the business.

Consigned by Robin Medley, Kamiah, ID, the “anyone can ride” kind of gelding brought $13,000 selling to Jerry and Lorraine Robinette, Helena, MT.

“Best of the Remuda” ranch geldings averaged $9.120 on the top five and $7,960 on the top ten.

BLS’s horse market showed overall strength on the good ones from the first horse to the last - averages reflect a substantial increase over 2007 figures,

Top five averaged $18,400 compared to $15,700 last year - a $2,700 per head gain; top 10 brought $14,025 versus $11,815 in 2007 - that‘s $2,220 per head better; top 20 came in at $10,742 against $9,105 one year ago; top 50 brought $7,428 compared to $6,530 - that’s a $898 per head increase on 50 head over 2007 - and the top 100 rang the bell at $5,288 versus $4,918 last year.

Switching divisions, a rapid fire loose horse market gained ground over last month, and bettered even one year ago when one U.S. Plant remained open.

Despite the national pressure and press, loose horses continue to hold their own as shown in the sale averages - top five brought $1,620 compared to $1,530 in 2007; Top ten averaged $1,430 versus $1,405 last year; top 20 at $1,221 and $1,230 one year ago; top 50 brought $926 and $979 last year; top 100 loose averaged $687 this year compared to $709 in 2007.

The “Summer Special Catalog Sale” will headline Saturday and Sunday‘s events, June 28 - 29 and will feature “Team Penning” horses and a special session of “Buckskins“. All classes and types of horses will sell including rope horses, cutters, reiners, prospects, mares, stallions, and finished arena and using 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 and Sunday mornings. Ride horse previews 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

SALE REPORT FOR APRIL 26-27

Mega mules, trail, pack, and hunting horses - a sportsman’s selection of the recreational, all-terrain, and happy camper kind - lit up the board at Billings Livestock’s “Spring Special Catalog Sale” featuring “Outfitters, Guides, Trail, and Guest horses” along with a special session of “Roans Only” March 22 - 23.

Big numbers headed to the Big Sky including a parade bull, two working cow dogs, 100 mules, and 919 head of horses - all for the two-day, Easter weekend sale.

Sale stats include 526 individual, registered buyers hailing from California to Kentucky, 91 pass outs or no-sales, and a 91% completed sales percentage on the livestock.

Barrel horses made the big bang as the top three selling horses were hauled and won on barrel horses bringing $16,500, $9,800, and $8,000 respectively, and five out of the top ten selling horses were again barrel horses - boasting an average sale price of $9,060.

He’d won money at the Big Bang, JJ Classic, and Show Me Futurities, won eighth out of 406 entries at the Columbia Barrel Bash, and took home top sale honors with a final bid of $16,500, and Hip 171 “Cody War Jack” a 2001 AQHA Gray Gelding x Adairs Warrior and out of a Beau Bonanza bred mother was a solid, solid barrel horse.

Offered by Jill Houck, North Branch, MN the take-you-to-the-pay-window gelding went home with Gretchen Addington, South Coffeyville, OK.

Run barrels, poles, or head steers at the roping, Hip 160 “CC Zan Parr Fritz” a 97 AQHA sorrel gelding x Zan Parr Sage was solid, seasoned, and sold ready to haul.

Owned and trained by Phyllis Brosz, Shepherd, MT the better business gelding sold to Stewart Huneke, Wilbur, NE for $9,800.

Number three barrel horse was Hip 227 “Miss Kai Eldorado” a 95 AQHA chestnut mare x Topline Eldorado and out of a daughter of Lani Kai .

Consigned by Jackie Bischler, Carstairs, Alberta, the quick little mare had qualified for the Alberta High School Rodeo Finals, Canadian High School Rodeo Finals, and Silver State High School Finals in barrels, poles, and goats.

Classic Quarter Horses purchased the mare for $8,000.

Honest broke geldings continue to rock as the top five using geldings averaged $6,040.

Mules made magic as over 100 head of mules invaded Billings Livestock with the top selling mule commanding $4,200.

The average on the top five selling mules came in at $3,060 per head.

Big, strong, gentle-by-nature, and built to last, quarter-drafts came by the dozens - pack, ride, or drive - and depending on quality, color, and experience brought from $800 to $6,800.

He’d hunted wild hogs, came gentle and willing, and Hip 146 “Hillbilly” a 03 grade paint gelding could cover the country.

Consigned by Stanley Brothers, Hamburg, AR, the extra-large fellow sold to Cord Gasque, Gallatin Gateway, MT for $6,800.

A better loose horse market continued - it’s been three months of a rock-solid trade - as the top loose horses brought more than one-year ago - the top five averaged $1,865 compared to $1,475 in 2007, top ten averaged $1,510 compared to $1,267 last year, top 20 brought $1,187 versus $1,096. The top 50 averaged $828 with the top 100 bringing $636.

Loose horses are sold with no guarantee, no speech, and no rider.

Inclusive of all divisions - catalog horses, loose, and open consignment - complete sale averages show the top five at $9,520; top 10 at $7,560; Top 20 brought $5,940; Top 50 at $4,360; and the top 100 averaged $3481.

Billings Livestock’s next sale event is set for April 26 - 27 and will feature the tenth annual “Rope Horse Special” catalog sale and regular monthly horse sale.

Lots of cattle, lots of opportunities to watch the rope horses, including a jackpot team roping open only to sale horses set for Friday, April 25 in the BLS arena.

Rope horses will show again in previews on Saturday and Sunday.

All classes of horses will sell including mares, stallions, finished horses, prospects, and young stock. Cattle will also be available to show the cutting horses and calf horses.

Catalog closing date is April 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.

Sale Report for February 22-23-24, 2008

Lots of Pretty Horses

Bigger, better, and booming with quality - find your kind - rope, rein, cut, ranch or just ride, good horses ran in big bunches at Billings Livestock Commission’s three-day “February Special Catalog Sale” February 22-23-24.

A one-stop-shop for arena, performance, and promising prospects, the superhorse weekend saw blue skies, Montana sunshine, 50+ degrees and 883 head of horses.

From first horse to last, an ambitious market played to a full house of buyers as over 700 individuals registered to buy at the three-day sale which included an indoor preview of all performance horses.

Trumping all previous February sales records, just 57 horses were “no-saled” by the consignor, computing to a 94% completed sales rate.

Stallions stood king of the hill as four of the top five selling horses were studs - sired by the cow horse greats Dual Pep, Peptoboonsmal, High Brow Cat, and Bet On Me 498.

The top five averaged $29,800.

Pink, pretty, and pedigreed, Hip 324 “Must Be A Pepto” a 2003 AQHA red roan stallion by the $10 million dollar sire Peptoboonsmal and out of Meradas Kitty Rey came consigned by Mark and Marsha Chestnut, Whitesboro, TX.

The standup stallion brought $36,000 and sold to Bud Fay, Gillette, WY.

Show him, ride him, or breed him, Hip 359 “Madual” a 1996 AQHA sorrel stallion x Dual Pep and out of Jewels Madera was pretty enough to halter and came with over $25,000 in NCHA earnings.

Purchased by Diamond JT Quarter Horses, Bentley, Alberta, the ready-to-show stallion brought $38,000.

A great mother - Little Badger Dulce - combined with the NCHA Horse of the Year “High Brow Cat” and Hip 351 “Cat and Dulce” a 2004 AQHA sorrel stallion came loaded with genetics.

Selling breeding sound only, the purple-pedigreed stallion came consigned by Kenneth Jackson, Owensville, MO and sold to Barbara Condon, Arlington, WA for $30,000.

Mares proved good property as daughters of High Brow Cat, Peppy San Badger, Shining Spark, One Time Pepto, Si O’lena, and Dual Pep all claimed a stake in the top twenty sellers listing.

Black Rock Ranch, LLC, Harrision, ID offered Hip 418 “Ms Shining Spark” a 2006 AQHA Palomino mare by Shining Spark and out of Ms i Brow by High Brow Hickory.

Sunshine yellow and riding, the pretty young filly sold for $11,500 to Wilderness Stables and Tack, Calgary, Alberta.

The heat was on the good, gentle, ride-around geldings as buyer demand exceeded supply - again.

Hip 342 “King Juniper” a 2001 AQHA bay gelding x Docs Nifty Bar King came ridden and consigned by Double K Ranch, McCook, NE.

Quiet, gentle, and stays that way, the better gelding brought $9,750 and sold to Lester Field, Townsend, MT.

Catalog sale averages show muscle and include the top 10 at $21,600; Top 20 averaged $15,847; Top 50 brought $10,548, and the top 100 came in at $7,516.

Loose horses ran absolutely wild - inspite of the closure of all U.S. plants and the roadblocks that day after day get thrown in the way - BUT - Billings Livestock’s overall market, from top to bottom, exceeded the February market from one year ago.

Averages tell the story - top five $1,600 compared with $1,545 in 2007; top 10 $1,310; top 20 $1085; top 50 brought $815 compared with $801, and the truth is told going deep with top 100 - they averaged $651 this year against $626 last year - an increase of $25 more per head.

Billings Livestock’s next sale event will be the “Spring Special Catalog Sale” March 22 - 23 and will feature the annual “Outfitters, Guest, Dude Ranch and Trail Horse” offering in addition to a special session of “Roans Only”. All classes of horses will sell, in addition to a big selection of mules.

An indoor preview of the barrel horses, cutters, saddle horses, and rope horses is scheduled for Friday, March 21 at 1 p.m.

For more information, to consign or request a catalog, contact Bill and Jann Parker, Billings Livestock Commission Horse Sales at 406-245-4151 or see it all at www.billingslivestock.com

Sale Report for January 26, 2008

Better geldings remained bulletproof as geldings claimed every spot in the top twenty sellers listing - including one horse that sold on the loose.

Jackpot ready, gentle, and a solid ranch employee, Hip 72 “Pepper” a 2001 Grade gray gelding was a finished heel horse offered by Bryce Dunleavy, Billings, MT.

Trip after trip, ride him in the arena or out, the good little heel horse brought $5,700 and sold to Dottie Taylor, Filer, ID.

Another nice gelding - also offered grade - was Hip 64 “Viper” a 2002 red roan consigned by E.J. Frink, Wanblee, SD.

With a ranching background, the attractive horse had 20 days heeling steers in the arena and sold to roper and rancher Frank Billy, Havre, MT for $3,400.

The big news of the weekend was the blazing loose horse trade - right back on track and bucks better than it has been in three months, the loose horses reclaimed their lost ground and gained some - as the top selling loose horse brought $2,200 and the top 20 averaged $823.

Horse for horse, the loose horse sale averages tell the story - $386 per head average on 118 head - that’s up nearly $150 per head over December’s figures .

Offering only collectible and used tack, the “Cabin Fever Tack Sale” seized a captive audience where the once-a-year tack event - held each January at BLS - sold bits to bridles and saddles to doctor‘s buggies, with the top pieces - two Montana Prison-made horsehair hitched headstalls - commanding $4,000 and $3,250 respectively.

The unique pieces crafted by Deer Lodge, Montana Prison inmates in the early 1920’s sold to a Florida collector.

They had been in the same family since they were made in the 1930’s, and a black pair of angora wooly chaps came consigned by Westby, MT rancher and horseman, Bob Leininger.

The special pair of chaps had seen minimal use and sold to a Wyoming buyer for $1,500.

Additional noteworthy pieces included a pair of spotted, batwing chaps built in the 1930’s or 40’s by Miles City, MT saddle maker Al Furstnow.

The chaps also included unusual fringed conchos that were original to the design. The piece of Montana cowboy history brought $1,400.

Forsyth, MT rancher Larry Cole offered his lifetime collection of using tack which included a pair of double mounted Canon City, CO prison-made spurs which fetched a final bid of $1,300.

Stats for the one-day winter sale include 207 head offered with nine “pass outs or no sales”, 12 roping steers, and 584 pieces of tack.

All inclusive horse averages include the top five at $3,820; top ten at $3,130; top twenty at $2,580; and the top 50 head of horses sold averaged $1,898.

A big, three day sale event is set for February 22-23-24 and will feature the “February Catalog Sale” highlighted by a special, limited session of “Sons and Daughters” of Champions and Money Earners in addition to the NFR Session.

All classes of horses will sell with a preview of the rope horses, cutting horses, barrel horses, and saddle horses set for Friday, February 22 at 11 a.m. at the Horse Palace Arena. Rope horses, calf horses, and cutting horses will all preview on cattle.

Catalogs will be available on-line Thursday, February 14 with hard copy catalogs mailed on Friday, February 15.

For more information, to consign, or to request a catalog, contact Bill and Jann Parker, BLS Horse Sale Managers at 406-245-4151 or 1-800-635-7364. See it all at www.billingslivestock.com