It was back to the future at the NCHA Futurity Sales, December 11 through 17 at Will Rogers Equestrian Center, Fort Worth, Texas.
While a record number of entries competed for an all-time high Futurity purse of $4.1 million in Will Rogers Coliseum, the NCHA Futurity Sales, managed by Western Bloodstock, posted the highest average in the history of the sales and broke all-time records for two-year-olds and weanlings at auction.
The high-selling horse from all sales was the weanling All Boon, who sold to Ken Jackson, Owensville, MO, for $750,000. The red roan filly, sired by Peptoboonsmal and out of NCHA Horse of the Year Boon San Kitty, was offered during Walton’s Rocking W Ranch Futurity Production Sale.
“This market was incredibly strong,” said Western Bloodstock’s Jim Ware.” I didn’t think we’d ever see sales that would out-average 2001 on completed sales, but we did. And we actually sold 300-plus more horses than in 2001.”
During the 2001 NCHA Futurity Sales, which saw broodmares like Meradas Little Sue, Bowmans Fancy, CD Chica San Badger and Remedy For Sweets sell for record prices, 613 head sold for a net average of $21,343. In 2006, 940 horses sold for a net average of $21,370.
More importantly, according to Ware, the average for the top 200 horses sold in 2006 was $60,845 – $11,680 more than in 2001, and 78 horses each sold for $50,000 or more, another sale record.
“You had so much strength all the way through the sale,” Ware noted. “Although we didn’t have a big number of horses that brought huge prices like in 2001, this year’s sale easily surpasses anything that’s ever happened in the past.”
The 2006 sales also reflected a shift in market demand.
“The prospect market is what made these sales,” Ware pointed out. “There were only two broodmares among the top 10 horses sold. The success was based on prospects.
“I think the big factor here is the purse and distribution of the purse at the NCHA Futurity. It’s tremendous and the sales tie in directly to what is happening in the coliseum. When you have a record number of entries like this year, you have a great demand for prospects.
“I think these are the most healthy sales that have ever been held in Fort Worth. We sold two two-year-olds for $200,000 each. Never in the 40-year history of that (two-year-old) sale has there been a $200,000 horse sold and we sold two in one day.”
Loves Cat and Sarahs Super Cat, both two-year-old mares sired by High Brow Cat, brought winning bids of $200,000 from David Sabey, Bigfork, Montana, and Slate River Ranch, Weatherford, Texas, respectively. Loves Cat was consigned by Mahler and Meredith of Olney, Texas; Sarahs Super Cat was consigned by Crazy Horse Ranch, Kanarraville, Utah.
This year’s consignments also represented a wide range of sires.
“It wasn’t just one sire that dominated,” said Ware. “People made money with prospects by up-and-coming sires. As long as you have a purse that’s worthy of people’s attention and that people can shoot at and the economy is good, you’re going to have a strong prospect market.”
In addition to a change of schedule that saw the NCHA Futurity Select Two-Year-Old return to the Saturday prior to Sunday’s NCHA Futurity Open Finals, Western Bloodstock also offered for the first time live broadcasts via RFD-TV of two sessions – the Invitational Yearling Sale and the Select Two-Year-Old Sale.
For the second consecutive year, Western Bloodstock also required that horses in the Select Two-Year-Old Sale make radiographs available to prospective buyers prior to the sales through a sale repository. Radiographs were also required of horses selected for the inaugural Invitational Yearling Sale.
“We think a big thing that has helped the price of prospects, in addition to the Futurity purse, is the repository,” noted Ware. “Those x-rays got looked at and people knew what they were buying before they bid and they bought with confidence. There were also lots of horses in the other sessions that people voluntarily radiographed. It really makes a difference.
“This year at the at Keeneland Thoroughbred sales in Lexington, Kentucky, they’re making it mandatory that their radiographs be digital. We made it mandatory last year, so it’s good to know that Western Bloodstock is on the cutting edge with its repository and its rules.
In addition to the sale of All Boon for $750,000, and of Loves Cat and Sarahs Super Cat for $200,000, other sale highlights included the sale of two yearlings for $285,000 each–Imirage and Ruby Reyn, both sired by Dual Rey and both purchased by Stan Thomas, Newman, Georgia, who was the under-bidder on All Boon.
Imirage, consigned by Oxbow Ranch, Weatherford, Texas, is out of NCHA World Champion and leading dam Bet Yer Blue Boons; Ruby Reyn, consigned by Waco Bend Ranch, Fort Worth, Texas, is out of #2 all-time leading producer Playboys Ruby.
Hickorys Indian Pep, consigned by Dean Sanders and Sierra Oak Ranch, was the high-selling stallion at $350,000. The 1994 son of Doc’s Hickory sold to Danny Miller and Benny Martinez.
Cattilion, bred to Bet On Me 498, a half- brother to Imirage, was the top-selling broodmare at $150,000. The 2001 daughter of High Brow Cat and earner of $150,392, was consigned by Billy and Kayla Taylor, Seymour, Texas and sold to Floyd Miller Jr., Bayfield, Colorado.
High-selling show horses included Kitty Catalac at $150,000, consigned by Carol Rains, Bakersfield, California, and purchased by Lynn Davis, Houlka, Mississippi, as well as Sheza Stray Cat at $140,000, consigned by Megan Merrill, Weatherford, Texas and purchased by Michelle Hare, Malin, Oregon.
The next sale on Western Bloodstock’s 2007 agenda is the NCHA Super Stakes Sale to be held at Will Rogers Equestrian Center on April 14. For additional information visit westernbloodstock.com.