News of the Rock Creek Ranch Cutting Horse Dispersal on October 16 gave me pause to reflect on past high profile Quarter Horse dispersals. Two immediately came to mind: the second Phillips Ranch Dispersal and the 3 Bar D Ranch Dispersal.
Prices soared as high as the temperature at the Phillips Ranch Dispersal on July 22 and 23, 1982, near Frisco, Texas. The sale came as the result of the divorce of B.F. Phillips Jr., a prominent breeder of race and show horses, who stood such industry leaders as Dividend, Steel Bars, Rocket Wrangler, Raise Your Glass, Doc O’Lena, Streakin Six and Dash For Cash. Phillips had also won the National Cutting Horse Association non-pro world champion in 1965 and 1966 on Gin Echols and Goldwood.
This wasn’t Philips’ first record-breaking dispersal. In 1966, he sold 230 show horses to concentrate on a racehorse program. But the sale in 1982 set a new standard. Queen For Cash, the champion 3-year-old filly of 1981, broke the record for a Quarter Horse at auction, when she sold to J.E. Jumonville Jr. for $1,125,000. Jumonville also paid $875,000 for the 3-year-old Dash For Cash daughter Justanoldlove, whose dam, Callmecutie, sold for $500,000.
Queen For Cash was from the first small crop of racing phenomenon Dash For Cash, who Phillips had bred in partnership with King Ranch. Because Dash For Cash was owned by a syndicate and his foals were at a premium, by the time of the 1982 dispersal, his offspring generated tremendous competition among bidders.
Although Dash For Cash was the main attraction, buyers also paid top prices for sons and daughters of Easy Jet and Go Man Go, as well as for mares bred to or with a foal at side by Dash For Cash. Ten-year-old Really Rapid, by Go Man Go and out of the Three Bars daughter Rapid Valley, sold with a Dash For Cash filly at her side for $485,000. Easy Toro, an unraced 2-year-old sired by Easy Jet, went for $300,000, while his yearling half-brother by Dash For Cash brought $250,000.
Altogether, 260 race and cutting bred horses grossed $16,848,550 for an average of $64,802, including 34 lots, all race bred, that each sold for $125,000 or more.
Check back here in a few days for highlights from the 3 Bar D Ranch Dispersal, on July 30, 1983 in Canadian, Texas.