By Tanya Randall

Big names sold big, but even then, only a few reached the price levels seen from 2005-2007.

Horses backed by strong marketing or by young stallions with proven pedigrees fared well. Others struggled, hoping to get their horses sold into the right hands in order to help put their programs on the barrel racing map. Here, BHN take a statistical view of what happened in the barrel horse sales industry in 2009.

Published results were available from the following barrel horse sales—Desert Mecca, held in conjunction with the Greg Olson Memorial Futurity in Buckeye, Ariz., in January; the LG Classic Sale, held in conjunction with the LG Pro Classic Invitational in February in Kinder, La.; the Old Fort Days Futurity Sale, held in Fort Smith, Ark., in May; the BRN4D Barrel Horse and Prospect Sale, held in May during the BRN4D North Finals in Pasco, Wash.; the Myers Performance Horse Prospect Sale held in Spearfish, S.D., in August; the Fulton Performance Horse Sale, held in August in Valentine, Neb.; the Jud Little Ranch Production Sale held in Springer, Okla., during the Bar Nothin Barrel Bash and Futurity in September; the JB Quarter Horses Creating Legends Sale, held in November during the Barrelnanza and JB Quarter Horses Futurity in Waco, Texas; and the World Championship Futurity Select Barrel Horse Sale held in Oklahoma City in December.

These nine premier sales cataloged 527 horses ranging from embryos and broodmares to prospects and finished horses. Of that total, 501 walked through the sale ring and 376 (75 percent) changed hands for $2,864,200. The 376 sold horses averaged $7,618. The median was $5,200.

Both averages and medians are used to compare sale statistics, but they should not be compared against each other. Typically, medians are used to rank horses with several get selling in other industries, such as the cutting and Thoroughbred racehorse industries. As noted in Quarter Horse News’ Sales Price Guide, “The median is the bid halfway between the highest and lowest bids, meaning half of the bids are higher than the median and half the bids are lower. Median is considered the true indicator of market value because it is not affected by unusually high and low bids.”

Rankings were only tabulated for horses with three or more offspring selling. They were determined by the median price, although the average price was also provided. (A word of caution about averages: A horse sale may appear to have a great sales average, but in reality had one great seller and one low seller.)

Of the 527 cataloged horses, 25 were “out,” or scratched from a sale. Of the 501 head that went through the ring, 125, or 25 percent, were repurchased or passed out by their owners. A gross worth for the 501 head could not be determined since repurchase prices weren’t available from all sales.

High Selling Individuals

Think Equi-Stat’s all-time leading sire Dash Ta Fame produced the high seller in 2009? Think again. That honor goes to Frenchmans Guy. However, his top two sellers in 2009 were out of Dash Ta Fame daughters.

Guys Famous Girl was the highest seller overall and the high selling 2-year-old. The 2007 gray daughter of Frenchmans Guy out of Disarray, a daughter of Dash Ta Fame, brought a bid of $68,000 from Leo Quintanilla, of Tilden, Texas. The filly was bred and sold by Bill and Deb Myers, of St. Onge, S.D., at their annual production sale.

Quintanilla also bought the filly’s yearling full brother for $34,000. Guys Keepin The Fame, a 2008 gray colt, was the highest selling yearling in 2009.

Mr JB Fire Fame was the highest selling 3-year-old and stallion. Bred and consigned by Joe and Dee Braman of JB Quarter Horses in Refugio, Texas, Mr JB Fire Fame is by the late leading sire Fire Water Flit and out of the 1D-producing mare Shorease Famous, by Dash Ta Fame. The palomino stallion sold for $50,000 to Gerald Williams at the Creating Legends Sale.

Frenchmans Guy also sired the highest selling weanling. Guys All In, a colt by Frenchmans Guy and out of Annie Up Cats, a daughter of leading sire Marthas Six Moons, brought $12,000 at the Myers sale.

The Myers Sales also produced the highest selling broodmare. Sabino Six, a 1997 daughter of Streakin Six and out of Sabino Glass, by Raise Your Glass, sold for $10,000. She was in foal to Frenchmans Guy.

Overall Leading Sires

Although Frenchmans Guy made headlines with his high sellers, Dash Ta Fame was the leading sire of barrel horses and prospects sold in 2009. The leading sire of barrel horses since 2003, Dash Ta Fame had 21 get sell for $378,400—for an $18,019 average and $17,100 median price.

His high seller was Famous Pie, a 2-yearold colt out of the Rare Form mare, Rare Pie. Consigned to the World Futurity Sale by Safari Racing, with Victory Farms acting as agent, Famous Pie sold to Kris Suard of Black Star Ranch for $33,000.

Finding Frenchmans Guy near the top of the charts is no surprise either. A perennial leading sire, Frenchmans Guy had 29 get sell for $519,600—for an average $17,917 and median price of $14,500. His high seller was Guys Famous Girl, the highest selling barrel horse sold at public auction in 2009, commanding $68,000.

Other long-standing leading sires of barrel horses found themselves in the same position when it came to selling their offspring at public auction. However, there were several surprises when it came to less established stallions and those with no performance age foals as of 2009.

Oh Whatta Boy, a son of Dash For Perks, commanded a median price of $15,500 for his four foals. The 1999 stallion, owned by Devlin and Sheryl Buhr of Dark Horse Ranch, in Adams, Neb., had just 27 foals of performance age in 2009. Famous JR, a son of Dash Ta Fame, had four foals sell for a median price of $9,300. Owned by John Read Foster and Southern Rose Ranch, Famous JR had just 17 performance age foals in 2009.

A Streak Of Fling’s first foals hit the barrel arena in 2009. From his first foal crop of 83 AQHA foals, 13 had Equi-Stat earnings. Given the location of many of his offspring’s owners, more of that first crop will come in 2010 as 5-year-olds. A Streak Of Fling’s 33 offspring sold for a median price of $8,500.

Other sires with less than 10 performance age offspring that sold well in 2009 were Two Timen Fuel, with a median price of $5,100, and Dallas Fuel, with a median of $4,500.

Four of the leading sires had no performance age offspring in 2009. They were led by Holy Bart, a son of Dash Ta Fame, who had median price of $6,900 for his three 2-year-olds. His first foals will be 4-year-olds in 2010.

Bugemforcash, a promising young sire at the Jud Little Ranch, had a median price of $4,250 with just yearlings and 2-year-olds selling in 2009. He has one foal that will be a 4-year-old in 2010.

Chasin Firewater, a son of Fire Water Flit, had a $4,000 median with just yearlings and weanlings selling in 2009. His oldest foals will be 3-year-olds in 2010.

Hes Downrite Special, a full brother to WPRA World Champion Dynas Plain Special, saw his yearlings command a median price of $3,600. His first foals will be 4-year-olds in 2010.

Weanlings

The 19 weanlings sold in 2009 brought $105,200—for an average price of $5,537 and median price of $4,750. The 12 fillies sold for $60,700, a $5,058 average and $4,350 median, while the seven colts brought $44,500 for a $6,357 average and $4,750 median.

Frenchmans Guy was the leading sire of weanlings, with four head bringing $31,000 for an average of $7,750 and median of $7,125. A Streak Of Fling was the only other stallion with more than three offspring selling as weanlings. His four sold for $14,500, an average of $3,638 and median of $3,375.

Yearlings

The 87 yearlings sold in 2009 brought $509,000—for a $5,851 average and $3,800 median. The 48 fillies brought $290,650, for a $6,055 average and $4,750 median. The 29 geldings sold for $111,550, for a $3,847 average and $3,500 median. The 10 stallions sold for $106,800, for an average of $10,680 and median of $5,000.

The leading sire of yearlings was Frenchmans Guy, with eight head selling for $136,000. They averaged $17,000 and had a median of $15,000.

Other leading sires of yearlings were: 2) Dash Ta Fame, with a $14,250 average and $13,500 median; 3) Hot Colours, $6,583, $6,500; 4) Chasin Firewater, $4,238, $4,200; 5) Cash Not Credit, $7,433, $4,000; 6) Bestcreditmesunfrost, $3,400, $3,500; 7) Bugemforcash, $4,100, $3,200; 8) Streakin Again, $1,870, $1,900 and 9) Smoke N Sparks, $4,205, $1,850.

Only nine stallions had three or more sale horses.

Two-year-olds

The 122 two-year-olds who traded hands in 2009 sold for $1,257,750—for an average of $10,309 and median price of $7,375. The 63 fillies sold for $688,400, an average of $10,927 and median of $7,900. The 49 geldings brought $401,750, for an $8,199 average and $6,500 median. The 10 stallions commanded $167,600, for a $16,760 average and $18,000 median.

Dash Ta Fame was the leading sire of 2-yearolds, with 10 head bringing $225,100. They averaged $22,510, and the median price was $21,250. Dash Ta Fame was followed by Frenchmans Guy, with 11 head selling for $269,700, an average of $24,518 and median of $21,000.

Other top sires of 2-year-olds sold at auction were: 3) Oh Whatta Boy with a $16,667 average and $20,000 median; 4) Royal Shake Em, $13,750, $14,250; 5) Bully Bullion, $9,363, $9,225; 6) Famous JR, $8,833, $8,600; 7) A Streak Of Fling, $10,348, $8,500; 8) Dash For Perks, $6,017, $7,200; and 9) Holy Bart, $7,633, $6,900.

Three-year-olds

The 88 3-year-olds sold in 2009 brought $650,300. They averaged $7,390 and had a median price of $5,000. The geldings brought more than the fillies, with 41 selling for $301,500, an average of $7,354 and median of $6,250. The 41 fillies brought $276,400, for an average of 6,741 and $5,000 median. The six stallions brought $72,400 and had a median of $4,200. The stallions averaged $12,067, but one horse—Mr JB Fire Fame—sold for 70 percent of the stallions’ sale total. Without Mr JB Fire Fame, the five stallions only averaged $4,480.

Dash Ta Fame was the leading sire of 3-yearolds,with five selling for $80,500. They averaged$16,100, with the median price at $17,000.

Other leading sires of 3-year-olds were: 2) Frenchmans Guy, with a $15,480 average and $12,900 median; 3) Hot Colours, $16,750, $10,500; 4) Designer Red, $7,183, $7,200; 5) A Streak Of Fling, $6,938, $6,500; 6) Streakin Ali, $5,250, $5,500 and 7) Sticks An Stones, $3,767, $4,000.

Only seven stallions had three or more selling 3-year-olds.

Broodmares

The 11 broodmares sold at auction in 2009 brought $41,600, an average of $3,782 and a median price of $2,600. Both of the high selling broodmares were bred to Frenchmans Guy. Just two other broodmares sold for more than $5,000. Foxy French Flame, a daughter of Foxy Frenchman and bred to Dallas Fuel, sold for $6,000. French Dance Girl, a daughter of Frenchmans Guy who was bred to World Speed brought $5,500

 

 

Grandsires

Chicks Beduino was the leading grandsire of barrel horses sold at auction in 2009. His three grandget, two of which were by Dash Ta Fame, sold for $49,500, an average of $16,500 and median of $21,500. The Dash Ta Fames out of Chicks Beduino daughters were the third and fourth highest sellers overall at the World Futurity Sale.

Other leading grandsires of sale horses, in order, are Shawne Bug ($15,000 median), Paddys Irish Whiskey ($14,000), On The Money Red ($12,500), Dash Ta Fame ($12,000), Special Effort ($10,250), Flaming Jet ($9,000), Marthas Six Moons ($8,750), Frenchmans Guy ($8,500) and The Signature ($8,000).

Magic Crosses

The hottest cross in the sale ring was Frenchmans Guy on daughters of Dash Ta Fame. This cross produced two of the industry’s high sellers and averaged $32,500.

Other top sales crosses include, in order, Dash Ta Fame on Chicks Beduino mares, Hot Colours crossed on daughters of Frenchmans Guy, Royal Shake Em crossed on Fire Water Flit mares, A Streak Of Fling crossed on daughters of Shawne Bug, Famous JR on daughters of Marthas Six Moons, Frenchmans Guy on daughters of Shawne Bug, Frenchmans Guy crossed on Streakin Six mares, A Streak Of Fling crossed on Frenchmans Guy daughters, and A Streak Of Fling crossed on daughters of Paddys Irish Whiskey.

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