This year’s NCHA Futurity Sales are shaping up like the holiday retail market – less supply and more demand for popular items. In the case of the Futurity Sales, with record entries in the Open Futurity, yearlings and 2-year-olds will be in short supply compared to past Futurity Sales.

Every year, according to Western Bloodstock director Jim Ware, the sale company targets approximately 3,000 cutting bred yearlings by leading sires, new sires and current performers. This year, however, when Western Bloodstock conducted their research, the number of yearlings by the same stallions had dropped significantly from 2008. As a result, their Futurity catalogs offer nearly 500 fewer horses than last year.

“We catalogued 1530 horses in 2008 compared to 1034 in 2009,” said Ware. “There is less of a supply because many of our customers reduced their number of breedings and embryo transfers. Some even chose to leave their mares open this year. Conversely, there are more entries than ever. It’s a matter of supply versus demand and right now, the industry is in short supply for prospects.”

The NCHA Futurity Sales begin on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 9:00 a.m. and continue daily through Sunday, Dec. 13, the day of the Open Finals, at Will Rogers Equestrian Center in Fort Worth.