It was the end of an era and the beginning of a new one, when the final hammer fell on Tuesday, September 22, for Alice Walton’s Rocking W Ranch Absolute Dispersal, produced by Western Bloodstock Ltd. at Rocking W Ranch in Millsap, Texas.

Eighty-nine horses and embryos, the culmination of five decades of Walton’s selective breeding, sold for $3,230,500, with an average of $36,298. Seven horses sold for $100,000 or more; five brought $200,000 or more.

“We knew it was going to be a great sale,” said Jeremy Barwick, owner of Western Bloodstock Ltd. “But it was truly phenomenal. “

The sale topper, Boon San, a leading sire in 2014, sold to Robert Patton Jr. for $500,000. Sired by High Brow Cat and out of NCHA Horse of the Year Boon San Kitty, the 12-year-old stallion was one of 11 horses purchased by Patton, including the sale’s second-highest seller at $410,000, 5-year-old Boon San Baby LTE $197,332, with her 2016 embryo by The Boon.

Patton, a Fort Worth businessman, investor, and co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, also purchased 3-year-old Rockin Sallycat, by Rockin W out of One Sallycat, along with her 2016 embryo by Boon San, for $200,000; 2-year-old filly Pattie Rocks, by Rockin W out of Stylish Baby Doll, for $200,000; 6-year-old Boon San Spoon, by Hes A Peptospoonful out of Boon San Kitty, along with her 2016 embryo by Rockin W; and a 2016 embryo by Boon San out of Stylish Baby Doll.

Altogether, Patton, who recently acquired Marvine Ranch, Jon and Abby Winkelried’s showcase cutting horse facility in Aledo, Tex., bought 11 Walton lots for a total of $1,793,500 and an average of $163,045.

“None of this was pursuant to a grand plan,” said Patton, who has rechristened the former Winkelried facility as Rocking P Ranch. “I looked at buying the property as a good investment. Then someone mentioned that Alice Walton was selling all of her cutting horses in a few days and I ought to go out there and take a look.

“I didn’t know anything about cutting horses, but it got me to thinking and one thing led to another. I looked at it as a business, and thought if these people (who work for Rocking W Ranch) are going to be out of a job, I’ll take a leap of faith that Alice Walton hires good people and hire them for my ranch. Then we’ll have good people and a good facility, possibly two of the hardest things to find. And that’s when I approached Jesse (Lennox, formerly Rocking W’s resident trainer).

“I’d never met Alice Walton before the day of the sale, but I asked Jesse questions about different horses, and I think we kind of kept the core of her operation together. That was my goal. It was just really fortunate that things fell in place they way they have.”

Alvin and Becky Fults, owners of leading cutting sire Metallic Cat, acquired Stylish Baby Doll, a leading producer in 2014 and the sale’s third-highest seller at $350,000. Sired by SR Instant Choice and out of Stylish Oak Susie, 13-year-old Stylish Baby Doll, the earner of $201,425 and producer of earners of $360,314, sold with a 2016 embryo by Boon San.

The Fults also paid $50,000 for Zacks Lena LTE $150,413. The 1998 Zack T Wood daughter, dam of the earners of $376,000 with a 2016 embryo by Rockin W, was one of 16 horses that sold for $50,000 or more.

Bobby and Dottie Hill, Glen Rose, Tex., owners of 2014 NCHA Open Futurity champion Classy CD Cat, as well as co-owners of 2014 NCHA Open Futurity reserve champion Smooth Talkin Style, also purchased 11 Walton lots, including the 4-year-old mare Rockin Kitty, by Dual Rey out of Boon San Kitty, who they bought in partnership with Gail Holmes, also co-owner of Smooth Talkin Style.

Other Hill purchases at the sale included 8-year-old Rose Rey, by Dual Rey out of Stylish Rosie and with a 2016 embryo by Boon San, for $65,000; and 4-year-old Boon San Reyette, by Boon San out of Stylish Reyette, and with a 2016 embryo by The Boon, for $50,000.

Center Ranch, which will hold a production sale, also conducted by Western Bloodstock Ltd., at their ranch in Centerville, Tex. on October 10, 2015, paid $85,000 for 3-year-old Boon Sans Stylish. The Boon San daughter, out of Stylish Rosie, sold with an embryo by The Boon.

Seven-year-old stallion The Boon, whose first foals are yearlings of 2015, and who is the sire of many of the sales’ 2016 embryos, sold for $65,000 to King Ranch, home of 1977 NCHA Futurity champion and leading sire Peppy San Badger, and his sire, NCHA world champion, Mr San Peppy.

For complete sale results, as well as catalog, and information on upcoming sales go to www.westernbloodstock.com