The weather outside was frigid, but bidding was heated inside John Justin Sale Arena on Friday, December 9, during Session III of the NCHA Futurity Preferred Breeders Sale, where 144 horses sold for $4,077,900, with an average of $28,319. And at $800,000, Sly Playgirl brought the second-highest price ever paid for a cutting horse at a public auction.

Consigned by Rocking L Cutting Horses, Sly Playgirl earned $343,467 during her show career and her oldest foal is a three-year-old.  The 2007 That Sly Cat daughter, out of Taquitas Playgirl, by Freckles Playboy, sold to Rose Valley Ranch, Weatherford, Tex., with an embryo by Smooth As A Cat. Rose Valley Ranch is also home of the stallion Boon Too Suen, whose dam, Meradas Little Sue LTE $743,275, holds the record as the all-time high-selling cutting horse at public auction. Fifteen years ago this week, Meradas Little Sue sold for $875,000 during the 2001 NCHA Futurity Preferred Breeders Sale.

Also on Friday, established sires Spots Hot and Third Cutting sparked highly competitive bidding from the standing room only crowd. Spots Hot LTE $529,435, an NCHA Top 20 Sire in 2016, brought $550,000, the second-highest price from five days of 2016 NCHA Futurity Sales. Consigned by Sunrise Ranch, the 15-year-old Chula Dual son was purchased by Rocking P Ranch, Fort Worth, Tex.

Third Cutting LTE $528,268, consigned by Carl and Shawnea Smith, sold for $285,000 to Logan D. Alley-Metallic Echo LLC, Walsh, Colo. The 11-year-old son of Boonlight Dancer was the NCHA #12 Leading Sire in 2016 and has lifetime offspring earnings of more than $1 million.

The 2016 NCHA Futurity Sales conclude on Saturday, December 10 with the 2016 NCHA Futurity Cutting Horse Sale. For complete results and catalog go to www.westernbloodstock.com