The Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale, coming on the heels of the September yearling sales, is a bellwether for mid-market Quarter race horses. This year’s two-day sale, which concluded on October 24 in Oklahoma City, saw an increase overall in Quarter Horse sales from 2008, including an increase of 39% in the average price ($6,598) for yearlings.

“Overall we were extremely pleased with this year’s results,” said general manager Jeff Tebow, who noted that bidders from Canada, Mexico and South America were among the high volume buyers from the 534-horse catalog.

Thoroughbred sessions, however, reflected the current national trend with a decrease of 38% per yearling and a repurchase rate of 15% over 2008 (Quarter Horse yearlings had a repurchase rate of 10%). The open Thoroughbred session had a decrease of 20% over 2008, while open Paints and Appaloosas showed an increase of 4%.

First Prize Timber topped the sale at $60,000. The stakes-placed 3-year-old, sired by Oak Tree Special, is a half-brother to eight stakes horses, including Heza Fast Dash, who is the sire of the high-selling yearling, Emperor Valerian, at $27,500.

NCHA Futurity Sales revised schedule
Western Bloodstock, which produces the NCHA Futurity Sales, announced this week that the schedule for the 2009 NCHA Futurity Sales has been reduced from eight to six days and will begin on Tuesday, December 8 rather than December 6, as previously advertised.

“There has been a drop in breeding the past few years and we are beginning to see it reflected in our number of consignments,” said Western Bloodstock director Jim Ware. “People are still showing as many horses as ever though and we expect there will be a lot of competition among bidders, especially with yearlings and two-year-olds.”