Recession or no recession, good working horses are always a commodity. This year’s Black Hills Stock Show All Breed Horse Sale confirmed this once more, again boasting a standing room only crowd while also setting new records in sale revenues.

Held at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City, S.D., on January 25-26, the two-day sale featured 178 prescreened consignments. Included in the offering were ranch broke geldings, horses trained in arena events, and several stallions as well as young prospects. Lynn Weishaar of Reva, S.D. performed the auctioneering duties, and John Johnson of Piedmont, S.D., served as

the announcer.

---

---

The high selling horse overall was lot 141, Rare Sun Rising. This 2010 bay AQHA stallion was the son of the now deceased sire Rare Bar, whose offspring have earned over 2 million dollars on the track and in the barrel pen. The grandsire on the bottom side was the great Sun Frost. Consigned by the Cowan Brothers, LLC, of Highmore, S.D., he left the ring on a stock show record setting bid of $25,500 from barrel racer Cindy Wheeler of Fredericksburg, Texas.

Lot 21 and the second high seller at $21,500 was Seven S Gunpoint, a 2005 AQHA lineback dun stallion. A grandson of Playgun on the top side and Smart Chic O Lena on the bottom, he was in reining, roping and cowhorse training. Consigned by Dan Whetham of Belle Fourche, S.D., he was purchased by Tom Smith of Mobridge, S.D.

---

---

Still another top selling stallion was lot 115, Peppers Gotadvantage. The pretty bay was a 2007 model consigned by Cheyenne Canyon Quarter Horses and Paints of Hot Springs, S.D. An own son of Annie’s Little Pepper by Peppy San Badger on the top side, the young stallion had already accumulated 48 AQHA points in cowhorse, heading, heeling, reining and ranch pleasure. He sold for $21,000 to Steven Neil of Sedalia, Colo.

Lot 127 was DJ Sprats Peppy Boy, a 2004 AQHA Appendix bay gelding. Consigned by Austin Grimes of Kadoka, S.D., he brought $16,500 from Jack Manning of Hemingford, Neb. The gelding was a world show qualifier in Jr. Working Cowhorse, plus had money won on him in heading and heeling and was ready to haul in the tie down roping. An added bonus was that he had been ranched on and could be ridden by about anyone.

Selling for $14,000 was lot 168, Lil Cooter Lena. A 2006 AQHA buckskin gelding and a grandson of Smart Little Lena on the top side, he was a winning reined cowhorse with a big stop. Consigned by Rhoda Rein of Watkins, Colo., he found a new home with Dick Minor, Jr. of Gordon Livestock in Gordon, Neb.

A consignment from the Haythorn Land and Cattle Company of Arthur, Neb., was lot 9, Cash Four Eddie. A son of Nu Cash Cow by Nu Cash, the 2005 AQHA brown gelding had won or placed in several ranch horse competitions. He sold to Wheeler Land and Cattle of Casper, Wyo., for $11,000.

Yet another consignment from the Haythorn Land and Cattle Company was lot 111, Badges Wild Bill. The 2005 AQHA bay gelding had Peppy San Badger on both the top and bottom sides and was a great performance horse. He brought $10,500 from Mark Thiel of Belle Fourche, S.D.

One of several gray horses in the sale was Wyatt Tucker Jack, lot 26. A 2001 gelding, he had AQHA points plus money and saddles won on him in heading and heeling. Consigned by Kevin Gast of Sheffield, Iowa, he sold for $10,000 to Doug and Kari Jo Lawrence of Timber Lake, S.D.

The top five horses averaged $20,100 compared to $17,250 in 2012. The top 10 averaged $16,700 compared to $14,075, and the overall average was $6,236.52 compared to $5,521.93. Buyers this year came from 16 states and Canada. ❖