2013 CYPRESS HORSE BREEDERS SALE - Sept 21 - Maple Creek, SK
The Cypress Hills Registered Horse Breeders group held their 37th Annual Sale, September 21st at the Drill Hall in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan. The Sale is the longest running of it’s kind in Canada, this, coupled with the fact that it is held in conjunction with the Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Western Art & Gear Show, has helped it grow into a must-attend event for horse-people from near and far alike. A beautiful sunshine filled Saturday was enjoyed by spectators, consignors and buyers alike. The day started with the preview of the riding horses at the Rodeo Arena. The arena was buzzing with activity as riders showed their horse’s skills in team roping, ranch roping, sorting and general dry work.
Initially fifty five head here catalogued. After a few scratches and three passouts, 50 head were actually sold. Good crops and decent cattle prices always seem to give the horse market a boost. This year was no exception. The outstanding quality of the riding horses consigned this year, may also have had a bearing on the signifigant increase in the over-all sale averages. The top ten horses brought an average price of $8355 up from $6865 in 2012. The top five best-selling horses in the sale averaged $9870, up from $8100 last year.
Taking the honors as the high selling horse of the day was Lot 50, fetching a final bid of $12,000 from Armstrong 17 Ranch of Eastend, Sk. The five year old, 15.2 hand high gelding bay gelding registered as Yak Two Rock was stout and good looking, consigned by well-known horse people; Kevin and Sandra McCutcheon from Saskatoon. Sandra noted the gelding was home-bred and home-raised. The sire of the nice gelding was a horse named Tuko Two Wood, a stallion the McCutcheons bought as a weanling . They broke, trained and showed the stallion in reining, working cow horse & versatility ranch horse classes winning several different titles and awards. Sandra speaks highly of the temperments of the Wilywood breeding in Yak Two Rock’s pedigree, noting they seem to handle the pressure of the arena events and are generally real good-minded horses. The mother of Saturday’s high selling gelding was a mare named Twist A Yak. Also owned by the McCutcheons, she was used mostly for doing ranch work and team roping where she won a couple jackpots on the heeling end before joining their broodmare band. Yak Two Rock showed on the heading end in the team roping on Sale day and had also been used as a ranch horse out in the pasture treating cattle. When asked about their first time experience as consignors to the Cypress Sale, Sandra replied, “We’ve been to a lot of sales, and we really liked the facilities and the atmosphere of this one. Everyone was really supportive of each other. That makes selling horses less pressure. (the organizers) let us show our horses and we had every opportunity to show where they were at.” Marty Armstrong, the buyer of the horse received an embroidered horse blanket donated by Murray Chevrolet Pontiac Buick of Maple Creek.
The Reserve High-Selling horse was Lot 51, a four year old deluxe-broke dun mare consigned by Lonesum D Ranch. The Dyck family brought “LD Shez Rio Famous” all the way to Maple Creek from Grunthal, Manitoba. The pretty home-raised mare was a real crowd pleaser and the audience was treated to a superb display of vaquero-style horsemanship compliments of the young cowboy: Jess Dyck, the mare’s trainer and rider. “Taco” as the mare was affectionately known, was so well trained she could be maneuvered bridle-less around the sale ring . As the gavel fell, the crowd erupted in applause. Bidders also seemed to appreciate the time and effort put into a horse to achieve this level of trust and confidence. The mare brought $10,250 from final bidder, Chad Byrne of Wainwright, Alberta.
The high selling foal at this year’s sale was Lot 15, consigned by hometown horse people; William and Donna Beierbach of One Y Quarter Horses. The stylish colt was the darkest shade of brown, with a nice hip and refined face. Sired by the Beierbach’s resident stallion; Ninety Nine Goldmine, and out of stout Sugars Plain Remedy daughter, the colt brought $4750 from father/daughter Glen Walker and Chris Debusschere of Rosetown, SK. Chris and Glen were awarded an embroidered winter horse blanket donated by Cypress Motors Ford dealership of Maple Creek. Beierbachs also consigned the reserve high-selling foal, a bay filly from the same sire as Lot 15, Lot 1 opened the sale with a $4600 price tag. The Ninety Nine Goldmine horses are making their mark in the barrel racing event, winning at various levels of competition, making them a hot commodity among barrel racers. The over-all average on foals was $2470.
Other Highlights from the day included young Tyra Grant selling Lot 54, aged mare: Leibchen Sevn. The nine year old cowgirl entertained the crowd along with the crew behind the auctioneer’s stand with some pretty spins on “Darlin” as she called her twenty year old equine friend. The mare fetched a final price of $5200, showing there is still good value in older, safe, sound horses! Josh Stenger also provided some afternoon entertainment, proving his horses were, in fact, umbrella broke. High Plains Ranch Supply donated a silver bit for a buyers draw. Lydia Miller from Walsh Alberta was the lucky winner. She had purchased Lot 5 from Two Rivers Ranch; Brad & Mona Howe, enabling her to have her name entered in the hat!
Southern Alberta Livestock Exchange auctioneer Darren Shaw sold the sale. He and pedigree reader Neil Darroch continually commented on the tremendous set of horses on offer that day and the great turnout and buyer interest.