The stands were packed as usual but the thousands of people used to watching as many as two dozen ranch horses go through the Canadian Western Agribition sales ring saw less than half that number last week.
Canada’s Premier Select Ranch Horse Sale drew just four entries this year and no prospect horses at all. Instead, there were five barrel horse prospects and two horses used in a trainer’s challenge during the show.
Prices were still strong, as the top selling ranch horse, Battle Star Becky, consigned by Connie Bryce of Arcola, Sask., went for $7,300, and two of the barrel prospects, Beacon Crime from Rigetti Farms at Moose Jaw and Smokin On In from Blair Anton at Fox Valley, Sask., sold for $10,500 each. One of those went to Medicine Hat, Alta., and the other to Williston, North Dakota.
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The average on the four ranch horses was $5,850, while the prospects averaged $6,085.70.
Agribition chief executive officer Marty Seymour couldn’t explain why the committee that works to recruit horses wasn’t as successful as past years.
He said the show would “do some forensics” and get feedback as it prepares for next year.
“One thing is it’s brought forward a lot of people saying, ‘hey, can we help’ or ‘what can we do to make it stronger’, ” he said.
Seymour said online sales had a big impact on how horses are bought and sold and it costs a lot to train a horse and bring it to Agribition.
The marketing expense of selling one horse versus eight cattle at the show is considerable, he said.
As Agribition looks forward to new space in the International Trade Centre for the 2017 show, Seymour said horses could play a bigger role in the event.
The draft horse events left the show several years ago and people still ask if they will be back.
“Once we get this trade centre up and running, it gives us a chance to re-evaluate all our programming,” Seymour said. “The new building has box stalls in part of its layout.”
He said next year, while construction is underway, is not the time to add new big footprint programs.
“If you look at our space, we filled every corner of this place this year,” he said. “It would be naive to think we could just stroke a pen and put heavy horses back on the program but it always needs to be on the table. Always.”
Meanwhile, the results of the ranch horse competition saw Drylittle Dually, owned and ridden by Michael Belof of White City, Sask., take first place, followed by Jessie James Dot, owned by Barry Good of Fillmore, Sask. and ridden by Belof.
Third place went to Good Smoken Boon, owned and ridden by Lorne Davey of Wilkie, Sask., followed by Bryce’s entry ridden by Nick Schmidt.
