An $8,000 Belgian filly topped the North American Equine Ranching Information Council sale at Canadian Western Agribition last week, pushing the 2011 futurity payout to slightly more than $40,000.
Prices at the Nov. 23 draft horse classic sale averaged less than last year, but that didn’t concern NAERIC executive director Norm Luba.
“I think there’s stability in the market,” he said.
“I think we had a nice group of colts that came in to be sold and I thought they brought a fair price.”
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Colts sold at the sale are eligible to return as two year olds for futurity competition. NAERIC has held the event for nine years.
Twenty-five weanlings sold this year, the most ever.
Jason Bexson of Carstairs, Alta., bought the high seller, Creek Side Unique, from Tom and Darlene Lane of Creek Side Belgians at Birtle, Man.
The sale totalled $80,550 and averaged $3,222 per animal, compared to last year’s $83,300 on 21 lots averaging $3,966.67.
“There were some bargains there, no question about it,” Luba said, but he added some of the colts traded hands after the sale.
Seventeen two year olds from 2007 returned to compete in the futurity. Luba said the quality was impressive.
“I thought the whole concept worked very well this year,” he said.
“The sale went well. The conformation class had one set of winners. By the time we got to the pattern class, there was a whole new set of leaders and it really came down to the rail class that had to determine the final winner.”
Rose Hill Nicole II was that winner. Owned and exhibited by Gord and Shannon Ruzicka of Rose Hill Percherons at Viking, Alta., the mare earned $9,557 in futurity winnings. Ruzicka is the breeder and paid $3,000 to retain the horse in the sale two years ago.
Some found the gamble didn’t pay off because they ended up paying more than they won. The top seller in 2007 sold for $12,750 but earned only $2,389.
Many breeders buy their own horses in the sale.
Luba said the industry would like to attract new people and there were new buyers this year. However, not everyone can finance such a venture.
“The concept is one that people have to make the investment now, take it out two years from now,” he said.
“If they’re not capable of training (the horse) themselves, they’ve got to get hooked up with somebody. The draft horse industry in and of itself is a smaller niche group.”
Luba believes Agribition visitors who see the futurity concept at work will help the industry grow over time.
The event will stay at Agribition, he added.
“We’re thrilled to be here at Canadian Western Agribition,” he said. “The guys love the event. We think it pumps a lot of excitement in.”
This year a lady driver division was added to the competition. The top driver was Karen Gardiner of Virden, Man., on Fran-Way Marissa, a Belgian mare. She picked up $1,000 for that and also earned $3,822.80 for finishing sixth in the overall competition.
Twenty-one horses are eligible to return to next year’s futurity competition. The payout total will be $36,760, with first place earning $7,331.
