Dale Clearwater continued his winning ways at Canadian Western Agribition Nov. 21-28 by riding the champion and reserve ranch horses and consigning the top seller.
The rancher and trainer from Hanley, Sask., has now won Canada’s Premier Select Ranch Horse competition eight times.
“It’s been a good haul,” he said after the show.
“We’ve been kind of blessed to be making that much money here as many years as we’ve been here.”
He rode Zack B Fancy for Debra and Robert Clary of Shelby, Montana, to first place and a $5,000 cheque. The 11-year-old sorrel gelding then sold for $8,000 to Kerri Hudson-Reykdal of Ashern, Man.
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Clearwater’s own horse, Josies Bonanza, was the reserve for $2,500. The eight-year-old blue roan gelding then topped the sale with a telephone bid of $8,200.
“He’s been on the pasture four or five years,” Clearwater said of the gelding.
“He’s been used extensively, lots of miles. He’s roped a pile of cattle, drug lots of calves and he’s just a really good-using ranch horse.”
Clearwater and wife Teri, who operate Justabouta Ranch, were happy with the sale price, originally expecting that they might receive a little less than they got.
Soderglen Ranches of Airdrie, Alta., bought the horse.
“They came out and tried him out at our place before the sale,” Clearwater said.
“We were very happy that they got him, too. He’ll go on and be a very good ranch horse for them.”
He said he doesn’t get attached to horses, even though he works with them for years.
“This is what we do,” he said.
Thirteen ranch horses sold for $76,850 and an average price of $5,911.54. That’s down from last year when the reserve winner sold for $25,000.
In the prospect horse sale, 15 lots sold for $62,950 and an average price of $4,196.67.
MM Ricochet By Far, owned and ridden by Calvin Olson of Golden Prairie, Sask., was the high seller. The two-year-old black gelding went to Barry Relker of Sceptre, Sask., for $6,500.
Olson said he would definitely be back next year with another horse.
“Prospect horses have been selling good here since they started doing it and I figured I’d jump on the wagon and see what happens,” he said.
The Agribition show attracts a good crowd, he added, providing good exposure for trainers, breeders and sellers.
