Expectations were again fulfilled and exceeded when Elders hosted its second annual Western Australia Elite Horse Sale at Coolup last weekend - not only in terms of the crowd and atmosphere, but also the prices and clearance achieved.
It was not only the 51 elite horses in the sale that attracted a large crowd, but the campdraft and a super goal polocrosse game gained plenty of interest and support in terms of participants and spectators.
Elders, Waroona representative and event co-ordinator Wade Krawczyk said the overall weekend was considered to be extremely exciting.
"The sale itself, though it looked challenging, it still achieved a great outcome, with 29 horses sold out of 51 offered with two of these selling post sale and we are continuing to negotiate sales throughout this week which will further improve the clearance," Mr Krawczyk said.
"The overall event, having multiple facets of horse sports, was a great spectacle and we are already looking forward to having the sale event next year with some improvements made based on feedback from the horse sale community.
"The weekend event was primarily built to raise funds for our two charities and to build a strong community event that would build relationships for both Elders business clients and the local rural community, and through generosity given from our key businesses, we raised $11,475 in the charity auction alone to be split between Dolly's Dream and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
"In addition to this a percentage of money received from our sale partners will also be donated."
When the sale of 51 elite horses, which were well-bred and well-prepared to suit a number of tasks, got underway, it was standing room only around the selling arena as 93 registered buyers crammed ringside along with many more onlookers.
It wasn't just the registered buyers from as far away as the Kimberleys, which created competition on the stallions, geldings, mares and fillies - there was also good support on the Stocklive Auctions website - here 30 bidders logged in that placed bids on 13 lots resulting in two selling to online buyers in WA.
The Elders auctioneering tag team of Pearce Watling, Elders Donnybrook and Wayne Mitchell, Elders Albany, worked hard to ensure vendor reserves were exceeded.
When the final horse left the ring and the auctioneering hammer was banged down for the last time, 27 of the 51 horses offered had sold to a top of $38,000 for a stallion and an average of $12,167.
Along with the $38,000 top-priced horse, there were another 15 lots to sell for $10,000 or more.
Achieving the $38,000 top price was black stallion, Devils Creek Anchorman (HSH) after bidding started at $20,000.
The six-year-old, 15 hand stallion was offered by Brandan Holland and Karen Sampson, Sunny Mia Performance Horses, Kojonup and it was purchased by Robert and Amanda Morgan, Juna Downs station, Tom Price.
Anchorman is bred in the purple carrying the lines of Romeo, Abbey, Cadet, Star Black Minstril and Nabinabah The Gun.
It is by Hazelwood Conman (HSH) and out of Barnetts Kelly (HSH).
In the catalogue Anchorman was described as a novice campdrafter which had only been lightly drafted and was a 3yo WA ASH Futurity champion.
The catalgoue also said Anchorman was a pleasure to handle and a horse you can do anything with and it comes in from a spell like it hasn't been out of work.
Amanda Morgan said they purchased the stallion as they liked its pedigree and bloodlines and also because it had a good temperament.
"We will be using him up on the station for mustering and look at breeding from him in the future," Ms Morgan said.
"We also look to continue to enter him in campdraft competitions."
As well as selling Anchorman, Sunny Mia Performance Horses, also sold a gelding, Sunny Mia Geronimo for $15,500 to J & M Nye-Chart, Boyanup.
The black, 15.2hh, 2020-foaled Geronimo is by Rosebrook Kinetic and out of Sunny Mia Irresistable.
The second top price was $33,000 bid by Scott and Bianca Lawrence, East Hope Quarter Horses, Esperance, for Rock N Roll, which was offered by Gavin and Heidi Parnham, G & H Parnham, Coolup.
The bay roan, 15hh, late October 2017 foaled, gelding is sired by RS Chisum (IMP) and out of Lagoona Rockin Style.
In the catalogue Rock N Roll was described as a true cow horse which was bred in the purple.
It said Rock N Roll was a big mover and bred for performance, talent, versatility and agility, with proven breeding on both sides Rock N Roll will excel in any discipline.
Some of Rock N Roll's past achievements include 2021 Victorian Cutting Event 3yo open reserve champion; 2022 Tri Stars 3yo open cutting horse finalist and 2022 WA Cutting Horse Association open reserve champion.
Rock N Roll has recently been introduced to Ranch Sorting and Reining and has placed first and fourth in the RA Intermediate Open at its first show.
Mr Lawrence said they were very happy to be able to purchase Rock N Roll as it has all the fundamentals to go on and be a very good campdrafting horse.
"What is not to like about him," Mr Lawrence said.
"He has excellent breeding, a great temperament, style and has had all the training.
"We also like his cutting style.
"He also has plenty of accolades to his name."
Making $20,000 in the catalogue was Nick Of Time, offered by Candy Hudson and presented by Rhys Morrissey.
The 15hh, chestnut, November 2021-foaled gelding was purchased by Warrening Gully Farms, Williams.
Nick Of Time has the breeding on both sides - its dam Bella Oak is by the legendary Docs Freckles Oak and its sire Times Up needs no introduction.
Times Up is an imported stallion from the USA, which has won more than $30,000 in its cutting career and the only horse to ever win both the Novice and Rookie Horse of the Year in the Australian Campdraft Association.
In the catalogue Nick Of Time was described as a gentleman to have around, which has been ridden by ladies and juveniles for the past couple of years.
The catalogue said the gelding had done mustering miles over east, was lightly started in roping, had been exposed to the mechanical cow and had a couple of starts in campdrafting.
The next best price was $18,500 paid by M Toner, Denmark, for a bay 15hh, 2014-foaled gelding, called Too Smooth For Cat, offered by the Graham family, Trademark Equine & Ag Services, Gingin.
The gelding, by Ima Smooth Blue Cat Imp and out of Too Smart To Spin, is fully cutting trained and has been shown in NCHA Futurity and weekend shows.
There were two geldings in the catalogue to sell for $16,000.
The first of these was Nuwarina Dynamite in lot 32 offered by Jim and Angela Laverty, Collie.
The bay, 14.3hh, 2015-drop gelding was purchased by JA & LJ Loffler, Gibson.
Dynamite is by Lealukas Toonga and out of Tassa Lenea Mare.
The other gelding to sell at $16,000 was Laffylane Oaks McCrae, in lot 34 offered by Roger Shepherdson and presented by Jim Daley, Narrikup.
It was purchased by ND & LA Parry, Mt Helena.
The 15hh, chestnut, 2017-drop gelding is by Chickasha McCrae and out of Crillee Oakes Kindle.
Another three geldings made five figures in the sale and the best of these was Mylnedale Dancing Acres, offered by Bec Prosser, Mylnedale, Alexandra Bridge, when it sold for $11,500 to Ian Greenwood, Harvest Road Pastoral, Hill River station.
The 2021-drop brown, 14.3hh gelding, which was presented in the ring by Mr Morrissey, is by Acres Of Who and out of Hardrock Dancing Queen.
Along with purchasing Dancing Acres, Mr Greenwood purchased another three geldings under the hammer all at $8000 as well as another gelding post sale at $8000.
The other two geldings to sell at five figures were Bombowlee Blackout HSH offered by L & B Hagedoorn when it sold at $10,000 to a Margaret River buyer operating on Stocklive and Simms ODonald offered by Andrew Hordern when it sold at $10,000 to Mount Al Cattle Co, Nallan station, Cue.
Blackout is a black, 15.2hh, 2008-drop son of Glencoe Last Word HSH and Torres Baroom Roses HSH while ODonald is a chestnut, 15.1hh 2020-drop son of Kirbys Stud Obama and Duallin Jaylena 02.
When it came to the females offered in the sale the top price for either a mare or filly sold under the hammer was $13,500 bid by the Thompson family, Wyloo station, Ashburton, for the final lot, Nuwarina Little Lizzy, offered by Triple R Farm and presented by Jim Laverty.
The buckskin, 14.2hh, 2017-drop mare is by Lealukas Toonga and out of Pine River Dun Beautiful.
In the catalogue it said Little Lizzy had been used at home as a general all round horse and had a beautiful nature.
Clint Thompson said they were looking for a horse for their three sons so they could go to the next level with their campdrafting.
"We liked this mare as she was well-bred and had some good cutting training behind her," Mr Thompson said.
Along with topping the sale with a stallion, Brandon Holland and Karen Sampson, Sunny Mia Performance Horses, were also in the top female prices selling a filly, Sunny Mia Skyler, for $12,000, the second top female price.
The 2020-foaled, bay, 14.3hh filly, which is by Rosebrook Kinetic and out of Rosebrook Sigrid, was purchased by Deveraux Corporation, Bullsbrook.
Deveraux Corporation also secured a second 2020-drop bay filly, Espoir Remedy, offered by Espoir Stock Horses at $9000 and a 2022-drop bay filly, Cats Stylish Rose, offered by KLS Equine/Bishop Partnership at $5000.
Hylux Stella HSH offered by Hylux Performance Horses and presented by 14yo Georgia Holland, sold for the third top female price of $11,000 to Ash Moyle, Miller Well.
The 14.3hh, bay, 10yo mare is by Rosebrook Ballad and out of Endenhope Sophie.
The catalogue said the mare had been lightly drafted and had placed in juvenile challenges when ridden by Ms Holland plus it had played a few games of polocrosse.
The Sibley family, Great Southern Livestock, Chittering, offered three mares in the sale and sold two of them at $10,000 and $9000.
Selling at $10,000 for the Sibley family was the bay, 2017-drop, 15.2hh Gloria which was purchased by Roger Tyler, Dongara.
The very soft, kind, easy going mare is by Gingerbred Man TB and has been mustering for the past 12 months.
The catalogue also said you can cut out a cow on Gloria with no reins and that it had stick and balled for polo and polocrosse.
Making $9000 for the Sibley family was a bay, 15.2hh, 2018-drop mare, Willsfield Firelilly when it sold to a Broome buyer on Stocklive.
The easy going mare, which is by Fireman (Edenhope Flame), has been mustering for the past 12 months and played Eight Goal Polo in 2023 and won the WA Novice Horse of the Year.
Not only did JA & LJ Loffler head back to Gibson with a gelding, they also went home with a bay, 14.3hh, 2012-drop mare, Ichy, offered by Janice Kilrain, when they had the final bid on it at $10,000.
The 11yo mare is by Classic Acres Q33661 and out of an unregistered mare.
Another mare to make good money on the day was Nuwarina Dot Com offered by Jim and Angela Laverty.
In the ring Dot Com failed to make its reserve price but post-sale negotiations saw it sell at $16,000 to JS & GL Laurisson, Derby.
The 14.2hh, brown, 2016-drop mare is by Lealukas Toonga and out of Tauntonvale Miss Shiralee.
More photos and campdraft results, Section 2, pages 28 and 29.
