Equine Sales Company posted record gross receipts during its consignor select yearling sale Sept. 3 in Louisiana, an auction that also featured a supplement of racing age horses from Coteau Grove Farms.
A total of 142 horses were sold in Opelousas, La., for $1,782,400, an all-time high for the sales company. Of that total, 135 yearlings sold for $1,475,400, an average of $10,929. Seven horses of racing age sold for $307,000, an average of $43,857. The combined average price was $12,552.
Those figures far outpaced the first yearling sale held by Equine Sales Company in 2012, and the total for this year's yearling and racing age sale also eclipsed the $1,714,300 gross from last year. That auction recorded an average price of $12,987 with a smaller catalog.
"We cataloged nearly 60 more yearlings to this sale compared to last year, so it's no surprise that the average dropped a bit," said sales director Foster Bridewell, "but we couldn't be more pleased to record total sales of nearly $1.8 million. The Coteau Grove Farms supplement attracted some serious bidding, and we had 24 yearlings sell for $20,000 or more, so there was plenty of strength there too."
In the racing age portion of the sale, the stakes-winning filly Afternoon Tango, by Afternoon Deelites, brought a bid of $100,000 from Big Aut Farms. Union Builder, a stakes-winning gelding by Yankee Gentleman , brought $90,000 from buyer George Kerr. Chocopologie, a son of Candy Ride who broke his maiden by 17 3/4 lengths just before the sale, went up to $140,000 but was bought back by his owners.
The Coteau Grove Farms horses were consigned by Select Sales, agent.
In the yearling portion of the sale, a filly by Drosselmeyer sold for $80,000 to Laroux Stables from the consignment of 4M Ranch, agent, as the highest price. The highest-selling colt was by Louisiana stallion Interactif, who sold for $65,000 to Quarter Pole Enterprises from the consignment of Red River Farm, agent.
Next up on the Equine Sales Company schedule is the open yearling and mixed sale Oct. 26.
For more information and hip-by-hip results, go to www.equinesalesofla.com.
