The Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. winter mixed sale, which ended its three-day run Jan. 18 in Central Florida, generated a median price of $5,500 that was the same as last year's comparable figure. In addition, the buy-back/no bid rate dropped from 43.9% in 2006 to 38.4%, indicating greater consignor satisfaction with the prices.
But the auction lost ground in several important statistical categories. The number sold dropped 7.7%, from 531 last year to 490. The gross declined 27.2%, from $6,921,100 to $5,038,600, and the average fell 21.1%, from $13,035 to $10,283.
"Last year, at the top, we had some very-high-priced horses, including a $260,000 mare, and those type of horses weren't here," said OBS general manager and director of sales Tom Ventura, explaining that the drop in quality contributed to the setback in average.
"It’s the same old thing," he continued. "The broodmare prospects and the young mares in foal to popular stallions are doing fine, but they're not (doing fine) if they're an older mare or a mare that's not in foal to a popular sire. It's still competitive for the short yearlings that are physically attractive with some sire power in their pedigrees."
The results for the final session were197 horses sold, a gross of $1,335,300, an average of $6,778, and a median of $4,500. The buy-back rate was 34.8%. The most expensive horse sold was an Include yearling filly out of the 12-year-old mare Teerrific Sue (by Turkoman), who captured the Best of Ohio Juvenile Fillies and Ohio Discovery Stakes in 1998. Ponder Hill Farm purchased the bay yearling from Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck's Summerfield, agent. The filly is a half-sister to winners Saintly Sue (by Devil His Due) and Pillage (by Yes It's True).