Hershberger Performance Horse Sale and ARHFA Futurity Kick Off 2021 Sun Circuit
The 16th Annual Hershberger are easy to get a hold of so that Performance Horse Sale will prospective buyers can check be held Friday February 26 at out horses before sale day. He WestWorld as the kick off event adds, “Many of our consignors to the 2021 Scottsdale Arizona are here in Arizona, so if people Sun Circuit. It will be followed are coming in for Sun Circuit, on Saturday by the ARHFA Sun they can try them out and get Circuit Rope Horse Futurity. This is a good feel for what they are the second year the Hershberger bidding on.” The Hershbergers Sale will be held in conjunction are also constantly updating with the world-renowned horse their website and Facebook show. “Moving the sale to Sun page with new information on Circuit last year was a huge step the consigned horses. Gavin Hershberger heading on Ride My Harley, with for us,” says Jason Hershberger. The Sun Circuit Rope Horse Denton Dunning heeling to win the Hooey Junior BFI in “Being able to hold the sale in Futurity will be held on Saturday June. The Hershbergers purchased Harley at the the Equidome at WestWorld is February 27. This ARHFA event awesome. It’s a climate controlled has Open, Limited and Non Pro 2020 Performance Horse Sale. arena at the best horse facility in divisions. The Open has $15,000 the US. It’s a huge advantage for us, our consignors, and most in added money and the Limited and Non Pro each have $5,000 importantly, the buyers. The weather is not a factor, and folks don’t added. ARHFA has really taken off in the past few years and it get cold.” There will be 100 performance horses consigned. The appeals to both show horse ropers as well as world champion preview will start at 9:00 with roping and cow horse. The sale will team roping pros. The ARHFA Futurities are an excellent place to start at 1:00 PM and will run until about 6. showcase 4, 5 and 6 year old rope horses. It is a unique event The Scottsdale Arizona Sun Circuit is a premier show for AQHA, because it has 2 judges scoring the run and the time plays into the NRCHA, NRHA and NSBA. It draws exhibitors and trainers from score as well. Hershberger was a judge at the ARHFA Finals in Fort around the country and the world to show in events including Worth last year. He shares, “You have to have an athletic horse, roping, cutting, reining, cow horse, ranch riding, trail, halter, there’s no doubt about that. When I judged in Ft Worth, the horse western, english and jumping. This diverse group provides an power was insane. I’ve seen a lot of roping in my life and I was expanded market of buyers. Hershberger says, “There are so many literally blown away: the horses and the guys training and showing people there for the show that are not necessarily looking for a new them. It’s all very impressive.” horse. Yet they have the opportunity to see 100 head of high quality He believes that the size and success of the Finals will further performance horses and might just find their next prospect.” propel the entries in the regional shows like Scottsdale. He adds, The Hershberger sale is well known for presenting a solid slate “A lot of guys I’ve talked to are coming to Sun Circuit from all over. of rope horses. However, buyers will also see reiners, cutters and There are also a lot of guys who are newer to the showing side cow horses as well as horses suited for ranch or VRH classes. of roping who are getting really excited about these Futurities. It’s Hershberger adds, “These are not your average jackpot rope pretty cool that our sale gets to kick off the Sun Circuit Futurity horses. They are well breed, well broke and athletic. We’ve got schedule.” horses for pretty much any discipline.” He says that the horses he Hershberger has noticed an overall trend of top-tier team ropers transitioning into doing more training and thus showing in the ARHFA is personally selling have been exposed to a lot through his training Futurities. He elaborates, “Many of those same ropers are consigning to program. For instance, “in a Ranch class, you have to drag a log our sale. One of our main goals is to showcase the kind of horses that or open a gate. These horses have done all that and more out in a can do well in these Futurity events. We will be selling some very nice real ranch setting. They are ready to go.” rope horses that are more of the show-type horse. We want the horses Last year’s sale saw some exceptional high dollar horses go that have the physical attributes that these Futurity horses need to through. The top selling horse went for $83,000 and the top ten succeed. For instance, the heeling horse that really drags his butt through averaged $41,000. Yet Hershberger insists there are plenty of very the corner and stops really hard. Or that horse that makes you stop and good prospects in the $10,000 to $15,000 range. “I tell people if look twice because he has that extra something. Ropings here in Arizona they come to the sale, and do their homework, they can get a very are huge with 300-400 teams. Your middle level roper knows they need good horse without spending $30,000.” He sites one example of a to have a really good horse anymore to be in the money horse his family bought. “We picked up Ride My Harley for around Hershberger has been showing, roping and training horses for a long time and has an extensive network. He knows what kind of horses people $12,500 in last year’s sale. My son Gavin went on to win the need to reach their goals. “Most of our consignors are good friends of Junior BFI in June on him. That horse more than paid for himself mine,” he explains. “I have a lot of trust in them. It’s important to have that right there.” Gavin has continued to win many other jackpots on kind of relationship with the people bringing horses to our sale. If they say Harley as well. “We try to keep track of how everybody is doing to me, ‘I got this horse and he’s awesome’ I know that’s a horse I want with horses they have bought at our sales. It’s really fun to see them to consign”. customers go on to win a lot and have a good time.” Details about the Hershberger Performance Horse sale can be found There is a preview jackpot roping on Thursday the 25th at 2 PM at hershbergerhorses.com. To learn more about the Scottsdale Arizona which offers buyers the opportunity to see many of the horses in Sun Circuit and its complete schedule of classes and events, visit action. Additionally, Hershberger stresses that all the consignors suncircuit.com. 46
FEBRUARY 2021
