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DALBY STOCK HORSE SALE ......pages
Corrine Anderson at the 47th Dalby Stock Horse Sale, which was held on 4-5 December. Pictures: JO THIEME PHOTOGRAPHY Sold! Malua Tilly Devine, who topped the Dalby Stock Horse Sale, sells for $114,000. Kimberley Sammon was astride.
Stock horse record sales
By Fiona Gowers
With 77 millimetres of rain drenching Dalby Showgrounds hours before the 47th Australian Stock Horse Sale (ASHS), David Felsch faced intense pressure to postpone the famed event.
Alongside his Darling Downs ASHS counterpart, Jim Ryan, the Ray White Rural Dalby principal refused to budge, however, and their decision was vindicated by the end of the twoday sale.
As the first stage of selling started swiftly on Saturday 4 December, records were written and then re-written.
Topping the sale at $114,000 was 11-yearold brown/black mare Malua Tilly Devine, a daughter of Hazelwood Conman from Wildrift Ambition.
Debbie Gesler, Pittsworth, offered the 11-year-old, which Evan and Kim Acton, Millungerera, Julia Creek bought.
Ginni Woodall and Hugh Simpson of St George presented the second top-priced bay mare Royalle Cygnificant, who sold for $110,000 to Maree Duncombe and Jye Banks of Conondale.
Amanda McLennan-Dehnert and husband Paul Dehnert bred Royalle Cygnificant, selling her as a yearling.
The top-priced gelding was Hazelwood Counterfeit, topping $55,000 for Ashleigh Fairbrother, Fairbrother Training, Clermont.
He sold to Jim and Jackie Wedge, Ascot Charolais and Angus, Warwick.
Across the two days, 236 horses sold for an overall average of $19,352, representing a 95 per cent clearance.
In all, 118 geldings sold to average $14,457, while 114 mares sold at a $24,307 average. Five stallions averaged $21,200.
For Mr Felsch, his fourth Dalby Stock Horse sale - second as the local Ray White Rural principal - was his toughest yet after significant rainfall was received.
“Making the decision to go ahead when a lot of people were telling me to cancel was very difficult,” he said.
“I knew the weather was going to fine up though and that most of our vendors would be dedicated to getting to Dalby despite flooding and road closures. That made a big difference to the end result.
“It took a lot of work to stick to our guns and, to get to the Sunday afternoon with the result we did, it was actually very overwhelming.”
Mr Felsch said the demand and prices achieved reflected the current cattle market.
“The performance horse industry - cutting, campdrafting - is becoming big business, which I think has to do with the higher prize money and becoming more professional,” he said.
“Many professional riders and trainers can have eight to 10 horses, which they present beautifully and often generate a premium.
“It was fantastic to see confidence in the horse industry, with spirited bidding right to the end and horses selling to all states of Australia, excluding Tasmania.
“It is important when the horse standard is lifting, that we (the sale organisers) lift too and flow with the times.”
Brown/ black mare, Malua Tilly Devine topped the Dalby Stock Horse Sale at $114,000. Malua Tilly Devine is the daughter of Hazelwood Conman from Wildrift Ambition who Kimberley Sammon rode and Evan and Kim Acton, Millungerera, Julia Creek bought. Picture: FLASH PONY
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