Pedigree Query

Does anyone know if they are going to post results? It seems strange that they had NO online access at all.

They posted late last night. Go to Barrett's.

I believe Karen's mare was a $4600 RNA.

They show that the sale was "up" from last year but it sure looks dismal to me. The quote that the market wanted "quality horses" - well if I had a quality horse I sure wouldn't send it to THAT sale..

Karen's mare is a really nice specimen, with a decent race record, in foal to a nice stallion.. and didn't even approach the stud fee.

Madelyn, you know as well as anyone that sales company spin doctors are among the best practitioners in the country. Bill Baker and Kim Lloyd have had a long spell of twisting sour news into happy sound bites. But one look around the sales grounds tells the real tale.

That sale has not done all that well since 2007, before the crash. Broodies are just not a valued commodity right now in Calif. I thought Karen's mare was lovely, I have an old retired mare from the same family who is also lovely.
It's disappointing.

It was pretty dismal and the rain didn't help either. I had a filly in the sale with a nice physical that RNA'd. My consignor did a great job selling her privately so I could break even.

You know, it reminds me of the knight, in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, who was losing the sword fight. His arms had been amputated, etc., and he was dismissing all that and saying the other knight, in walking away, was just a coward refusing to fight. Consignors blame their clients' product for the dismal sale. REALLY????

IMO the remaining days of the small breeder in California are numbered. Within the next five years I predict that only five or six farms will own 90% of the breeding stock there.

Most CA breeders (even the large ones) havent the faintest clue about culling their stock, or trading up to higher quality horses. I think the majority of CA breeders live in a dream world about their horses and treat the business as an opportunity to bestow love on their herd rather than as a mandate to improve their product. As a third generation Cal-bred owner/breeder I've watched the industry disintegrate before my very eyes, and am disgusted with the vacuous leadership there which has only contributed to the descent by systematically lining their own pockets first.

Bad business decisions lead to bad sales. Old Flicka might have the prettiest ears and Big Black might have the best manners but if they don't produce racehorses which make money for their owners they should be banished to the wilderness. And, also IMO, that's where most CA broodmares and stallions belong.

But don't tell Californians the truth----they don't want to hear it.

Hello,
I didn't realize that there was a post with our mare in it.
1. Thank you for your very very kind words.
2, I was very depressed when that article came out about the quality broodmares being sold.
3. Madelyn - thank you for helping me understand what is going on with the sales world. I am going to pm you to tell you what happened today.
4. Something good (atleast I think) came out of it though. I got in touch with someone that I haven's spoken to in a long time, and he's trying to help.
5. Barcaldine- I was born and raised in Ca. I am a Californian and I live in Nv. I don't think that it's just ca. broodmares that aren't up to what they should be. I just think as a whole the broodmare market isn't what it should be. And yes, a few people today and yesterday where telling me the truth and on was honest enough to give some negative feedback but I asked him for it and I heard everything that he said.
But on the whole I appreciate what you guys are saying, it makes me feel better and more able to make a plan.

Oh P.S.
The stud fee was met and more- but the reserve was for 200 more because there were people that were there watching her as she got off the trailer, so we thought that 4900 would easily be obtained,. --- YEAH I KNOW.

Karen, Im sorry your mare didnt sell for as much as you hoped. Ive been there many times.

What lessons did you learn from the experience?

That there are very very supportive people on this forum and I appreciate them very much.
Including your Barcaldine.

What was the hip number of the mare you were trying to sell?

She was by Devil His Due so that should lead you to the hip.