AMHR Stallion Sweepstakes Auction !!

We have 22 AMAZING stallions taking part in the 2015 AMHR Stallion Sweepstakes Auction. Bidding opens on Saturday, Feb. 28 and closes on March 7. This is an awesome opportunity to breed your mare to a stallion that does not normally stand to the public, and to possibly win a bunch of $$ !!! Check out the stallions at http://www.amhrstallionsweepstakes.com

 

BIDDING IS NOW OPEN !!!!! Check out the link above for the stallions, or see them on The Little Horse Barn Auctions (link at top of page). THANK YOU to The Little Horse Barn for again hosting our auction!

 

For those of us new to minis, breeding and/or showing, would you please explain what this program is and how it works?

Is it beneficial to have in a breeding or training program? Does it make the resulting foal more marketable? Does it promote any classes other than halter?

I'd like to hear answers from people who've participated in this program too. Was it what you expected?

Thank you for the answers in advance!!

Julie

 

Stallion owners nominate the stallion for a cost of $200. For this, they can designate one mare by Jan. 1 (will know by then which of their mares did or did not settle).

Mare owners bid for an additional breeding to that stallion. This is a true auction, done here on The Little Horse Barn. Some stallions sell for the opening bid of $200, and in the past we have had some that go over $1,500. The winning bidder (stallion owners may bid on their own breeding if they wish) designates one mare....which means there can be 2 babies sired by that stallion that are part of the Sweepstakes program, and can show in the Sweepstakes class as a weanling the following year. All money collected is put into a pot and because we have enough foals showing, there are typically 2 classes. Colts and fillies show in the same class. The pot (minus a few minor expenses) is divided in half (one half for each class) and foals are divided equally by height so that there are the same number of foals in each class (one year we had 7 foals that all measured 30.0" which was the dividing line and we needed 2 to go in the smaller class and 5 in the taller....so we put all 7 in a hat and drew numbers for the 2 classes). Foals are placed to 10th, and all top ten must have hair for DNA pulled at ringside. Parentage must be qualified before we pay out any winnings.

The top 8 foals in each class get a slice of the pot, and the sire of the winning foal also gets a percentage. The percentages are spelled out in the rules on the official site - address in my original post.

The value is the exposure this gives the stallion owners, the offspring they have produced in the past, and bragging rights (and added value) for those foals that win.

 

While Im new to this program I thought I would still put in my perspective on it.

For me as a stallion owner it is giving my stallion added exposure and advertisement while also giving someone a chance at a breeding to a quality stallion, some of which are not offered at stud at all or are higher stud fees.

Also you have that chance to take your foal to Nationals and possibly win money back.

As to the foal being more marketable, that depends a bit on who you are marketing to. If the foal is just nominated but not yet shown then for the serious show people wanting to go to Naitonals it could be a bonus of buying the foal with an extra class/futurity to go into. If already shown and did well it would be encouraging to a show or breeding home that the foal is of good quality for their program. Non show or breeding homes probably wont care about any of the show programs out there so wont help for sales to them.

Since it is only for weanlings it is just halter but that doesnt mean the show career has to stop at the sweepstakes class, just gets a jump on its show experience. Dont look at the bidding price as a class entry, look at it as a stud fee with the class entry as an added bonus.

I just started the program last year nominating one of my stallions so this year will be my first time showing in the class if all goes well with foaling.

 

Just a few hours left !!

 

The sweepstakes auction is over. CONGRATS to all stallion owners and to the winning bidders, with a special Congrats to Rocking Horse Acres (owner) and Linda Kint (winning bidder) on the high selling stallion at $1,400.00 !!! All results are posted on the official website (address in the original post).