The Natural Horsemanship Program, which educates students to work with horses as part of a broad range of equine and academic studies, is a joint program of the University of Montana Western and the Montana Center for Horsemanship. Every year, as part of the Colt Sale course, UMW students work with young horses to be trained and sold at live auction the following spring. All of the horses have excellent bloodlines and are donated by well-known area ranches. The highly anticipated event brings in buyers from around the country and the proceeds are donated back into the Natural Horsemanship program for scholarships, facility updates and more.
Top six overall placings:
- Hadley Overcash, (MSU), riding RU Truly a Whiz, donated by Molly Taylor, placed sixth,
- James Ramirez, (UMW), riding RSR Swallow Ride, donated by Roaring Springs Ranch, placed fifth,
- Aubrey Little, (UMW), riding Irish Mitzi, donated by R Lazy 6 Quarter Horses, placed fourth,
- Jordan LeCompte, (UMW), riding Docs Tia, donated by Holland Quarter Horses, placed third,
- Riley Lake, (UMW), riding Weavers Missblueboon, donated by Weaver Quarter Horses, placed second, while
- Jacob Christenson, (UMW), riding Bit O Honey Frosted, donated by Erb Ranch, placed first.
- Christenson was awarded a $2,500 scholarship for taking home the top place.
The sale, held the following day on April 2, generated $205,750 averaging $10,287.50 per colt.
Top six overall sale prices:
- The highest-selling colt was Weavers Genuinelyleo, ridden by Jacob Christenson. The colt sold for $18,000 and was donated by Weaver Quarter Horses.
- EC Remicat, donated by the Goggins Family and ridden by Molly Jackson, sold for $14,500.
- Weavers Tonka Gem, ridden by Gus Hoffmann, sold for $12,500 and was donated by Weaver Quarter Horses.
- Weavers Missblueboon, ridden by Riley Lake, sold for $12,000 and was donated by Weaver Quarter Horses.
- Three colts sold for $11,000: Pepto Stylin Eclipse, ridden by Gus Hoffmann and donated by Fred and Lynn Hirschy, Docs Spitshine, ridden by TaLyn Neville and donated by Holland Quarter Horses, and Docs Tia, ridden by Jordan LeCompte and donated by Holland Quarter Horses.
- Four colts sold for $10,500: MS Frosted Hershey, ridden by CJ Benoit and donated by Cal and Brooke Erb, Irish Mitzi, ridden by Aubrey Little and donated by R Lazy 6 Quarter Horses, RSR Huffys Playgun, ridden by Katlin Foote and donated by Roaring Springs Ranch and RSR Swallow Ride, ridden by James Ramirez and donated by Roaring Springs Ranch.
The University of Montana Western Natural Horsemanship Program would like to thank donors Verna Holland, Koy and Denise Holland, Cal and Brooke Erb, Shirley Harrington, Mark and Barb Harrington, Hollenbeck Ranch, R Lazy 6 Quarter Horses, Fred and Lynn Hirschy, Weaver Quarter Horses, Galt Ranch, the Goggins Family, Reminisce Angus Ranch, Sitz Angus Ranch, Roaring Springs Ranch and Montana Mad Hatters for making this year’s event so successful. Thank you to New Generation Supplements, Zinpro Performance Minerals, Rocky Mountain Supply, CHS Inc., and the Montana Center for Horsemanship for sponsoring the event.
