The National Reining Horse Association Markel Futurity Sales have long been the place to find and purchase top reining prospects from reputable programs. Over the past 22 years, millions of dollars have changed hands, and countless horses have gone on to great success at major NRHA events.
There is a long list of notable Sale graduates, including reigning NRHA Futurity Champion Ten Thirty, who was ridden to the title by NRHA Three Million Dollar Rider Casey Deary. Ten Thirty, Hip number 1030 in the 2019 Select Yearling Sale was consigned by Brooke Wharton and purchased by Cooper Smith for $44,000. The colt, by NRHA Seven Million Dollar Sire Gunnatrashya out of Dainty Little Step, was registered at the time as Gunna Go Rogue. When Rancho El Fortin purchased the colt, they renamed him to his hip number, Ten Thirty.
This year’s NRHA Markel Futurity Sales will be held Thursday, December 1, in the Sale Arena of Oklahoma State Fair Park, continuing the one-day Sale arrangement that has been extremely popular with both consignors and buyers.
According to Angie Honeywell, NRHA Senior Manager of ReinerSuite and Futurity Sales, there have been some exciting changes in the format for this year’s Sales.
The Futurity Prospect Sale, which has only been open to two-year-olds, has been changed to a Performance Horse Sale that will include show horses of any age. “The Performance Horse Sale will have horses for every level of rider and will include prospects, futurity and derby horses, and ancillary horses,” Honeywell explained. “This is an exciting new addition to the Sales’ lineup because now there will be show horses available of all ages.”
The other change is in the Elite Yearling Sale. Traditionally, the dams of consigned horses had to have $25,000 or more in progeny and/or lifetime earnings in NRHA only. While the threshold remains $25,000, that money can now be earned from the National Reined Cow Horse Association and the National Cutting Horse Association as well.
The NRHA Markel Futurity Sales Consignment Deadline is September 7, and consignments can be made online at NRHA.com/Sales
For more information about the l NRHA Markel Futurity Sales, contact Angie Honeywell at sales@nrha.com.