The 2017 LQHBA Fall Mixed Sale will be held Saturday November 18 in Opelousas, Louisiana.

OPELOUSAS, LA—NOVEMBER 5, 2017—The Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association (LQHBA) will present its 2017 Fall Mixed Sale on Saturday, November 18. The action begins at 10:00 am at the Equine Sales of Louisiana, LLC sale pavilion in Opelousas, Louisiana.

This marks the fourth year that the event will be held in Opelousas, just minutes away from Evangeline Downs, which hosts its annual 46-day Quarter Horse racing season.

The catalog lists 185 head and gives prospective buyers a wide selection from weanlings and yearlings, to broodmares and horses of racing age. Since 1986, the sale has offered consignors an opportunity to close out their year with a boost in sales and buyers one more opportunity to purchase a broodmare, weanling, yearling or racehorse in training.

Many consignors point out that due to a variety of reasons, some yearlings are not ready in August. Horsemen appreciate an additional three-month window to evaluate some of the late developing babies for the sale ring.

The LQHBA Yearling Sale is a three-day event held in Kinder, Louisiana each August. Lyle Guillory, LQHBA president, points out the many benefits of the Fall Mixed Sale.

"The additional sale provides an outlet for yearlings that are born late or injured and unable to be ready for our yearling sale," said Guillory. "In addition to yearlings we also have a good selection of mares and short yearlings that are available for buyers that may want to enter the lucrative Louisiana-bred program. Lastly providing a quality fall mixed sale in Louisiana without having to travel outside the state eliminates cost which goes directly to the bottom line of our consignors." 

Jumonville Farms bred the top two sale toppers in last year’s Fall Mixed Sale, a Tac It Like A Man mare, Tac It Sassy, who sold for $40,000 and a Jess Louisiana Blue weanling, Jessa Blue Dream, who also brought a bid of $40,000

“I won’t have a sale topper this year, but we have consigned a yearling and three older mares” said Jumonville. “However, we are doing something unique in that the buyers of each of the mares will have a choice of breeding to Jess Louisiana Blue, or Sizzling Cartel, one of our other top stallions.”

Jumonville points out one other strong selling point of the Fall Mixed Sale when it comes to bidding on mares in foal.

“If you purchase a mare in foal, you become the breeder and are eligible for accredited breeder awards. Our program in Louisiana is very strong, and it is awfully nice to get those checks in your mailbox!”

Minimal Investments for Quality Prospects

Over 59 consignors in Louisiana are making final preparations to send their horses to Opelousas. Grant Farms, Robicheaux Ranch, Blanchet Farms, Aaron Harvey and Hebert Quarter Horses are among the larger consignors and agents. Progeny of noted stallions Jet Black Patriot, Game Patriot, Heza Fast Dash, Jess Louisiana Blue, Mr Piloto and Tee Cos will be well-represented.

There are 65 yearlings that will pass through the sale ring for the 2017 LQHBA Mixed Sale. Most are up to date in payments for the 2018 LQHBA Louisiana Million. The catalog also has 16 weanlings listed and majority of their current owners have made the first payment to the 2019 LQHBA Louisiana Million. Held in December at Evangeline Downs, it is the only state-bred futurity with a guaranteed final purse of one million dollars

One of the most impressive Fall Mixed Sale graduates would have to be Embrujo Star, a daughter of Embruo Fg out of the Toast to Dash mare Allas Toast. Foaled in April, 2012, she attracted the eye of horseman Trey Ellis at the 2013 Fall Mixed Sale.

“I spotted her at the sale and called Mr. (Hubert) Vestal and told him I wanted to buy her,” said Ellis.

The sorrel filly, purchased for a modest $5,000, broke her maiden in trials for the 2014 Lassie Futurity at Delta Downs. She won that final and ran a game third in the rich Lee Berwick Futurity later in the meet.

“That filly ended up making over $260,000,” added Ellis.

Very satisfied with those results, Vestal had just one order for Ellis the following year.

“You just pick the one you want!” he said.

Breeders have pointed out that quality yearlings are always part of the consignments at the annual Fall Mixed Sale. Ryan Robicheaux, farm manager of Robicheaux Ranch, is an LQHBA Board member and serves as sale chairman.

“Many yearlings just need the extra couple of months to mature,” explains Robicheaux. “They would probably be overlooked in the August Yearling Sale where we have close to 600 head pass through the sale ring.”

The incentives are there for graduates of both sales, explains Tony Patterson, LQHBA executive director.

"With 148 guaranteed live racing days annually in Louisiana, there is a great deal of money for both 2-year-olds and older horses in our state," said Patterson. "Like Embrujo Star, the Fall Mixed Sale is one more opportunity for buyers to make a modest investment and be rewarded in the years to come."

Opelousas Sale Location Ideal Fit for Big Weekend

The 2014 event had a change of venue to the Equine Sales of Louisiana, LLC sale pavilion in Opelousas, Louisiana. LQHBA board members made the decision to move the event to enhance the big racing weekend at Evangeline Downs. Trials for the LQHBA Louisiana Million will be contested on Friday, November 17 and 3-year-olds will take center stage on Saturday evening in trials for the third annual LQHBA Breeders Derby.

"This is a very important weekend for the Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association," said Patterson. "We look forward to a successful sale and to welcoming many breeders, owners and horsemen for the trials for the LQHBA Louisiana Million on Friday evening and the LQHBA Breeders Derby trials on Saturday night at Evangeline Downs."

Five Bar Cartel Breeding to Benefit the LQHBA Scholarship Program

A breeding to Five Bar Cartel will be auctioned live at the sale following hip number 99, with the proceeds to benefit the LQHBA Youth Scholarship program. The stallion, owned by San Gregorio Racing Stable, Inc, stands at Robicheaux Ranch and is off to an outstanding start with his first crop.

Five Bar Cartel was honored as AQHA Racing Champion 2-year-old Colt with a win in the Ed Burke Million Futurity (G1) and appearances in the finals of the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1) as well as the Golden State Million Futurity (G1). The first crop of the chestnut son of Corona Cartel has been the talk of the Louisiana and Oklahoma Yearling sales. His son, On Point was the $182,000 sale topper at the 2017 LQHBA Yearling Sale in August. “He is off to a heck of a great start,” stated Robicheaux. “When I called the San Gregorio family, they were very generous and agreed to the donation. These are great people who love racing and want to support Louisiana Quarter Horse breeding and racing.”

Since 2001, the LQHBA scholarship program has provided financial aid for students to attend a higher education institution. Last year, Bobby Touchet stepped up and donated a breeding to Game Patriot, with a bid of $7,000 benefiting the LQHBA Scholarship Fund. Over $500,000, has been earmarked for this program since its inception. The scholarship program was the vision of the late Jim Mitchell and Executive Director Emeritus Leverne Perry, and is supported strongly by the LQHBA and its board members. Already this year, at the Mardi Gras Futurity at Louisiana Downs and Lee Berwick Futurity at Delta Downs, live scholarship drawings took place in between races for Louisiana students.

Tony Patterson, LQHBA executive director, confirmed that once again, several scholarships to Louisiana students will be awarded on December 16 at Evangeline Downs. The only requirement is that they be present that evening to register.

"We are extremely grateful to Robicheaux Ranch and the San Gregorio family for this generous donation," said Patterson. "As we saw in the LQHBA Yearling Sale in August, the word is out about the potential of the Five Bar Cartel offspring. His breeding most certainly will attract generous bids to benefit our scholarship program."

Robicheaux adds that hospitality is a big part of the action-packed weekend.

“The sale pavilion will be well-attended and trials for the Million will be exciting as well,” said Robicheaux. “We are always cooking something and want to make sure that everyone has a good time. Just call it a Louisiana weekend you will not want to miss!” Martha Claussen served as publicity director at Sam Houston Race Park for ten years. She continues to be active in writing, fan education and Quarter Horse racing publicity in Texas, Louisiana and other regions in North America.

FACT BOX
2017 LQHBA Fall Mixed Sale

• Saturday, November 18 - 10:00 am
• Equine Sales of Louisiana, LLC • 372 Harry Guilbeau Road • Opelousas, Louisiana 70570
• Free and open to the public
• Sale catalog available online at www.LQHBA.com or by calling (318) 487-9506
• Live streaming of the 2017 Fall Mixed Sale will be available on the Louisiana Quarter Horse Breeders Association website: lqhba.com.