PERFORMANCE and station horses from the north will be on show and on offer with the 27th annual Toomba Horse Sale and Horse of the North Challenge, held at the indoor equestrian centre at Charters Towers.
More than 90 vendors will offer for sale 156 performance horses, with the sale draft including 59 ridden mares and fillies, 66 ridden geldings, two ridden stallions and 29 led prospects.
Sale coordinator Mark Scholes, Landmark, said he hoped this year's sale would continue on from the success of the past few years.
In 2017, five-year-old Frankfield Calesi was purchased by Noel and Dallas Daley, Willford Station, Willows for a new sale record of $34,000.
Last year's sale averaged $7060 and grossed $642,500, with 22 ridden mares averaging $9386, eight ridden fillies averaging $8000, 39 ridden geldings selling for an average of $7436. In the led horses, 11 geldings averaged $3000, eight fillies sold for an average of $3438 and three colts averaged $5833.
Mr Scholes said there were horses suited to competition on the campdraft or challenge circuits, but there was also strong demand for station horses.
“There are still a number of people who need horses for everyday work, so our buyers are not just buying a horse to go and compete – they need horses do their mustering and run their businesses.”
The sale is run alongside the Horse of the North challenge, and up for grabs is $17,000 in sale incentive bonuses including cash and trophies.
The four-day event kicks off on Thursday, May 24, with the dry work for the MAGS classic challenge, the Noon Bolt N Fodder rookie challenge and the Landmark open challenge, before the cattle work on the Friday.
The Toomba and Landmark open campdraft, the Stockman’s Supplies Frank Savage memorial gun of the north shoeing competition, Hansen Saddlery under six years sale incentive draft, the Laroona Pastoral six and over incentive draft, the E & R Bassingthwaighte under 25yrs final, and final of the three main challenges are to be held on Saturday, May 26.
The ridden horse workouts are on the Saturday from 9am, and the sale begins at 9am on Sunday, May 27 in the undercover arena.