Guthrie, Texas, October 16, 2014 – The Return to the Remuda Sale, held at the historic Four Sixes Ranch in Guthrie, Texas, October 11, reached a new sale milestone – a million-dollar sale day. The annual autumn sale is produced in partnership between the Four Sixes Ranch, Pitchfork Land & Cattle Co., Tongue River Ranch, Beggs Cattle Co. This year, Circle Bar Ranch also consigned horses to the sale.
Three of the ranches are winners of the AQHA Best Remuda Award, which recognizes the foundation that ranch horses laid for the American Quarter Horse. In addition to offering some of the best ranching-bred horses in the industry, the sale also serves as an unofficial reunion for American Quarter Horse enthusiasts. The weekend kicked off at the Pitchfork Land & Cattle Company on October 10 with sale horse demonstrations, an evening meal and live music.
This year’s Return to the Remuda Sale offered 142 quality horses from the Pitchfork Land & Cattle Company, Four Sixes Ranch, Tongue River Ranch, Beggs Cattle Company and Circle Bar Ranch. The one-day sale grossed more than $1,000,000. Aged geldings, coveted for their ranch foundation start and proven work record, averaged $16,283, and 2-year-old geldings averaged $8,393. The combined sale average of all horses sold was $7,730. Click here for complete results.
Saturday morning began with the ranches supporting the American Quarter Horse Foundation through a benefit auction that featured items such as custom-made his and her buckle sets, spurs, director’s chairs and a knife featuring the Return to the Remuda ranch brands.
The annual Return to the Remuda sale provides the opportunity to purchase horses from legendary ranches that have been refining and perfecting American Quarter Horses for more than a century. These sale horses carry the bloodlines of generations of horses, whose ranch skills, intelligence and athletic ability today still translates to success in the arena or on the ranch.
“We had a great sale with one of the largest crowds on hand in recent years,” said Dr. Glenn Blodgett, Four Sixes Ranch Horse Division Manager. “We had a lot of quality buyers from across the nation and Mexico. The demand for talented ranching-bred horses is evident by the sale reaching the million-dollar mark for the first time.”
Registered bidders came from 24 states and Mexico. A buyer’s incentive was provided by the participating ranches, who collectively donated a custom saddle made by Ken Raye’s Custom Saddlery that was raffled off following the last consignment in the sale. Buyers received an entry into the drawing for each horse that was purchased. Firth Cattle Company of Malad, Idaho, was the lucky winner.
About the Return to the Remuda Sale
The Return to the Remuda Sale is a collaborative effort between four of the most prestigious ranches in the world – Four Sixes Ranch, Beggs Cattle Company, Pitchfork Cattle Company and Tongue River Ranch. The Return to the Remuda Sale features horses of various ages with the top bloodlines in the equine industry. While concentrating on raising horses that can assist with ranch work with traits such as stamina, intelligence, cow sense, athletic ability and correct conformation, these same traits translate to success in arena competitions. For more than a century, these ranches have been dedicated to preserving the working American Quarter Horse lineage, producing top individuals and creating a legacy in the industry.
About the Participating Ranches
Four Sixes Ranch – Guthrie, Texas
1993 AQHA Best Remuda Award Winner www.6666ranch.com The Four Sixes’ history dates back to 1864 when Captain Samuel “Burk” Burnett founded the ranch. AQHA bestowed the inaugural Legacy Award on the ranch in 1997 to recognize 50 consecutive years of breeding American Quarter Horses. In 1994, the Four Sixes Ranch received the Best Remuda Award for its outstanding band of working cow horses that tend thousands of the ranch’s cattle. The Four Sixes is known for “Horses with a History; Brands with a Background.”
Pitchfork Land & Cattle Company – Guthrie, Texas
1998 AQHA Best Remuda Award Winner www.thepitchforkranch.comIts heritage and stature position the Pitchfork Land and Cattle Company among a handful of great American ranches. The Pitchfork’s operations span around 180,000 acres in two states and more than a century of continuous operation primarily under one family. The Pitchfork stands as a testimony to those who have loved the land and its cattle and to those who have dedicated their lives to making it one of the finest ranches in the world.
Tongue River Ranch – Dumont, Texas
2011 AQHA Best Remuda Award Winner www.tongueriverranch.netTongue River Ranch still focuses on many of the traditions that were utilized by the Swenson’s Ranches in 1898. Cowboys still head out for the day on horseback. A day’s work involves way. Tongue River Ranch takes great pride in preserving the land for future generations to come. Continuing tradition and preserving history is a way of life not a job at Tongue River Ranch.
Beggs Cattle Company – Fort Worth, Texas
www.beggscattleco.comToday, the Beggs Cattle Company raises commercial cattle and American Quarter Horses. The ranching business is still done the traditional way using horses. Maintaining and preserving the Western heritage earned Beggs Cattle Company the Charles Goodnight Award in 2005, and the ranch was awarded the American Quarter Horse Association’s Legacy Award in 2003. They began raising horses in the early 1900s long before there was an association or registry.
Circle Bar Ranch – Truscott, Texas
www.thecirclebarranch.com/The Circle Bar Ranch was founded in 1982 by Jerry Bob and Eugenie Daniel. The ranch is located on 43,000 acres near Truscott, Texas, between the north and south Wichita Rivers in northern Knox County. The ranch is a family operation, and Daniels are both descendants of Texas ranching families.
