Little Janey Lena is one of the mares being sold at the Buffalo Ranch dispersal sale.

The Buffalo Ranch dispersal sale is tucked conveniently into the timeline of the Babcock Ranch partial dispersal sale on Friday, Oct. 15 in Gainesville, Texas, and the Legacy Reining Breeders sale, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 16 in Aubrey, Texas.

Although this is a dispersal sale, one where all sales are absolute, the Buffalo Ranch will stay in business. As owner Shane Plummer explained, the objective is to carve out the breeding part of the Buffalo Ranch operation in order to concentrate more on the stallions. Along with his three proven sires, Plummer looks forward to attracting additional high-caliber stallions to stand at his facility. In fact, a brand-new breeding barn is already under construction.

“Buffalo Ranch has been building a wonderful breeding program with without a doubt the strongest broodmare band in the world,” Plummer said. “I take great pride in that, but I understand that it is taking me away from what I should be focusing on and what I am best at – standing stallions and stallion promotion.”

Plummer explained that in years past, some owners have been reluctant to send their stallions to Buffalo Ranch because the enterprise was also a competing breeding operation. Also, having so many of its own foals prevented Buffalo Ranch from having the flexibility to purchase outside foals and support other mare owners, Plummer added.

“I want to take the capital from this sale and make a big push to get additional outstanding stallions,” Plummer explained. “If I have to invest in those stallions or their progeny to get them, I will do so.  Buffalo Ranch Stallion Station will stand the best, will have the very best service, and with our ideal location and international connections will give the stallions the very best exposure to mare owners.  We are looking forward to creating strategic partnerships with other stallion owners that will greatly enhance and push forward our vested interests.

“This is a calculated and big decision for me, but I am so excited for the future as for what it will free me up to do,” Plummer continued. “No matter the stallions that I stand, I am going to be able to support them. I am going to be able to focus all of my time and energy on my customers' foals rather then my own. I will be freed up to buy horses by the stallions that I stand and not be worried about promoting my broodmare band at the same time. It is a bright new day for Buffalo Ranch Stallion Station.

Although there are still some details to be worked out, the basic structure for the sale is in place. Western Bloodstock will be managing the sale.

“We’ve used them for a number of years and have a good working relationship with them,” Plummer said about the decision to use Western Bloodstock. “They have a long history of selling the best performance horses in the world.”

Plummer is confident about the quality of the Buffalo Ranch offerings.

“This is the greatest offering of performance horses in history – yes, the greatest!” he said. “There has never been an opportunity like this and I do not know if there ever will be another like it. The quality is second to none.”

To learn more about the horses consigned to the sale, please visit the Buffalo Ranch website at www.sdpbuffaloranch.com or call the ranch office at 817-560-0038. Also, keep a watch on Western Bloodstock, www.westernbloodstock.com, for more details and to see a full catalog of all the consigned horses.

A few of the mares
There are many mares to be sold in the Buffalo Ranch dispersal. For several years the ranch worked to assemble a regal grouping of broodmares, among those a number of major limited-age champions along with multiple NCHA Horse of the Year award recipients.

Hicapoo (Doc’s Hickory x Super Poo x Pima Country) is a 1990 mare who earned $447,855 in a career that included being named 1994 NCHA Horse of the Year. She started out at the 1993 NCHA Futurity, where she and Paul Hansma finished third in the Open division. She came close to taking the Triple Crown, as she won the 1994 NCHA Derby and placed Reserve at that year’s NCHA Super Stakes. In all, Hicapoo won 13 limited-age championships and went to the finals 19 times. She ranks among the top 25 all-time leading money-earning cutting horses.

As a producer, Hicapoo has four offspring that have earned $308,393. Her leader is SDP Hicapoos CD, a 2002 CD Olena gelding who has earnings of $142,160 that includes winning the Non-Pro at the 2006 NCHA Derby with Dustin Adams in the saddle. Hicapoo’s No. 2 foal is Capoo, a 1995 CD Olena mare who placed third at the 1999 NCHA Futurity with Hansma. She retired with $138,224 on her record. As a dam, Capoo has produced four foals that have won close to $700,000, including Bob Dualin, $217,981; Al Poocino, $206,771; and Boiler Room, $189,571.

Justaswinging Peanut (Justa Swinging Peppy x Little Peanut Patty x Peppy San Badger), another Buffalo Ranch consignment, is a 1992 mare who earned $108,137 during her five years in the pen, a good portion of which was spent on the non-pro side with previous owner Dean Sanders. She went to the finals at many limited-age events and took championships four times. It’s been as a dam, however, that this mare has really shined. She has five foals that have won $613,230, including superstar Justa Smart Peanut, the 1997 mare who started her career at the 2000 NCHA Futurity, where she made the Non-Pro finals with Sanders and finished as Reserve Champion in the Open with Faron Hightowner. In 2001, Justa Smart Peanut was NCHA Horse of the Year. Smart Peanut Bubba, a Smart Little Lena stallion, is Justaswinging Peanut’s second leading earner with $125,175 posted.

Playboys Mom (Freckles Playboy x Lenaette x Doc O’Lena) is another star consignment who comes complete with plenty of bold black ink. This 1987 mare has produced nine offspring that have cut their way to $658,400 in winnings. Her list is topped by Mr Mom DNA, a 1992 Docs Stylish Oak gelding who made the finals at many limited-age events and did a good bit on the weekend road, including winning the NCHA Open World Champion Gelding title in 1997. Playboys mom is also “mom” to Playin Stylish, the late Docs Stylish Oak stallion who retired with $119,550 on his record and a claim to the 1999 NCHA Horse of the Year honor. To date, Playin Stylish has sired 219 performers who have won $2.8 million in mostly cutting and reined cow horse earnings, including Playin Attraction, the stallion Boyd Ride rode to Reserve at the 2005 National Reined Cow Horse Association Futurity.

Those are just three of the several quality broodmares being offered by Buffalo Ranch. A few more highlights are: Calie Del Rey (Dual Rey x War Lena Calie x War Lena Bars), a 1999 mare who won $109,261 and whose first foal, Hay Maker (by Mr Jay Bar Cat) has so far earned more than $225,000 and was the Limited Open Champion and fourth in the Open at the 2008 NCHA Futurity with R.L. Chartier; Little Janey Lena (Smart Little Lena x Playboys Ruby x Freckles Playboy), a 1999 mare who has $234,855 on her record that includes having won the Non-Pro Championship at the 2002 NCHA Futurity with Mary Ann Rapp. There are also Ruby Dee DNA (CD Olena x Playboys Ruby x Freckles Playboy), a 1998 AQHA-registered mare, $82,891; Ruby Doo Too (Dual Pep x Playboys Ruby x Freckles Playboy), a 2001 mare, $108,617; TM Quiver (Smart Little Ricochet x Shes Pretty Smooth x Wheeling Peppy), a 1999 mare, $155,480; and Zacks Four Wood (Zack T Wood x Playboys Chance x Freckles Playboy), a 1997 mare, $134,800.

A few of the stallions
There is plenty of promise in the stallions offered at the Buffalo Ranch dispersal sale. Meradas Blue Sue (Duals Blue Boon x Meradas Little Sue x Freckles Merada), a 1998 chestnut stallion, came equipped for success as his mom won multiple NCHA World Open titles, still holds the record as the highest-selling horse sold at public auction ($875,000) and is the No. 1 all-time earning cutting mare (she’s fifth on the list of all horses).

Meradas Blue Sue won $112,361 in his cutting career, one highlighted by his victory with John Wold in the Open at the NCHA Derby in 2002. He stayed in the show pen a good many years, and in 2008, he and Greg Smith won the Open at the NCHA Western National Championships. As a sire, Meradas Blue Sue’s first foal crop arrived in 2004, and to date, he has 14 earners that have posted $125,180.

Another consignment, Laredo Blue (Mecom Blue x Rosita Wilson x Doc Wilson), is a 2000 red roan stallion who won $301,660. He and Scott Ferguson, cutting as a non-pro at the time, made the Open semifinals and won the Non-Pro division at the 2003 NCHA Futurity. Laredo Blue and Ferguson also won the Non-Pro at the 2004 NCHA Derby and finished Reserve at that year’s NCHA Super Stakes – successes that added up to the stallion being named 2004 NCHA Horse of the Year. Laredo Blue had his first foal crop with six individuals in 2005, and so far – with a limited number of offspring – the stallion has nine foals that have won close to $30,000.

Highlightcat (High Brow Cat x Cammi Light x Grays Starlight) is a 2001 stallion who claimed $135,741 in earnings in a career that started with Beau Galyean, who was showing as a non-pro rider at the time. Highlightcat finished Reserve in the Non-Pro at the 2004 NCHA Futurity, then the horse made the finals in Open and Non-Pro at a number of limited-age events before retiring in 2006. Highlightcat’s first foals arrived in 2007 and are hitting the show pen this season.