lazykranch

Lazy K Ranch Sale Offers Ranching Heritage Horses

lazykranchlazykranchThe 32nd annual “Pick-a-Colt” Day Sale at the Lazy K Ranch in Chowchilla, California, will take place Saturday, May 2, at the ranch. The Lazy K Ranch, owned and operated by the Knapp Family, is known for its unique pairing of good-minded, athletic working mares with the best ranch and performance horse bloodlines in the country. When you see a horse with a Lazy K on its hip, you know that horse has bloodlines from some of the top money-earners, including Shining Spark, Peptoboonsmal, Kay Cee Leaguer, Coolest and Hollywood Dun It.

“This year our Pick-A-Colt Day Sale will feature babies from our newest stallion Coolest Kid Downtown,” said Sherry Knapp.  “We are excited to share offspring from this halter bred stallion in addition to our ranch and working cow horse lines.”

The annual sale will also offer futurity prospects from Lotta Stuff To Shine, an own son of Shining Spark, as well as foals from stallions Docs Blue Pepto, by Yellow Roan Of Texas; RS Pine Oil Slick, by Poco Pine Oil; Bluetimestwo Hancock, Truley Blue and Red Hot Spark.

“All of the yearlings for sale will have completed ‘ground school’,” said Michele Knapp-Stehly.  “We teach all the colts and fillies to face up when approached, lead from the ground, tie, load in a trailer, stand while groomed and have their feet trimmed, prior to sale day.”

The ranch gates open at 8:30 a.m. and the sale begins at 10 a.m. All horses will be pre-priced and sold on a first to pick first to purchase basis with a minimum of 45 head priced between $675 and $975.

For those who can’t make it to the ranch, the sale is open to Internet buyers one hour after the sale begins. At 11 a.m. horses still available are offered for sale online at www.LazyKRanch.com. The Internet option allows everyone the opportunity to purchase a good ranch, show or trail horse at a great price and have it shipped anywhere in the country.  Prices for each horse are posted on the ranch website the day before the sale.

In February, sale yearlings and weanlings will be available to view on the website using the site’s interactive database. This unique searching tool includes extensive information and photographs of each horse in the sale, plus photos and information on the horses in their pedigrees. Buyers can search by breed, color, sex, age and price to help make their selections prior to sale day. 

After the sale, the Lazy K will offer a hands-on training clinic for purchasers and guests. “Our goal is to be the bridge between our customers and their new horses,” said Larry Knapp. “We want to make the transition to a new home a rewarding one for both.

The Lazy K Ranch ground school and training clinic are part of a much larger training program Tom Dorrance helped the ranch set up years ago. The horses at the Lazy K have been shown only love and kind-handling training techniques. 

“We have an emotional investment in these young horses and appreciate the opportunity to show our buyers some of the training techniques our yearlings are already accustomed to so that both horse and new owner can establish a life-long bond,” Larry added.

The Lazy K Ranch is an American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Ranching Heritage Breeder, which allows owners of their livestock to participate in AQHA Ranching Heritage events and competition. Located in the San Joaquin Valley, the ranch has run cattle and horses in the valley and Sierra Nevada Mountains for three generations.

“We started out as a cow outfit,” said Mike Knapp. “In the summer our cows run on 45,000 thousand acres at the base of Yosemite National Park at elevations up to 6,500 feet. To get these cows gathered in the fall we need a horse with a good mind, good legs and a big heart.

For more information on the Pick-A-Colt Day Sale visit www.LazyKRanch.com or contact the ranch at (559) 665-2908. Information is also available on Facebook and Youtube.com.