2024 Colt Sale Raises Over $208,000 for Natural Horsemanship Program

April 4, 2024

The University of Montana Western’s eighth annual Colt Challenge and Sale, held March 29 and 30 at the Montana Center for Horsemanship, generated $208,124 for the UMW Natural Horsemanship program.

The Natural Horsemanship Program, which educates students to work with horses as part of a broad range of equine and academic studies, is a joint program of the University of Montana Western and the Montana Center for Horsemanship. Every year, as part of the Colt Sale course, UMW students work with young horses to be trained and sold at live auction the following spring. All of the horses have excellent bloodlines and are donated by well-known area ranches. The highly anticipated event brings in buyers from around the country and the proceeds are donated back to the Natural Horsemanship program for scholarships, facility updates, and other program needs.

The two-day event began with the Colt Challenge on Friday, March 29. Students showcased their colts and the variety of ranch tasks they had been trained to perform. Montana Western student, CJ Benoit, placed first in the Colt Challenge riding Weavers Perk N Black from Weaver Quarter Horses. Benoit was awarded a $2,500 scholarship from CHS, a custom saddle from American National Insurance, Clark Wheeler, and Frecker’s Saddlery, a saddle stand from 3TR Saddle Racks, a buckle from Nancy Chesterfield of ASA Publications, a mohair cinch from AH Cinches, a halter from Steele Halters, and 40 lbs. of HorsLic from New Generation Supplements.

Top Five Colt Challenge Placings:

• 1^st – Weavers Perk N Black from Weaver Quarter Horses, ridden by CJ Benoit
• 2^nd – Okie Royalty from Harrington & Hirschy Quarter Horses, ridden by Katherine Bills
• 3^rd–  EH Baybay from the Goggins Ranch, ridden by Madi Foster
• 4^th–  Noble Casanova from Jacob Christenson, ridden by Ahna Fox
• 5^th – Ridn Mrs Nu Cash from the Erb Ranch, ridden by Gus Hoffman

The sale, held the following day on March 30, generated $208,124, averaging $12,000 per colt. The highest selling colt was Weavers Perk N Black, ridden by CJ Benoit and donated by Weaver Quarter Horses. 

Top Five Highest Selling Colts:

• $21,000- Weavers Perk N Black donated by Weaver Quarter Horses, ridden by CJ Benoit
• $18,000- This Cats a Player donated by the Goggins Ranch, ridden by Everitt Mauler 
• $17,000- EH Baybay donated by the Goggins Ranch, ridden by Madi Foster 
• $14,500- Yellow Smoke Show donated by the Erb Ranch, ridden by Ella Hoffman
• $14,500- GM Ricochet 21 donated by Jacob Christenson, ridden by Elise Brann  

The University of Montana Western Natural Horsemanship Program would like to thank our generous donors for making this year’s event so successful: 2M Livestock, Erb Ranch, Harrington and Hirschy Quarter Horses, Holland Quarter Horses, Hollenbeck Ranch, Weaver Quarter Horses, and Goggins Ranch. Thank you to Reminsice Angus, Ginger LaCour, Weaver Quarter Horses, and Montana Mad Hatters for donating special auction items and Beaverhead Motors, Reminisce Angus, Engine 18, and Harrington Pepsi for providing lunch on the day of the sale. Thank you to our corporate sponsors New Generation Supplements, Zinpro Performance Minerals, Rocky Mountain Supply, CHS Inc., the Montana Center for Horsemanship, and all of the businesses that donated prizes and purchased advertising space for making this event possible.

For more information about Montana Western and the nation’s only Natural Horsemanship degree program, please visit www.umwestern.edu or call 1-877-683-7331.