The sky is blue, the earth is rusty red and dusty as vehicles make their way down the dirt road that leads to Spiderweb Camp on Babbitt Ranch for the annual Hashknife Colt Sale July 8.
Cowboys, ranchers, spectators and equine enthusiasts gathered to watch and participate in the sale, which is an age-old tradition for the ranch.
Established in 1886, Babbitt Ranches stretches across 700,000 acres of private, federal and state land. It brushes right up against the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and neighbors the Navajo Nation to the east. The ranch runs around 8,000 head of grass-fed, open range, Hereford cattle on the CO Bar, Espee and Cataract ranches that make up Babbitt Ranches.
The ranch has been operating for more than 130 years and its cowboy culture is rich, as well as it’s community spirit, which Bill Cordasco, Babbitt Ranches president and general manager reminded the crowd when he opened the sale.
“The colt sale is about community, it’s never not been about community,” Cordasco said. “It’s got three fundamental sides to it. One, relationships are everything, secondly, it’s not about things or doing things but about the meaning of everything and third is about being a part of something bigger than yourself. This colt sale, because of all of you, hits every one of those marks and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of it.”
The Hashknife brand started in the 1920s, using a stud horse named Driftwood. Driftwood was the corner-stone family of the Hashknife brand, and most Babbitt colts can still trace their lineage back to Driftwood.
Every year Babbitt Ranches holds its annual sale where an average of 20-30 colts are sold. The colt sale was formalized in the late 1980s to sell off a surplus of colts. It started small, as friendly transactions between friends, with just a few colts sold. This year, 23 colts were available for auction, with sales ranging from $3,700 to $12,500.
While the colts are bred to be working ranch horses, they have the skills to be used in many competitive areas, including roping and barrel racing. However, after the colts are sold they go to a wide variety of homes. The colts are sought after because of their breeding and steady disposition.
“Last year, you might remember, I talked about seeing that Hashknife colt from the inside out. You have to ask yourself what’s inside that colt, because a big part of the breeding program here is really what’s inside these colts – you will eventually see it come out in their eyes. It’s kind, it’s gentle, it’s strong – kind of like we all want to be, it’s really awesome,” Cordasco said.
After the sale, the colts live on the ranch and will be weaned over the winter and halter broke. Around March, as yearlings, they are picked up by their new owners.
The sale is held annually, on the second Saturday in July. More information about the sale and the ranch is available at Home | Babbitt Ranches.
The sky is blue, the earth is rusty red and dusty as vehicles make their way down the dirt road that leads to Spiderweb Camp on Babbitt Ranch for the annual Hashknife Colt Sale July 8.
Cowboys, ranchers, spectators and equine enthusiasts gathered to watch and participate in the sale, which is an age-old tradition for the ranch.
Established in 1886, Babbitt Ranches stretches across 700,000 acres of private, federal and state land. It brushes right up against the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and neighbors the Navajo Nation to the east. The ranch runs around 8,000 head of grass-fed, open range, Hereford cattle on the CO Bar, Espee and Cataract ranches that make up Babbitt Ranches.
The ranch has been operating for more than 130 years and its cowboy culture is rich, as well as it’s community spirit, which Bill Cordasco, Babbitt Ranches president and general manager reminded the crowd when he opened the sale.
“The colt sale is about community, it’s never not been about community,” Cordasco said. “It’s got three fundamental sides to it. One, relationships are everything, secondly, it’s not about things or doing things but about the meaning of everything and third is about being a part of something bigger than yourself. This colt sale, because of all of you, hits every one of those marks and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of it.”
The Hashknife brand started in the 1920s, using a stud horse named Driftwood. Driftwood was the corner-stone family of the Hashknife brand, and most Babbitt colts can still trace their lineage back to Driftwood.
Every year Babbitt Ranches holds its annual sale where an average of 20-30 colts are sold. The colt sale was formalized in the late 1980s to sell off a surplus of colts. It started small, as friendly transactions between friends, with just a few colts sold. This year, 23 colts were available for auction, with sales ranging from $3,700 to $12,500.
While the colts are bred to be working ranch horses, they have the skills to be used in many competitive areas, including roping and barrel racing. However, after the colts are sold they go to a wide variety of homes. The colts are sought after because of their breeding and steady disposition.
“Last year, you might remember, I talked about seeing that Hashknife colt from the inside out. You have to ask yourself what’s inside that colt, because a big part of the breeding program here is really what’s inside these colts – you will eventually see it come out in their eyes. It’s kind, it’s gentle, it’s strong – kind of like we all want to be, it’s really awesome,” Cordasco said.
After the sale, the colts live on the ranch and will be weaned over the winter and halter broke. Around March, as yearlings, they are picked up by their new owners.
The sale is held annually, on the second Saturday in July. More information about the sale and the ranch is available at Home | Babbitt Ranches.