With the click of a mouse on the www.warmbloods.ca website, bidders from around the globe can participate in three on-line horse auctions and purchase from a selection of over forty warmblood and sport horses being offered for sale.

After decades of breeding warmblood and sport horses, the owners of D&R Ranching in Wetaskiwin, AB, felt that managing their extensive herd left little time for other pursuits aside from operating a very busy veterinary practice. They needed a way to sell a large number of horses so they came up with a unique idea - a series of on-line auctions for the purpose of reducing their herd.

Since 1998 the goal of D&R Ranching’s breeding program was to produce athletic horses for English disciplines using European bloodlines with proven production records. The program worked and has produced champion dressage horses, hunters, jumpers, combined driving horses and eventers. Horses have been sold across North America to amateurs, professionals and trainers.

In a traditional one-day auction buyers are truly ‘on their own’ when it comes to viewing and evaluating the offered stock. Not this time.

To help buyers choose and to take some of the guess work out of selecting from among the variety of ages, levels of training in various disciplines, from young stock and broodmares to experienced riding horses and winning show horses that are being offered for sale, world renowned functional conformation expert Judy Wardrope of JW Equine has provided a detailed conformational analysis of each of the horses. The analyses will help buyers select the appropriate animal(s) to meet their goals as they indicate the discipline(s) for which each horse is best suited and most likely to succeed - much more, and useful, information than the traditional height and age statistics one might expect to find.

On the auction website detailed pedigree information is provided. In addition, there are comments from the trainer’s perspective so buyers have some idea about the temperament and trainability of each horse.

Because each auction lasts a month, and they overlap slightly, buyers have time to make informed decisions. There are also three weekends of live viewing offered for those able to visit the ranch in Wetaskiwin, Alberta. The dates are scheduled to overlap two sales at a time so visitors can view horses from two lots during one visit.

Roxy Bell, DVM, is one half of D&R Ranching. Along with husband Dave, also a veterinarian, they run a busy equine veterinary practice on the ranch. “We are excited about this unique concept,” she said. “The on-line auction with specific viewing days is much less intrusive than having an auctioneer and crowds on-site while still trying to run the practice. With the horses separated into manageable groups, it is not overwhelming for staff and facility.

“The longer time frame, and the on-line format, along with the extensive information provided, allows for more considered selections from a group of horses that will go on to successful careers in a variety of disciplines and levels.

“It’s been an education for me as well regarding the objective evaluations of pedigrees and conformation. This is a wonderful review of our breeding program. I’m glad that we can offer people horses that will suit their purposes, and I look forward to having the time to actually compete in dressage and combined driving while continuing my work as an FEI and Team Canada Endurance vet.”

This dramatic inventory reduction provides an incredible opportunity for anyone interested in acquiring well bred horses sporting such internationally recognized bloodlines as Akzent II, Argentan I, Calvados, Der Lowe xx, Donnerhall, Eisenherz I, Escudo I, Espri, Ferdinand, Frustra II, Furioso II, Goodwill, Gotthard, Graf Top, Grannus, Grundstein I, Lauries Crusador xx, Longchamp, Lugano I, Maykel, Nankin, Nimmerdor, Pik Bube I, Pilot, Quick Star, Ramiro, Rebel I Z, Rotspon, Rubenstein I, Silvio I, Uriel, Voltaire, Wanderer, World Cup III and others.

Over 40 horses from their herd, plus a few from a limited number of guest consignors, will be sold through the three separate, but overlapping, sales. Potential buyers register to bid through the warmbloods.ca website. Bidding for each sale will extend over a one-month period and the horses are grouped according to the required opening price and bid increments:

Sale One:         June 22 - July 22                     Opening at $3,000 with increments of $100

Sale Two:        July 15 - August 16                 Opening at $6,000 with increments of $250

Sale Three:      August 3 - September 3          Opening at $9,000 with increments of $500

All transactions will be in Canadian currency.

Appointments may be made to view the horses Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays on the following dates: July 16-18   August 5-8      and     August 27-29.

Internet bidding systems used for other livestock auctions don’t offer the same amenities as this auction. Generally there is one camera focused on the live action while on-line bidders try to follow the auctioneer’s patter and submit their bids, hoping to avoid any technical glitches that might impede the process.

These auctions have been designed to deliberately slow down the process and ensure that buyers end up with the right horses for the right purposes.