PA Horse Breeders Association Stallion Season Online Auction
By Jennifer Starr
The annual Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association (PHBA) online Stallion Auction will run from Monday, January 13 through Sunday, January 19. Now in its 15th year, the highly successful auction features a tremendous amount of stud farms, giving breeders countless opportunities to purchase stallion seasons.
Rich Strike Photo Credit to Julianna Havnaer/Margaux Farm
“We have over 100 stallion seasons for auction, in seven different states, Mid-Atlantic states,” explained Brian Sanfratello, Executive Secretary of the PHBA. “The money raised goes to our PHBA PAC fund. We use that money for lobbying, and meeting with legislators all year long, to be able to talk about Pennsylvania breeding and comparing it to other states, as well as having them understand how important the Racehorse Development Trust Fund is to breeding and racing in Pennsylvania and how important it is to the economy of Pennsylvania!” Turning For Home, the racehorse retirement program, also benefits from this online auction.
More details on the horses and the seasons available for auction are listed at pabred.com. “There’s also details about the Pennsylvania program,” Brian said. “It’s one of the best programs in the country. People get involved in that program for breeding and racing benefits, so we pay 40% to PA-sired horses in Breeder awards, and we pay 20% if you’re not PA-sired, so you can use stallions in different states, but the benefit is the fact that it’s double if you’re using a PA-sired, as far as awards are concerned.”
The online auction is organized completely by the PHBA, and takes several months of planning and executing. “Myself and Wendi Graham start it, probably, in November, getting in touch with as many stallion farms as possible, throughout Pennsylvania and the other states. I make a trip to Kentucky to meet with some of the major stallion farms there. These are relationships that are built over 15 years with farms all over the Mid-Atlantic and Kentucky.”
Zozos Photo Credit to Kim Pratt
“With this online auction, breeders can purchase the stallion seasons at reduced costs,” Brian emphasized, “so it helps them as far as what their total outlay, as far as their mares are concerned. Anything that can help lower the cost for the breeders, we try to do.”
The auction has been extremely successful year after year, and Brian stresses again the importance of this major auction. “We use the money primarily for our PAC account and lobbying, and if not for this, we wouldn’t be able to generate the money that we do.”
Brian looks forward to this year’s auction continuing the success of the past 14 years. “In addition to information on our website, you have to register to bid www.thoroughlybred.com, and make bids any time from January 13 to the 19.”
