OBS moves yearling sale to October

The sales calendar in Ocala, Fla., will be undergoing a major change in 2017.

The Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. announced Wednesday that it was moving its traditional August yearling sale to October, that the October mixed sale will be eliminated, and that the sales company will offer breeding stock only in its January sale. The OBS October sale had been a staple in Florida for four decades, and its August yearling sale also was a fixture for decades.

Due to the changing landscape in the national sales arena, OBS officials decided they needed to adjust the sales calendar. It had already made a major change this year, as it suspended the October sale due to extensive facility renovations and asked consignors to sell their mixed stock in January. They decided to make that change permanent. At the January sale, broodmares, broodmare prospects, and short yearlings will be offered.

In October 2017, OBS will hold three days of yearling sales, with one selected session Oct. 10 followed by two open sessions Oct. 11-12.

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“Finding the most beneficial dates in a crowded yearling sale calendar is a little tricky,” OBS president Tom Ventura said. “Based on our feedback, we believe the October time slot offers a better overall fit for both consignors and buyers.

“Consolidating our mixed sales into January provides us the flexibility to shift the yearling sale to October. Moving the sale from August to the milder October weather will be a plus for buyers, consignors, and horses. An additional side benefit of the new dates is the extra time after our 2-year-old sales to move our construction project along.”