From the horses’ sleek and shiny coats in shades ranging from midnight black to snowy white to the booming speakers with the voice of the auctioneers— it’s easy to get swept up in all the commotion at the 25th annual Legacy Reining Horse Sale.
Hosted every September at the same ranch, the event has become a tradition.
Originally built by Mandy and Tom McCutcheon 25 years ago, the Thorson family became the newest owners of the ranch, who have given it a complete makeover since February.
The new owners of Legacy Reining Breeders Sale, along with Tim and Colleen McQuay, have continued the Legacy sale on the same ranch in Aubrey.
“The Thorson family has done an amazing job on it,” Mandy said. “… It looks fantastic. So, we’re really lucky that they want to continue to host the Legacy sale.”
Reining is a specific type of horse-riding competition, where a horse completes an intricate pattern in the arena performing spins, circles and stops, with the guidance of the rider.
The horses sold through Legacy are considered top-of-the-line, award-winning horses touted for their balance, agility and beauty.
That is part of why the sale has gained a loyal community of supporters.
“I take great pride in the fact that I have consigners that come back year after year, like Bob Loomis,” Mandy said. “And people that really believe in our sale, and in our program. … It’s such an honor for me to be able to sell horses for those kinds of people and that they believe in what we do.”
Though local to Aubrey, the sale has garnered international attention, from Mexico, Europe and Canada.
With over a hundred people in attendance, viewers can also bid online.
Charlie Cole, local resident and participant, shared why that aspect draws him back.
“In our area, Pilot Point, we already have some of the greatest horse trainers and horses here and this event bringing in the great horsemen from all over the world, not just the United States, but all over the world,” Cole said. “So, it’s quite an impressive group of horses, but also people and horse enthusiasts.'
That excitement is shared by long-time attendees Jessica How and her husband Mark.
They have gone to countless sales throughout the country, they said, but this specific sale is marked on their calendar every year.
The Hows have been attending the Legacy sale for about 12 years with their family and don’t plan to stop the tradition.
“We love coming to the Legacy sale; there’s always high-quality horses, great atmosphere, they feed you, there’s drinks,” How said. “… There’s nothing more fun than watching horses sell for big money.”
On Saturday, 122 horses were showcased, resulting in a total of $2,143,500 in sales, with the average price point at slightly over $20,000.
The two highest selling horses, Magically Dreamed and Hollywood Chill, both sold for $100,000 each.
To Mandy, though, there’s more to a horse sale than the highest bidder.
“It’s not only the people that come and buy them for $100,000 that are important to our sales,” Mc-Cutcheon said. “It’s the people that buy them at all levels. It’s everybody that’s important to a horse sale; it’s not just the high bidders. It’s the guys that buy them because they think they have potential. … There’s a spot for everyone at our horse sale.”
