Topeka Auction

[goodhors]

My friend and I are heading down to visit the Topeka Auction tomorrow. Sale is Monday at 1pm for carriages, so we figured it would be easier to overnight in Shipshewana, without arising at O’Dark Thirty to drive down. Sounds like she has plans for us to do several things before sale time! I know she usually arises about 4A, feeding by 6A. Hope I can wake up and STAY awake at that time! First appointment is at 7:30A to get some harness fixed. Maybe I should sleep in my clothes?! Ha ha We plan to drive home after the carriages sell, shouldn’t be too late doing that.

I hear there is a Zilco harness dealer in Topeka, so I want to check if he can fix up some worn Zilco parts we have, or will just shake his head no. The harness has served us long and well, but if we can squeeze a little more use from it, why not?

There will also be a huge harness and “stuff” sale going on in the arena and I can always use more fly spray and snaps. Hoping to get a handle on regional carriage prices, we have a couple we don’t use. Need to move them on so I can get more storage room. Darned “horse accessories” are taking over the place! Have not heard much on the Martin’s sale prices yet or what type vehicles went thru.

It will be fun to get away for a little.

[2DogsFarm]

I was there today, with Faux Grandson, dropping off carts for a friend & draft harness he can’t use.
If you know anyone looking for a team set of biothane for show, complete with collars & housings, or a set for a 4 & the rack to hold that, they’ll be in the auction. Everything with no Reserve.
We got there around 11 & there weren’t many carriages at all & nothing horse-sized that caught my eye.
Unless you count a sad Vis a Vis that looked to have housed a family of rodents
Just 2 back-to-back lines of carts & carriages - maybe 40 or so.

Amish guy supervising the unloading told us there was lots of harness, but mostly work stuff.

The harness shop in Topeka is probably Eastside.
I’ve gotten some pieces from them. Fair prices & good work.
Not sure if they carry Zilco.
Your friend may know another place.

I noticed a new (to me?) restaurant right across from the auction.
Tiffany’s, with a buffet for $12.15 along with a decent-sized menu.

I may come back Monday for the auction.

[goodhors]

Thanks 2Dogs. Another harness maker said they thought Eastside carried Zilco, so I will check it out. Sorry to have missed you, hope you feel like coming Monday! We may check out the restaraunt!

Not sure what friend will be shopping for, probably single horse stuff and misc. Ought to be fun. Maybe carriages will sell better than they look.

[RMJacobs]

What fun! I’ve only been to one carriage auction (Troyer’s in Colorado), and I really enjoyed it. I spent way too much money, but what the heck, I was still working then and wasn’t extravagant on non-horse stuff.

Hope you have a great time and find some bargains.

Rebecca

[2DogsFarm]

Not certain I’ll be there tomorrow, but I sent you a PM with my cell#
If you can text me when you get to Topeka I can let you know if I made it

[goodhors]

The fun of auctions! You never know what you will find or see there!! I will text you 2Dogs.

[goodhors]

Reporting back from Topeka. I met up with 2Dogs and we had a good time visiting. Some friends she came with bought 3 buggies and will be fixing them up over winter.

My carriages sold well after a few starting moments of NO BIDS! They were a bit unique in the lineup, but had attracted lots of lookers previous to sale time. Guess no one wanted to be the first bidder until asking price got low enough. Then things went well!

I actually saw some guys taking turns riding in the one carriage while others pulled it, to see how it went and turned! I had put a sign on saying it turned very short, so they tested to see. Never saw that happen before at a sale! Guess they liked it because bidding was good. Nothing to bring back home.

Got a few things from the arena sale, whips, snaps, for good prices. My friend got all her stops done, harness repaired. We found Eastside Harness in Topeka. He does NOT sell Zilco Harness, but was willing to tackle repairing my pieces. Will mail them when completed. We ate at Tiffany’s. Very nice buffet. Finally headed home after loading most of our purchases. She has a local friend that picked up her harness cabinet buys. Too big for my car!! Local Topeka area friend is headed north in a week or so, will get cabinets to her then. A later time leaving, but no trouble getting home before dark. We had a great time and seeing 2Dogs was fun!

[B_and_B]

By the way…did a Clydesdale stallion really go for a 100,000 this year? I saw a Youtube clip that suggested it did.
Kind of mind blowing.

[goodhors]

I would not be surprised. A very prominent breeder and competitor lost his “farm and show crew” to another farm, so he decided to get out of the Clyde business. His horses were a big topic of discussion by everyone at the sale. Most folks were drooling over them! Ha ha The stallion in particular, was spoken of like a rock star!! Gorgeous, great action, presence, passed it on to foals.

I believe he was selling 9 Clydes, the stallion, mares in foal and his hitch horses. Might have been some young ones too. All excellent, top-of-the-line horses acording to the rumor mill there…

It would have been great to see them sell, but we were only there Monday. I saw a coach sell at auction for over $100, 000 once! Bought by the Smithsonian Museum as historically significant.

I will have to ask around about the stallion! That is pretty cool!!

[B_and_B]

Found it! Ozark Royal View. That is too bad that they are getting out of the business.

$100,000 Clydesdale Stallion at Topeka!

[goodhors]

Thanks for the video! He surely is a handsome horse! Somehow I ecpected a bay, black Clydes used to be rather scarce. Hope his new owners enjoy him.

[B_and_B]

He looks like he is genetically a bay, which actually makes the price a little surprising. Black Clydes are all the rage these days. It almost seems like finding good bays is harder…
I have a pet peeve about matchy matchy colors in hitches. In such an extremely rare breed as the Shire or Clyde it tends to increase the genetic bottleneck. Heaven forbid the horse not have four whites
He IS a gorgeous horse though!! And a great example of hitch lines.

[2DogsFarm]

Faux Grandson is my Draft GoTo for info.
His shoer (Middlebury, IIRC) was partnered with Berkshire. One Spring visit I went with & he had some mares w/foals at their sides.
OhEmGeeee! Cute babies.
But, I digress…
We also go to see the classes for NAC 8H series at the Indy State Fair - Clydes & Percherons - there are several Clyde hitches where All Four White is not the Rule. I was surprised to see Clydes with a lot of black in their stockings competing at this level. Wish I could recall which team had them