Picky Bidders Compete Over Leachman Horses

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By Kenneth Wong

Story Published: Apr 3, 2011 at 5:54 PM MDT

Story Updated: Apr 4, 2011 at 10:27 AM MDT

NEAR BILLINGS - The saga of the Leachman herd appears to have come to an end for the horses on Sunday, as bidders compete for what remains of James Leachman's 829 horses.

Bidders again packed the auction house on the Leachman's former Home Place Ranch on Sunday, with some coming back for more after a successful day of bidding on Saturday. Some bidders have said that the good quality of the Leachman horses, before the animal abuse ordeal, was the main draw. "We understand that the Leachman horses are good cowhorses," said Mary Descheemaeker, who owns a ranch close to Billings, "We do have a ranch, and we're hoping to break these horses and use them as cowhorses."

Mccall Barrett, who worked on Leachman's former ranch years ago, also came back for more, having first-hand knowledge of the horse's quality. "These horses have great bones, great minds, and have the cowboy color that everybody wants," said Berrett, who was preparing to bid for the younger herd.

Despite the quality of the herd, auctioneer Rick Young noticed that bidders were particularly selective, preferring horses that descended from a good family lineage. "A couple of mares sold very well," said Young, "They were big Rhone Mares, and I suspect they probably had some Blue Valentine bloodlines that somebody was seeking."

Berrett described the Blue Valentine with particular praise. "He was kind of the first of the big colorful ranch horses in the country," Berrett said, "The horses would weigh fourteen hundred pounds, you could ride them all day." However, Berrett also noted that regardless of the lineage, he is happy that the Leachman ordeal is over, at least for the herd. "There are a lot of people here, and a lot of these horses are going to go to some really cool homes," Berrett said.

Ed Parisian of the Bureau of Indian Affairs said there would be no third round of bidding on Monday. Proceeds from the sales will not be available for a couple of weeks, but Parisian said proceeds would pay for damages, as well as costs incurred from the horse's roundup.

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amazed said on Monday, Apr 4 at 11:01 PM

why didnt he claim his horses? there not stolen are they? that is a hangin offense,still

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