Agricultural Sciences

Annual Penn State Quarter Horse Sale and Showcase to be held April 30

After two years of online sales, the popular event will return in a hybrid format

Students Rachel Bitler, Cameryn Rousselin and Cassandra Nail work with PSU Slidin For Chex to prepare for the annual Equine Science Showcase and Quarter Horse Sale at Penn State. Credit: Contributed photoAll Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — After two years of holding an online-only auction, the Penn State Equine Science program will host the 20th annual Equine Science Showcase and Quarter Horse Sale in a new, hybrid format Saturday, April 30. Organizers invite the public to view the horses under saddle, meet the students and tour the equine facilities.

There will not be a live auction on April 30. The sale itself will take place online with the help of Pro Horse Services, which has supported the previous two online sales. Bidding will open April 30 and run through May 3. Fifteen horses, all raised at the University Park farm, are available for purchase.

Brian Egan, assistant teaching professor of equine science and horse farm coordinator, has been part of the annual sale since the very first iteration. “It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years,” he said. “Many good horses have gone through our program, but the most memorable part of this journey has been the more than 650 students who have taken the equine marketing class since year one.”

The sale is the equine program’s most prominent public event. During the spring semester, more than 60 students in Animal Science 117: Equine Marketing are involved in preparing for the sale — from getting sponsorships and creating advertisements to working on getting the young horses ready to be ridden.

At the height of the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, the sale was pivoted to an online format. Despite only having a few weeks to make the transition, that year had the highest average sale price per horse in the program’s history. The 2021 sale was held in an online format with similarly positive results. The highest-selling horse was sold for $17,500.

The online auction also has allowed the program to reach buyers across the country. During the last two sales, buyers from seven states and one Canadian province bought horses. In 2021, there were bidders in 40 states and three Canadian provinces.

“We’re going to a hybrid event because we want to bring people to campus and demonstrate what our students can do and what the entire program is about,” Egan said.

The hybrid option allows students to network with buyers and other people in the equine industry while still reaching potential buyers from across the country and beyond. The day also will include demonstrations of the horses under saddle, conveying information about the ongoing equine research and a silent auction to benefit the Ward Studebaker Horse Farm Endowment.

This year, the three student sale managers are Audra Fisher, of Watsontown, a senior animal science major; Olivia Kerr, of State College, a senior animal science major; and Emma Jacobsen, of State College, a senior secondary education major. The assistant manager is Natalie D’Antonio, of West Chester, a junior animal science major.

According to Kerr, the current students and committee chairs are looking forward to moving into the hybrid format. “Being back in person — along with it being the 20th anniversary sale — I think there will be a whole new level of excitement from both the students and the spectators,” she said. “We have another great group of horses, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Kerr and other students in the class are happy to share the program with the public.

“Some of my family members are looking forward to attending the showcase, so they’ll get to see everything I’m so excited to talk about when I’m home from college,” said Rachel Bitler, of Muncy Valley, a sophomore animal science student. She added that getting to know the sale horses also has been a highlight.

Hailie Gallagher, of Quakertown, a senior animal science major, said she is excited about making connections, especially with people in the equine industry. “When I graduate, hopefully I’ll be part of that industry, so it’ll be good to start connecting with new people and getting different perspectives now,” she said.

Sierra Weaver, of York, a freshman agricultural science major, has enjoyed helping to promote the sale. “I love all the various aspects of marketing and getting a behind-the-scenes view of the whole process,” she said. “Being able to show people what our facilities and programs are all about is important.”

On offer are horses sired by the stallions One Hot Krymsun, VS Flatline, Willy Be Invited and Hot Ones Only, as well as the farm’s own PSU He Rox the Nite and Red White N Good.

View the online sale catalog here, or follow the sale on the Penn State Quarter Horses’ Facebook and Instagram pages. For information about bidding in the sale, contact Egan at began@psu.edu or 814-863-0569.

Last Updated April 8, 2022

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