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Colt Sale Coming to Montana Western

January 18, 2017

The University of Montana Western’s inaugural colt sale and challenge is coming to Dillon, Mont. from March 31 to April 1, 2017.

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The University of Montana Western’s inaugural colt sale and challenge is coming to Dillon, Mont. from March 31 to April 1, 2017.

In preparation for the event, donated colts are trained by students from October until the date of the sale, totaling around 80 rides for each horse. Students train the colts using natural horsemanship techniques and ensure the horses are trained to handle many aspects of ranch work. Montana Western’s sales prep class will participate in the sale and challenge along with Miles Community College of Miles City, Mont.

The sales prep class was developed as part of Montana Western’s dedication to experiential learning. Students are completely hands-on throughout the class in order to cultivate real-world skills involved with starting, selling and competing with young horses, Head Natural Horsemanship Instructor Eric Hoffmann explained.

“One major attribute of Montana Western’s colts is that they not only get experience in the arena, but they gain practical ranch experience and education outside in the mountains in various terrain and around cattle,” Hoffmann said.

The university’s natural horsemanship program receives donated colts from top quarter horse breeders across the region including Weaver Quarter Horses, Holland Ranch, Erb Ranch, Harrington Ranch, Hirshy Ranch, Diamond Land and Livestock, and R Lazy 6 Quarter Horses.

Along with the student-trained colts, the sale will include aged horses used for ranch work from the Harrington, Hirschy and Erb ranches.

The event will occur at the La Cense Montana Ranch in their state-of-the-art riding facility. The competition takes place on March 31 at 9 a.m., the colt preview will occur on April 1 at 10 a.m., with the sale at 1 p.m. The University’s 49th Annual Rodeo Banquet takes place on campus at the Keltz Arena the evening of March 31.

Proceeds from the auction benefit Montana Western’s natural horsemanship program and its continued success.

The public is welcome to come view the colts and students in class. For more information contact Eric Hoffmann at 406-925-1499 or [email protected]. Watch students’ progress with the colts at facebook.com/coltchallengeandsale/.

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