Average sale prices and total attendance were both up from previous years as the 71st annual Red Bluff Bull & Gelding Sale drew to a close Sunday at the Tehama District Fair grounds in Red Bluff.

All in all, the four-day sale saw 453 animals traded with gross sales receipts of $1,759,705.80 just for the livestock, according to online results posted Monday, Jan. 30.

Held Jan 24-28, the sale saw both the number of horses sold and the average sale price per animal go up, which was good news for stock consignors, sale officials said.

“We had a very big crowd,” said Adam Owens who manages the sale. “More than last year, for sure. Definitely pretty packed this year, which is nice to see and which is good for the trade show, food vendors and downtown area.”

Last year, 84 horses sold for a gross sale price of $478,500.

This year, 87 horses were entered in the sale with gross sales calculated at $491,700.

The highest selling horse was up substantially this year, too.

That title went to a registered Quarter Horse named DMAC Agent Spoon, a red roan owned by Tom or Carmen Buckingham out of Idaho sold for $25,000 to new owner Richard Nelson of Freedom, Calif.

In 2011, the highest selling gelding sold for $15,000, according to online results.

DMAC Agent Spoon was also the champion stock horse and heel horse.

As for bulls, 344 head went through the sale fetching an average price of $3,615.84 that equated to gross receipts to the tune of $1,243,850.

“We had several bulls that sold for quite a bit of money,” said Owens. “The demand for top bulls is higher than ever before. We had eleven that went for over $7,000. Cattle prices are high in general and that justifies paying more for the bulls.”

There were two high selling bulls. One was the champion Sim-Angus of the sale, halter-trained Tex Built Right 0473, that sold for $7,900 and was consigned by Teixera Cattle Company. The animal was purchased by Ron Gilliland of Sacramento.

The second bull, also sold for $7,900, was the champion Charolais halter-trained NR Madrid 050 consigned by Reis Livestock and purchased by Richard Heeter of Bald Hill Farms in Corvallis, Ore.

The Jack Owens Hereford, halter-trained M Baker Tru-Test 1050, consigned by Barry and Morell of Morrell Ranches, brought a winning bid price of $7,700 from Jim Jones of the Waibel Ranch in Powell Butte, Ore.

The same buyer paid $7,600 – the fourth highest price of the bull sale – for the champion Hereford, a range bull TPR 121 Mr Dom 21Y, consigned by Alan Parks of The Poplars Ranch Inc.

“It went very well,” Owens said of the four-day stock sale. “Everyone was pretty happy. The crew did a wonderful job keeping things rolling.”

In addition to gelded stock horses, the sale also saw five stock mules go to the gavel with the average price of $3,940 and a top price of $6,700 for a 6 year old Bay mule, Gus, consigned by Larry Gaustad and sold to Carol and Larry Witherow of Browns Valley, Calif.

The total of all mules sold was $19,700, according to sales results posted online.

Finally, the sale featured 17 stock dogs, one of which was redonated and sold a second time, with an average per dog price of $4,455.88 and a top price of $11,500 paid by Pam Schwenkfelder of Cambridge, Idaho, for a dog named Flip (Lot No. 6), consigned by Loren Holmes.

The second-highest price paid for a stock dog was $6,500 bid by Boots and Michelle Lanham for a dog named Blue, Lot No. 5, consigned by Brian Jacobs.

The Water for Life dog, Lazy D Floyd, Lot. No. 9, consigned by Mason Winebarger, drew $3,000 in a first go-round from Mike Ralph of Grants Pass, Ore., but was donated back and drew $4,750 in a second go from Tom Atwood Quarter Horses.

The total raised by dog sales was $75,750, although that number did not include the second go-round paid for Lazy D Floyd.

Gelding sale class winners:

Champion halter horse:

Baileys Chex – $13,500

Martin or Janis Murphy, consignor

Dan Lowry, Alturas, Calif, buyer

Champion stock horse and heel horse:

DMAC Agent Spoon – $25,000

Tom or Carmen Buckingham, consignor

Richard Nelson, Iz Ranch LLC, Freedome, Calif., buyer

Champion ranch cutting horse:

Royal Dually – $12,000

Todd and Erin Bimat, consignor

Van R. Seney, Starbuck, Wash., buyer