Lazy K Ranch Celebrates 30th Anniversary Of Pick-a-colt Day Production Sale

Dec. 14, 2012 - PRLog -- Chowchilla, CA – For thirty years, the Knapp Family of Chowchilla, California has bred AQHA and APHA horses that excel on the ranch and in the show pen. Established in 1982, the annual “Pick-a-Colt” Day Sale offers these cow horse and halter bred yearlings for sale every year on the first Saturday in May.

Lazy K Ranch is known for its unique pairing of good-minded, athletic working mares with the best ranch and performance horse bloodlines in the country.  When you see a horse with a Lazy K on its hip, you know that horse has bloodlines from some of the top money earners, including Colonel Freckles, Doc O’ Lena, Sugar Bars, Hollywood Dun It and Peppy San Badger.

“It’s hard to believe this is the 30th anniversary of our annual “Pick-A-Colt” Day Sale,” said Sherry Knapp.  “Over the years we have redefined what it means to be a ‘working’ broodmare at the Lazy K.  When not raising a foal, our mares work gathering cows, giving lessons, providing trail rides, or showing and competing.  We believe the traits and soundness needed to perform all these jobs are passed on to their off-spring and we have 30 years of experience and breeding to support it.”

This year’s sale will feature futurity prospects from Lotta Stuff To Shine, an own son of Shining Spark, as well as foals from new stallions Docs Blue Pepto by Yellow Roan Of Texas and RS Pine Oil Slick by Poco Pine Oil, and Lazy K recognized stallions Bluetimestwo Hancock, Truley Blue and Red Hot Spark.

Michele Knapp-Stehly added, “We will be offering more than 60 Quarter Horse and Paint Horse yearlings that have completed ‘ground school.’ Our colts and fillies are taught to face up when approached, lead from the ground, tie, load in a trailer, stand while groomed and have their feet trimmed.  Elements of a much larger training program Tom Dorrance helped us set up years ago. These horses have been shown nothing but love and are ready to establish a life-long bond with their new owner.”

The 30th Annual “Pick-A-Colt” Day Sale is set for Saturday, May 4, 2013.  The ranch gates open at 8:30 a.m. with the sale beginning at 10:00 a.m., followed by an online sale at 11:00 a.m.  All horses are pre-priced and sold on a first to pick first to purchase basis with a minimum of 45 head priced between $575 and $975.

Each yearling will be available to view online at LazyKRanch.com in January.  The site’s interactive database includes extensive information and photographs of each horse in the sale plus photos and information on the horses in their pedigrees.  Buyers can search by breed, color, sex, age and price to help make their selections prior to sale day.  

For those who can’t make the trip to the Lazy K Ranch in Chowchilla, the sale is open to Internet customers one hour after the sale begins.  The Internet option allows everyone the opportunity to purchase a good ranch, show or trail horse at a great price and have it shipped anywhere in the country.  Prices for each horse are posted on the ranch Web site Lazykranch.com the night before the sale.

“As part of our 30th anniversary celebration we will offer a hands-on training clinic for purchasers and guests on Sunday, May 5,” said Larry Knapp. “We have an emotional investment in these young horses and appreciate the opportunity to show our buyers some of the training techniques our yearlings are already accustomed to. Our goal is to create a partnership and make the transition to a new home a rewarding one for both our customers and our horses.”

The Lazy K Ranch, owned and operated by the Knapp family, has run cattle and horses in the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra Nevada Mountains for three generations.  “We started out as a cow outfit,” said Mike Knapp.  “In the summer our cows run on 45,000 thousand acres at elevations up to 6500 feet.  To get these cows gathered in the fall we need a horse with a good mind, good legs and a big heart.”

For more information on the “Pick-A-Colt” Day Sale visit www.LazyKRanch.com or contact the ranch at (559) 665-2908.  Information is also available on Facebook, Youtube.com and twitter.