Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Monday 5 February 2018
Amish or not, sellers and buyers pony up at horse auction

By KRISTEN DE GROOT She was filming horses that
Associated Press sparked her interest and
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — said she would compare
Amish men lead muscular her thoughts with her
horses across a concrete husband’s later that night.
threshold, their straw hats “We look for the diamonds
only as high as the beasts’ in the rough,” she said “We
shoulders, the clip-clop don’t mind something that
of huge hooves echoing takes a little bit of work.
loudly. We enjoy the challenge of
Nearby, a black stallion getting a horse going.”
glistens as a boy in There was a lot of audience
suspenders washes it excitement about No. 95,
with a garden hose. An named Eastview Thunder,
auctioneer holds court in but in the end the horse
a sea of bridles, bits and was a no-sale because the
buckets. Bay doors open bids were too low and the
and snow blows in as owner refused.
harness horses clamber into The highest price paid at the
holding stalls. sale was for a draft horse by
At the Pennsylvania Farm the name of Watersedge
Show Complex, at the Flash Impressive, which sold
nation’s first major horse for $25,000 to a family in
auction of the year, the An auctioneer, left, solicits bids as a draft horse is walked in front of prospective buyers at the Maine, Stoltzfus said.
activity bustles along like a Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex Wednesday Jan.17, 2018 in Harrisburg, Pa. They’ll use him as a show
well-oiled buggy. Associated Press horse, rather than plowing
Amish from all over the presentation, with sellers Buyers could sleep on it and filled doughnuts, milkshakes fields or pulling farm
country come here to buy hitching up their animals come back for the auction and soft pretzels. equipment.
and sell their massive draft and taking them for a the next day ready to bid. Included in the audience at Stolzfus said he has learned
horses and magnificent spin around the dirt- About 500 horses were up the draft horse presentation you can never predict
harness horses. It also draws floored arena. It gives for sale this year, Stoltzfus was Shelley Thorne-Le which horses will bring the
Blanc, the co-owner of big money.
Butternut Ridge Belgians in “It’s the whims of the buyers
New Brunswick, Canada. that determine what
She drove over 13 hours happens,” he said.
to Harrisburg with a group Shannon Crabb, co-owner
of Canadians who show of Maple Creek Belgians, in
Belgians at fairs around Ottawa, Ontario, agreed.
Canada and in the U.S. “It only takes two people
“It’s worth the drive for us,” to fall in love with the same
she says. “The quality of horse to make the price go
horses is good.” up,” she said.q

Harness horses Muscle Man, left, and My Way The Highway, right, of Dundee, Ohio, stand in their
stalls during a horse auction at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, Wednesday, Jan.17, 2018,
in Harrisburg, Pa.
Associated Press

non-Amish horse fans, lured potential buyers a sense said, and the crowd
by the “Cadillac” quality of of how the horse moves was estimated at about
the animals, and vendors of and its demeanor as the 10,000 people. On one
everything from saddles to announcer describes its side of the complex was
buggies to custom-made family heritage. a live auction of farm
harnesses. About 85 percent of the and horse equipment; in
The public auction was buyers and sellers are the center were vendor
held this year Jan. 16 and Amish, said Dale Stoltzfus, stalls selling everything an
17. It’s actually three sales an organizer of the sale. Amish farmer could need:
rolled into one, offering On the first day, potential wagons and buggies; barn
draft horses for use in the buyers in traditional construction; blacksmithing
fields, harness horses and straw hats chatted in and horseshoeing services;
a separate Morgan horse Pennsylvania Dutch as they handcrafted harnesses, Young women prepare a horse for presentation before an
sale. took notes in the 200-page saddles, bits and blankets; auction at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex Tuesday
The first day is all about guide that listed horses. and whoopie pies, cream- Jan.16, 2018 in Harrisburg, Pa.
Associated Press