SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – Roping enthusiasts have plenty to love about the 2022 Sun Circuit horse show which roars into Scottsdale’s WestWorld March 3-13. The ARHFA Sun Circuit Futurity held March 5th and 6th has $30,000 added and is sure to attract top pros as well as elite amateur ropers. There is also a full slate of AQHA roping classes on the schedule. One can even find their next prospect at the 17th Annual Hershberger Performance Horse Sale March 3 & 4.
The ARHFA Futurity for 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds gets underway at 8 a.m. on the 5th and 6th in the Equidome. There is $15,000 added to the Open Futurity with a format of two full go-rounds and progressive to the third, then the short round. The Intermediate, Limited and Non Pro divisions run with 2 full go rounds and a short round. ARHFA Futurities are unique in the roping world as they use two judged scores and one timed score for a combined total. The judges’ criteria are based on four different maneuvers in the heading and the heeling. These scores are then added to the “time score.”
PERFORMANCE HORSE SALE
Looking for your next rope or cow horse? Jason and Nikki Hershberger will be holding their 17th Annual Performance Horse Sale on Friday March 4 in the Equidome at WestWorld. Sun Circuit is thrilled to have this prestigious sale as the first event. The sale preview start at 2 p.m. on Thursday with a jackpot roping. Friday the preview will start at 9 a.m. and the sale begins at 1 p.m.
“We feel so fortunate to be able to kick off Sun Circuit and the ARHFA,” says Jason Hershberger. “WestWorld is the best facility in the U.S. and it is right here in our back yard. It is a wonderful opportunity for us to present top quality horses to both the roping community and to the AQHA show community.”
While the sale is know to cater to ropers, buyers will find great horses for other disciplines as well. Jason adds, “We will have cow horse prospects and reiners too. There are also super broke horses that would do well in Ranch Riding. A lot of these rope horses are so versatile anymore. They have also been shown in reining or cow horse, so they have the skills to transition over to Ranch Riding really well.”
Hershberger is proud that the sale has a reputation for quality stock. He continues, “We know that our consignors are bringing the very best that they have. They are often getting horses a year or two out specifically to get them ready for this sale. So buyers can feel confident that these consignors have had the horses in their program, they know everything about the horse. That’s what I like about the sale. Everybody expects to see a good selection of high quality horses.”
Hershberger is also focused on matching the suitability of each horse for the individual rider. The extensive sale preview gives people the opportunity to see exactly what they are bidding on. There is a jackpot roping Thursday at 2 p.m. for sale horses. On Friday morning they start at 9 by previewing all the horses in whatever discipline they show in. Buyers can talk to the consignors and see the horses in the pens. He adds, “The nice thing about WestWorld is that buyers can take the horses out into the arenas and ride them enough to get a really good feel for them. It’s also nice that there are veterinary services right on sight if people want to have a horse checked out.”
Hershberger will be offering a bonus again this year for the high placing horse in the ARHFA Sun Circuit Futurity who was purchased at the sale. Jason says, “There are plenty of futurity age horses this year in the sale that are plenty capable of entering the next day. I’ve got a couple from my program that if the buyer asked me to show them in the ARHF Friday, I would say heck yeah. And there are plenty of other top pros who will be there who would catch ride a sale horse in a heart beat. They know they are getting on a good horse.” Additionally, the ARHFA has agreed to enter any horses that are purchased in the Hershberger sale without a late fee.
To view details on consigned horses in the sale visit www.hershbergerhorses.com
Further details and a complete schedule of events at Sun Circuit can be found at SunCircuit.com