Horses Sold Monthly at Kalona Sales Barn

The first Monday of the month brings a well attended horse sale at the Kalona Sales Barn in 42N country's Kalona, Iowa (41.48N, 91.70W.) This past Monday being Labor Day, and a perfect weather day, both combined to attract hundreds of people to the sale ring. Horses of many breeds and ages were auctioned as well as a wide variety of gear such as saddles, bites, ropes, blankets, feed, and what not.

Kalona is home to a large Amish community. They were represented at the auction as buyers, ring workers, cooks, and sellers. Plenty of Amish horse and buggies were also present at the facility in between the pick ups, cattle trucks and livestock trailers.

Highlights of the auction included a longhorn steer bull who sold for $800. On the horse side of the sale many working and hobby breeds sold. A brother-sister pair of work horses, ages 6 and 7 years old respectively, circled inside the sale ring together. The winning bidder had the opportunity to purchase both horses at $50 a piece, but after a long pause following the win decision she elected to only purchase one horse. Some people in the audience did not like that decision, especially a certain news person making her first trip to a livestock auction. Know that.