The 15th Annual Van Norman and friends Production Sale will feature weanlings, yearlings, started two-year-olds, broke horses, and broodmares from the reputed Van Norman Ranch of Tuscarora, NV, winner of the 2001 AQHA Best Ranch Remuda Award. In addition to the Van Normans, several other breeders will be represented:  Rhoads Ranch and Deadwood Quarter Horses (Linda and Randy Bunch) of Tuscarora, NV; Porath Quarter Horses of Rockland, ID; Dennis and Mary Journigan and John and Chris Tueller of Lamoille, NV; were all invited to participate from the beginning based upon their breeding programs which were offshoots of the Van Norman program or for their close association or historical ties to the Van Norman family.  Among the 2011 guest consignors will be Cory Shelman of Burns, OR, Matt Mori of Paradise Valley,NV, Rolly and Becky Lisle of Northfork Nevada, Zach and April Kelley of Carlin, NV, Gary and Fillis Takacs of Winnemucca, NV, and Nick Dowers of King Hill, ID.

Approximately 110 horses, representing most of the working cowhorse families, will be offered for auction.  Due to the ongoing restructuring of the Van Norman Ranches, there will be a large offering of horses from that program as they continue the process of reducing the number of horses the ranch runs. This represents a unique opportunity to buy into this historic program.

Prospective bidders can view the catalog on the sale website http://www.vannormansale.com/ beginning in mid-August and video of the horses at http://www.superiorlive.com  The sale will not televised; however, video of the horses and internet broadcast of the sale can be accessed at http://www.superiorlive.com/ . The telephone bid lines will be open as in the past with the added feature of Superior’s Click-To-Bid which allows one to bid directly from their computer. Those wishing to bid either on the phone or on-line must register prior to placing a bid to make financial arrangements. This can be done by either going to http://www.superiorlive.com/ or by telephone at 800-431-4452.

At 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 16, the Van Norman Stockhorse Challenge which is a three-event working cowhorse competition in which the contestants execute a reining pattern, work a single cow in the arena, and finally rope and face the animal will kick off the sale weekend. It is open to all horses with special awards to horses purchased in previous Van Norman sales or consigned to the current sale. The preview of all broke horses consigned to the sale will be held at 2:00 p.m. following the Stockhorse Challenge.
Participants in the Van Norman Sale follow the vaquero tradition of taking a horse through several levels of training beginning with the snaffle bit at age two culminating in a finished bridle horse at seven or eight. The two, threes, and four year olds will have been ridden in the snaffle bit while the older horses will be either in the hackamore, two-rein, or bridle. Older horses will have been used on the ranch in all aspects of ranch work. Weanlings and yearlings will have been broke to lead and load. Broodmares will have been vet checked for pregnancy and their status published in the catalog and updated in the sale ring. The philosophy and training methods of renowned horsemen Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt prevail.
                        
The third weekend in September generally promises beautiful early fall weather with deep blue skies and Nevada blue mountains to complement the fellowship of lovers of good horses gathered to pick out that special addition to their working ranch remuda, their show string, or to their family’s backyard. We hope to see you in person, but if that isn’t possible, please join us on the internet at http://www.superiorlive.com/ and/or over the phone lines.  

Please feel free to give us a call or send an e-mail. Linda can be reached at 775-756-6508 or by e-mail at mrsbunch@rtci.net while you can catch Ty either early or late at 775-756-6584 or by e-mail at tyvannorman@rtci.net. We will return your call or reply to your e-mails!!  Either way we sure would like to visit with you. You can also find us on Facebook-just search for Van Norman and friends Production Sale and “like” us.