ITA Hosts Fifth Stallions & Services Auction

The Indiana Thoroughbred Alliance (ITA) is celebrating its fifth year with another exciting charity auction. Partnering with the cutting-edge auction platform BidXSell, the Fifth Annual Stallions & Services Auction brings fresh energy to the ITA's mission of advancing Indiana's horse racing industry. Featuring over 50 premium stallion seasons from Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, the auction goes live on December 18 and concludes at 4 PM EST on December 20. You won't want to miss this premier event redefining the future of equine excellence! "We achieved our largest revenue gross during our 2023 auction, helping to raise more than $130,000 over the past four years for our mission," says Christine Cagle, the auction coordinator and ITA board member. "We can't wait to see what lies ahead for our fifth annual auction working alongside BidXSell." The ITA Stallions and Services Auction focuses on uniting the Midwest horse racing community to support vital causes, including scholarships, educational programs, and industry promotion. Proceeds directly benefit Indiana's horse racing industry by fostering education, enhancing promotion, and supporting individuals within the community. This initiative underscores the ITA's commitment to strengthening and growing Indiana's equine industry. Money from past auctions have made an impact not just within the state of Indiana, but also in the industry: Helped to launch the retirement program for broodmares in partnership with Friends of Ferdinand called the Broodmare Bunch Tri-State Thoroughbred Rehab and Rehoming, Inc. Borrowed Time EAP Children's TheraPlay Indiana Horse Council Foundation Scholarship Otto Thowarth's Backside Ministries Build the ITA Crisis Fund Sales promotion for Indiana-bred yearlings during the Fall Sales Season Promotion for ITA members during sales Continuing educational seminars "Having our auction just before the holidays is the perfect excuse for some last-minute gift shopping as well as tax deductions prior to the end of the year," Cagle says. This year's edition will also be the launching point for BidXSell, a new online auction platform with revolutionary ideas that will make bidding on auctions, and hosting them, easier for the horseman. "Our organization is fully controlling and administering our auction, which means we will gross more towards our charity because BidXSell takes far less than any other digital auction platform in the industry," explains Cagle. "Our first experience with the team that developed and owns this new technology has been incredible, and we're so grateful that BidXSell is working with us in this capacity." The auction will also be the debut of some new, exciting stallions in Indiana, with stalwart Indiana farms such as Breakway Farm, R Star Stallions and Indiana Stallion Station welcoming new, quality bloodlines to the state. The unique aspect of the ITA auction is that special services are part of the sale. Veterinary services provided by Wolfe Veterinary Services in Northern Kentucky have been donated for the third year in a row. Dierwood Farm has donated three separate performance and rehabilitation packages and Gina Anderson has donated MagnaWave services. A wine tasting experience with Cedar Creek Winery is also part of the auction. The auction will present the catalogue of seasons for review beginning December 13, at 8 a.m. EST. Seasons have been donated by leading farms in Kentucky, including Airdrie, Darby Dan, Gainesway, Spendthrift Farm, Taylor Made and Walmac. Stallions featured include the successful young stallion Flameaway, as well as Raging Bull and Tapit Trice from Gainesway, Goldencents from Spendthrift Farm and Tacitus from Taylor Made Stallions in Kentucky. Other Indiana farms represented include Midwest Equine and Clearview Equine Services. Poplar Creek Farms in Ohio represents further east. "I think Midwest breeders will be able to find exactly what they need to win on the track in a few years in this auction," says Cagle. "We're always thankful for our supporting farms." The preview begins on Friday, December 13. The auction will open for live bids on December 18 at 8 a.m. EST and close on December 20 at 4 p.m. EST. You will find the auction at https://bidxsell.com/platform/seller/auctions/21/horses. Because BidXSell is a brand new, cutting-edge platform, the ITA urges previous auction participants and those newly interested in bidding to register to bid early. Registration can be found: https://bidxsell.com/platform/buyer/auth/register. After reviewing the catalogues, those wishing to bid will then need to request to bid following the prompts on the website.