New bloodlines continue the quality that has been a trademark of program since 1955.

Students in the horse training and handling class work with this year's sale horses. Image: Penn State

Students in the horse training and handling class work with this year's sale horses. Image: Penn State

By Kelly Jedrzejewski

University ParK, Pa. — The 19th annual Penn State Equine Science Showcase and Quarter Horse Sale will take place in a virtual format again this year. With the help of Professional Horse Services LLC, bidding on the 14 horses will be open from April 27 through May 1. This is the first year that offspring of world-renowned stallion, One Hot Krymsun, will be offered for sale.

One Hot Krymsun is an American Quarter Horse Association leading sire and National Snaffle Bit Association Hall of Fame inductee. “Jet,” as he is known around the farm, has been in residence at Penn State since 2018. He is owned by Becky and Craig Bailey of Bailey Farms LLC, in Batavia, Ohio. The 1999 brown stallion is sired by Invitation Only and out of the mare Krymsun Jet Set.

“I’m very excited to see this group of horses,” said Becky Bailey. “We’ve been waiting for two and a half years, and I hope his babies do well for Penn State. The students do a great job with the social media, and it’s really neat to look through the photos. A lot of his babies look just like him when he was young, and it’s awesome to see the students interacting with them in class. It’ll be a good thing if I don’t end up buying one.”

Jet is the first and only horse ever to win all three open AQHA Western Pleasure World Champion titles. In 2001, he was the open 2-year-old Snaffle Bit Champion, and the following year, he was the AQHA Open Junior Western Pleasure World Champion. Jet made history in 2005 when he was the Open Senior Western Pleasure World Champion.

He is also a three-time American Quarter Horse Congress champion and a four-time Congress reserve champion. Jet retired from showing in 2007 and has stood at breeding farms around the country.

If the Krymsun name sounds familiar, that is because one of Jet’s offspring was another Penn State born and bred stallion, PSU Dynamic Krymsun. PSU Dynamic Krymsun was the farm’s main sire from 2010 until his death in 2017.

Jet is not the only stallion whose offspring will be featured in the sale. Red White N Good, who was donated to Penn State by the Baileys in 2018, also sired a number of the horses. The 2009 red roan stallion has produced NSBA world champions and AQHA high-point winners. He is a half-brother to Jet, by Zippos Mr Good Bar and out of Krymsun Jet Set.

Offspring of the Penn State-born stallion PSU He Rox the Nite will be available, too. This stallion’s offspring have a proven track record of being hard-working and athletic.

Going virtual

Amid the early days of the pandemic, last year’s first online sale was a great success, organizers said. Twelve horses sold for a total of approximately $94,700, giving that sale the highest average sale price per horse in the program’s history. The top selling horse sold for $12,000, and three more horses sold for $10,000.

“To have the horses averaging close to $8,000 is fantastic for the program,” said Brian Egan, assistant teaching professor of equine science and horse farm coordinator. “It speaks to the quality of our horses and the work the students put into the sale.”

The horse sale is the farm’s biggest event of the year. It is designed to highlight all aspects of the equine science program at Penn State, according to Egan. Previous sales have included demonstrations of the horses under saddle and tours of the breeding facility. Plans for returning to an in-person sale next year are under consideration.

To get the horses ready for sale, 16 students in the equine marketing class are responsible for everything from finding sponsors to writing and designing the sale catalog. Every assignment in the class has a purpose related to the sale.

Four student managers lead the group with the help of other equine science staff. Additionally, there are 12 committee chairs — students who have taken the class previously and have arranged to work at the sale again as part of an independent-study course. From advertising to technology, the student chairs and their committees work to prepare for sale day throughout the spring semester.

“We’ve sold horses to buyers all over the country,” said Egan. “Every year, the sale continues to grow, and every year it’s an incredible process to be a part of. This year we’re excited to showcase the next generation of horses by these excellent stallions.”

For more information about the sale and to view the online sale catalog, visit https://sites.psu.edu/quarterhorsesale/ or follow the sale on the Penn State Quarter Horses Facebook and Instagram pages. For more information about bidding in the sale, contact Egan at began@psu.edu or 814-863-0569.