Hoh safe horse auction faqS

So...your adoption application has been approved and you have received your Adoption Bidder Packet...but you still have questions. Here are the answers! 

What is the difference between Primary Bidder and Secondary Bidder? 

A Primary Bidder is one who is approved to bid by both MS Horses and the trainer. If the high bid is awarded to a Primary Bidder, then that individual can adopt the horse immediately upon payment of the fee.  A Secondary Bidder is one who is approved for adoption by MS Horses, and meets or exceeds the minimum skill level placed on the horse being offered, but has not met with or been pre-approved by the trainer of the horse. If the high bid is awarded to a Secondary Bidder, the adoption is pending approval of an appropriate match. 

How does Primary and Secondary Bidding work?

For each horse, bidding will be opened to any Primary Bidders that have been approved for it first. If the subject horse receives a bid or bids that meet or exceed any reserve, then the high bid in the Primary phase wins the auction.  If any reserve that is in place is not met or exceeded in the Primary Bidding process, then MS Horses has the option to accept the high bid offered in the Primary phase or to open the bidding to Secondary Bidders starting at the last high bid offered by Primary Bidders. If the horse being auctioned does not have any Primary Bidders to bid on it, then bidding will be open to anyone approved for that horse as a Secondary Bidder beginning at the minimum opening bid. If the reserve is not met in the Secondary Bidding phase, then MS Horses will exercise the option to accept the high bid under the reserve figure or "no sale" the horse. In no case will a bid under the posted minimum opening bid be accepted during the HoH Safe Horse Auction.

When do I get my Bidder Number?

You can pick up your Bidder Number in the Event Office after 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 17th. (If you are bidding by proxy, then your proxy will be issued your Bidder Number.)

The application approved email talks about minimum bids and reserve bids. Isn’t the minimum bid the reserve bid?

No. The Minimum Bid is the required opening bid to start the bidding process. No lower bid will be accepted. Some of the horses will have a Reserve set. If bidding in the Primary phase exceeds the Reserve, there will be no Secondary phase of bidding offered. 

Do you have a list of the reserve bids for each horse?

This amount will not be announced, but in no case will the Reserve be higher than $4,000 (some will be lower). By May 8th, we will announce the list of horses that will be available in The Heart of the Horse Challenge Safe Horse Auction, as well as whether they have a reserve placed on them or not.

To save time, why wouldn’t they start at the reserve price? 

The reserve price is to provide an incentive to approved adopters to meet with the horse and trainer in advance to see if they are a good match. This process increases the likelihood of a smooth transition for the horse into an appropriate home, and reduces the chances of the expense and disappointment of winning the bid on a horse that is not a good fit. So, the reserve price offers Primary Bidders a "preferred" bidding opportunity to bid with less competition.  In addition, the placement of a reserve (with the statement that no reserve will be over $4,000) gives individuals that may be travelling long distances to participate a benchmark idea of what to expect to decide if the horse will be within their price range or not. Once again, this is an effort to minimize disappointments.

I rated myself as an advanced beginner. But based on the email, there are intermediate things I can do too. Is there and advanced beginner/intermediate category? 

The skill level assigned to the horse is the MINIMUM skill level you need to qualify to bid on that horse. Anyone with more skills than that minimum level can also bid on the horse. So, for example, if you do not have ALL of the skills listed as needed to be classified as an intermediate skill level, you can only bid on horses rate for advanced beginners. The only way to bypass the skill level requirement is to meet with the horse and the trainer in advance and be approved to bid as a Primary Bidder.

Rating ourselves versus the trainer rating us after the meet and greet…Does the rating change? 

The overall skill rating to bid does not change (in case you decide to bid as a Secondary Bidder on horses that you did not visit in advance). The trainer does have some discretion in altering your rating for their specific horse after meeting with you if they feel it could be a suitable match. By the same token, skill level alone does not qualify you as a Primary Bidder. The trainer must feel that you could be a suitable match in order to grant Primary Bidder approval.

Will the trainer let us know if we are/aren’t a good fit for the horse after we ride them?

The trainer may give you their opinion and recommendation, but it will probably be apparent to you whether it is a suitable match. If you are traveling a long distance to attend the auction, it is recommended that you email us in advance of the auction for a list of the horses you are approved to bid on.

What is the order for the horse sale? 

The order of the sale will be determined by random drawing and will be announced the morning of the auction.

We are driving a long way for this auction. If we buy a horse that night, do we need to take possession that night or can the horses be kept until we leave the next morning?

We will feed and care for the horses until noon on Sunday, May 21st. All Primary Bid adopters, and any other approved adopters, must either pick their horses up by that time or make other arrangements as outlined in the Auction Bidder Packet. Individual agreements will be made with any individuals that have "adoption pending" status.

Where can we park our horse trailer while we are there? 

You may park your trailer in any of the parking areas surrounding the Kirk Fordice Equine Center. It is recommended that you lock any unattended vehicles or trailers. Neither our event organizers or the MS State Fairgrounds are responsible for loss, theft or damage to personal property.

Are there hookups for trailers or RV's to camp on the grounds for the event?

Yes, there are hookups for water and electric on the side of Barn 3 and Barn 4 near the Kirk Fordice Equine Center. There are showers in the restrooms on the west side of Barn 3.