A Return to Tradition

As Babbitt Ranches honors 135 years of operations in Northern Arizona, the Annual Hashknife Colt Sale is scheduled to be live and in-person again at Spider Web Camp, about 30 miles north of Flagstaff off Highway 89, on Saturday, July 10. Arizona’s largest privately owned working cattle ranch was unable to host the popular tradition last year because of the pandemic.

Clay Rodgers, 40, who became ranch manager in March, says the Colt Sale is especially meaningful to him because he was born and raised on Babbitt Ranches at Wupatki Camp. He says he has been hearing from ranchers and equestrians from Arizona and outside of the state who are also excited about the event and the colts, all registered with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA).

“We’ve been talking to a group of guys from Mexico who want to start a horse brand,” said Rodgers, which he notes is not uncommon.

Babbitt horses have a worldwide reputation for being solid all-around ranch horses with “cow sense” that can work long days and maneuver across rough, rocky terrain. Rodgers says they have speed, looks, ability and a good disposition. “The majority of the horses are used for rodeos and ranching,” he said. “A lot of people like that Driftwood breeding.”

Driftwood, nicknamed “Speedy,” is a household name among seasoned cowboys. He was a legendary rodeo champion born near Silverton, Texas, in 1932, and inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame in 2006. Babbitt Ranches has developed its successful American Quarter Horse breeding program largely from descendants of the Driftwood lineage.

Twenty-three colts and fillies, which can sell for more than $8,000, are expected to be at the auction. Longtime Colt Sale auctioneer Ron Berndt will be overseeing the spirited bidding, which he has done for 20 years.

Babbitt Ranches President and General Manager Billy Cordasco is preparing for more than 400 visitors. “This is always a wonderful gathering with our extended Babbitt Ranches community,” he said. “For Babbitt, it’s not about buying and selling horses, but about being grateful for the opportunity to be together and seeing the efforts that have been made through the years reflected in these extraordinary animals.”

Babbitt Ranches horses carry the iconic Hashknife brand. A “hash knife” is a kitchen tool used for making beef hash. It has a half circle steel blade, attached to a wooden handle, that is rocked back and forth across cooked beef to create hash. But the brand symbolizes the days of the Wild West in American history. It originally belonged to the Aztec Land & Cattle Company, which operated in Northern Arizona from 1884 to 1902. It later became the property of the Babbitt family. FBN

By Bonnie Stevens, FBN