The Philipp Ranch Production Horse Sale is back for its 14th annual installment, and John and Shane Philipp say it’s the widest variety of horses they’ve ever offered.
Browse the Full Philipp Ranch Sale Catalog
Scheduled for Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Brazos County Expo Center in Bryan, Texas, the sale will feature 44 head — from colts and broodmares to proven, pro-caliber rope horses — all raised and/or trained by the Philipp family, who have been breeding rope horses for 50 years. Of the 44 head, 33 are eligible for the Riata Buckle incentive program, with additional horses eligible for Gold Buckle and other incentive programs.
The event runs in conjunction with the Sept. 10–12 Ariat World Series of Team Roping qualifier in Bryan — which the Philipps produce themselves — with a USTRC-style roping following on Sunday, Sept. 13.
“I think this is probably the widest variety of horses that we’ve ever had in there,” Shane said. “We’ve got probably more two- and three-year-olds this year than we’ve ever put in there — I think there’s more futurities now, and more demand for those horses. But there’s also a nice set of older, solid horses in there for the guys that want to go jackpot too. We’re just trying to check all the boxes.”
Event Details
Date: Friday, September 11, 2026
Location: Brazos County Expo Center, Bryan, TX
Sale Preview Schedule:
- 2–3 p.m. — 2- and 3-year-olds
- 3–4 p.m. — 4-year-olds
- 4–6 p.m. — 5-year-olds and older
- 6–7 p.m. — Meet & Greet
- 7 p.m. — Live Auction Begins
Online Bidding: Available at CCI.live
➔ Pre-Sale Viewing & Appointments: Philipp Ranch welcomes buyers to the ranch in Bedias, Texas to view the horses before sale day and make sure they see all their options up close and get the right horse for them. Appointments are available August 22–28. Call 713-806-6012 to schedule. Visit philippranch.com for the catalog, videos, and updates.
What Sets Philipp Ranch Apart
The Philipp family has been raising horses for 50 years, and this marks their 14th annual production sale. It’s a family operation top to bottom, with brothers John and Shane roping together every day — “iron sharpens iron,” as Shane put it — and deciding together which horses are ready for the sale ring each year.
Unlike many production sales, Philipp Ranch does not accept consignment horses — every horse offered has been raised and/or trained on the ranch.
“The reason we don’t do consignments is those horses are going to town to be sold, and when we sell them, we want — that’s our customer, so we’re going to tend to them,” John said. “Every year, me and Shane are trying to fit the needs of our customers and our new customers. That gives them confidence — they know, hey, I bought a four-year-old from Shane last year, I know what I’m getting. Plus we let them come to the ranch and try the horses. It’s a sale, but we want everybody to be able to buy with confidence.”
“What we try to do is let them come try them, ride them within the specs,” John added. “I want them to buy a horse that they can go win something on, and they need to be able to ride the horse to see if he’s going to fit. Because if he doesn’t fit, that doesn’t do them any good and it doesn’t do us any good.”
Horse Highlights
Lot 10: Metallic Easter Star | “Rockstar”
2021 Red Roan Stallion | 14’3 H – 1,200 lbs | Heel horse
An own-son of Metallic Cat out of a Shining Spark-bred mare, Rockstar was started by Luke Jones in the Reining Cow Horse. He’s the 2026 HLSR Junior Heel Horse Champion and is already qualified for the 2026 AQHA World Show in the Jr. Heeling — he made the World Show his first time shown. John has hauled him to ropings this year and says he’s as quiet as they come for a stallion. Philipp Ranch will retain two frozen breedings from him after the sale. Eligible for Riata, Royal Crown and Gold Buckle incentive programs.
“He does all the hard stuff easy,” John said. “He’s real heavy-made, a real strong, real-size heel horse. His ride’s good, the way he finds the ground is good. We kept two breedings to him a year just because I like him that much — I think he’s the right stud to sell. Whoever gets him is going to have a nice, nice horse, and I think he’s going to be a good breeding horse.”
“His mind is what’s going to set him apart,” Shane added. “You can ride him up amongst everybody, and he’s never going to show you that he’s a stud. I think that’s a feature he’s going to pass on to his colts.”
Lot 22: Stop Sparkin | “Sparky”
2016 Bay Gelding | 15’1 H – 1,200 lbs | Proven head horse
The Clay Logan 2025 Head Horse Champion, Sparky is a proven, pro-caliber head horse and Shane’s top pick in the head horse department for the last several years. Raised by Rodney Rosenhauer and purchased by Shane three years ago, Sparky carries a strong Dual Spark cross on top of a standout mare. He’s been hauled and won on at the BFI Invitational, Cody Johnson Open, Clay Logan Open and numerous other rodeos.
“This horse can just light the ground on fire running, but he’s got a cow horse background, so he’s a very broke individual,” Shane said. “I took him to Clay Logan’s roping — one of the hardest setups on a head horse — and placed on him; he won head horse of the day. We’ve never put a horse in there that’s this far along. He does everything real pretty — his head’s up, his butt’s down, and he never doesn’t want to face.”
“I rode him at Cody Johnson once, the BFI once, Lone Star Open once, and I’ve never not made it back or won something,” Shane said. “That horse is 10 now, and we’re raising enough colts that I have some variety. He doesn’t need to sit here and not get used — he needs to go get rodeoed on.”
What to Expect Sale Weekend
- Thursday–Saturday, Sept. 10–12: Ariat World Series of Team Roping Qualifier (produced by Philipp Ranch)
- Friday, Sept. 11: Philipp Ranch Production Horse Sale
- Sunday, Sept. 13: USTRC-style roping for families and youth
Buyers are welcome at Philipp Ranch before sale day to try horses in person. The family encourages potential buyers to call ahead, watch the horses go, and make sure they’re bidding on one that fits their needs.
How to Bid Online
Not able to attend in person? Online bidding is handled via CCI.live, where bidders can register, preview and participate in real time from anywhere.
➔ View the full catalog and videos at philippranch.com
➔ Join us Friday, September 11 in Bryan, TX, or bid online at CCI.live.
What Sets This Set Apart
With the way to rope horse world has been evolving, the Philipp Ranch guys are more than ready to adjust. According to them, with the futurities and the developed need for younger horses that are ready to go be successful, they are offering more of a younger crop of horses along with their usual prospects.
“I think this is probably the widest variety of horses that we’ve ever had in there,” Shane said. “We’ve got probably more two- and three-year-olds this year than we’ve ever put in there — I think there’s more futurities now, and more demand for those horses. But there’s also a nice set of older, solid horses in there for the guys that want to go jackpot too. We’re just trying to check all the boxes.”
The program’s specialty is head horses — by design. “If you had 20 of our colts there, 16 of them are going to be big enough to head on,” Shane said. “I say our specialty is raising a head horse, truthfully.” The brothers’ father was a header, and head horses were harder to come by when the program started, so the family’s mares have been selected to throw head horse size and build ever since.
Incentive programs like Riata have reshaped the market for young horses and broodmares alike, John said. “Used to, mares were taboo — you tell somebody you had a mare, they wouldn’t even come look at it. Now they’re wanting mares, they’re tracking earnings on them. It’s evolved, and it’s evolved in a good way.”
