Horse Auction

Horse Auction STORY BY AL POTE ★ PHOTOGRAPHS HERB MCLAUGHLIN

Al Downard was born thirty-seven years ago on a farm down in Iowa and he'll sell you a horse if you're not careful. Because Al is an auctioneer one of the best -and a good auctioneer is usually one third salesman, one third spellbinder and the rest downright hypnotist. But I don't plan to relate the story of Al's life nor of his trek into Arizona some nineteen years ago. It's enough to say that like most smart folks he managed to land in Arizona and stayed. And like most truly happy people he got into a business that combined three of the things he loved-Arizona, horses and talking. And that gets us down to the lower end of the Central Avenue bridge in Phoenix and Al Downard's Horse Auction.

Now if you've never seen a horse auction, you've never been exposed to the real West. Yep-you're still a dude and you've missed the best doggone show west of the Pecos. Any Saturday afternoon down at Al Downard's you'll find the darndest collection of horseflesh, cowboys,horse traders and western vernacular ever gotten together outside of a Hollywood horse opera.

You sit on the crowded, splintery planks of a small grandstand. Right down in front of you is the wire fenced corral where the horses are shown. And just beyond, Al is situated on a high stand with an amplifier microphone and short length of rubber hose which he beats on the counter to emphasize his sales talk. Al doesn't exactly speak the King's English. His is the speech of the range -as down to earth as a block of stock salt-as natural as a rawhide rope.

A gate swings open and a young fellow rides a bay colored gelding into the sales corral. Tom Soto, whose experiences on both sides of the border would constitute a whole book, is corral boss. You can't miss Tom. He'll always have a cigar in his mouth and a buggy whip in his hand. With ease that speaks of long association with horses, he takes hold of the lower jaw of the gelding and forces it open to look at its teeth. "What-do-ya say, Tom" asks Al, "how old is he?" You can't quite catch Tom's soft spoken reply, but Al informs you-"He's smooth-mouthed, folks, but he's got a mouth that'll please you. Now start him right off, boys. Who'll say fifty dollars?"

The bidding gets started at $25, and Al slides into his rhythmic sales chant. All the while the rider runs his horse up and down the short corral, turning sharply.stopping short, backing, showing the action and rein of the animal.And Al keeps building the tension and excitement with his musical, numerical chant punctuated with short, barbed sales punches. "I've got 30 dollars, will you go 50-50-50 do ya want it at 50? Well go the 40-40 dollars30 go 40, Alright the 40 an' now 50-40 go the 50 dollars 50 can ya use 'im-50 might buy 'im." And on he goespersuasive, eloquent, demanding talking direct to those who are in on the bidding, but ever keeping a watchful eye for a new bid. On until the bidding reaches a halt.

Then off comes the saddle so the buyers can inspect the animal's back. It's a strong, straight back and the bidding takes another short spurt. And when the last dollar has been upped "Are ya' all done? 50 dollars anybody? 45 and died! An sold right up there, and mark him cheap."

The horse is turned out and another brought in. This is a shaggy-coated filly owned and halter-led by a cowboy called Bob, who's not the least bit backward. In fact, he answers all the usual questions about his colt and further gets into the sales spiel with both feet. He's calculating to skyride the selling price. "Sure she's a bit spooky," he says as the filly shies and dances a bit. "This horse ain't even hardly broke. Ain't even been rode twenty saddles. Curry her down an' no tellin' how she'll look." And all the way through he supplements Al's efforts with remarks such as "Why that ain't no price for this horse. She's jest come two an' ya couldn't buy the hay she's et for that!" Alternately he praises his horse and then cries about the lowness of the bids but you notice a mighty satisfied look on his face when the colt is sold.

Al works hard to get the price close to a horse's value. and he knows his oats when it comes to horses. He has a great variety to work on from half broken Indian ponies which go as low as $20.00, to good cow horses or saddle mounts which bring $100.00 and up. The horses are sold as represented and any known defects are announced. You can take an animal back if he's not the way Al says it. On the other hand, the owner has the right to refuse to sell, and sometimes does, if he thinks the top bid isn't enough. He then pays only a small service charge for the handling.

Al is questioning a tall cowpoke who's in the saddle on a leggy sorrel horse. "Would ya say he's a good one, Ted?" asks Al.

"Damn right he's a good one," says the cowboy while dismounting. "I wouldn't be on him if he wasn't."

The audience likes these good humored exchanges; especially if the sharpwitted Al comes out second best. But quickly the tight boot is pinching the other foot. As Ted starts to swing back up, his horse starts turning and he misses twice. "Maybe he too good a one for ya," says Al. And the crowd's laughter adds to Ted's discomfort.

"That's what you get when you ride broncs," he says in a disgusted tone, "you can't even get on a gentle horse.' And he goes on to tell you that it's a bull doggin' horse: "It'll take you to a steer if you don't get off it's your own fault."

In the heat of bidding, you might hear Al remark that the bid isn't as high as a saddle. And if you arrived early, you'll know what he means. Before they start selling horses, all sorts of gear such as saddles, bridles. chaps, spurs and halters are auctioned off. A bridle or halter may bring only two to five dollars, but good used saddles sell from $60.00 to $125.00. There'll be many horses sold under $60.00 on any sale day.

PAGE THIRTY-ONE OF ARIZONA HIGHWAYS FOR MARCH. 1948