Little Sugar fired up buyer interest in arena at CQ Performance Horse Sale

As soon as she stepped into the arena, Iscotta Little Sugar ridden by Rachel Leitch attracted the attention of buyers at this year's CQ Performance Horse Sale, both online and in the stands.

The sale of the ridden horse section on Saturday, March 28, and the yearlings on Friday, March 27, was held at the Acton family property, Paradise Lagoons, Nine Mile, 20 minutes west of Rockhampton.

With bloodlines back to High Brow Hickory and Smart Little Lena, both from the US, Iscotta Little Sugar didn't put a foot wrong as she demonstrated her potential as a top futurity horse.

Sired by NRR Cat King Cole and out of Iscotta Little Chrome, the 17-month-old chestnut mare was knocked down to online buyers from NSW, James and Kate Henwood, Barkala Park, Illabo, for the top price of $68,000.

Vendor Barbara Williams, Sunkissed Quarter Horse Stud, Purga, said she had not sold at the CQ Performance Horse Sale for a couple of years, but thought she would give it a try this year with the one horse.

Ms Williams, who has been breeding horses since 2002 and used to ride for pleasure, but doesn't any more, said she started off her breeding career with an Acres Destiny station, got one mare, then two and kept going.

"I like the breeding side, that's my forte," she said.

Ms Williams said Iscotta Little Sugar was special because of her breeding with her sire, NRR Cat King Cole, and dam, Iscotta Little Chrome, both being great little cutting horses.

"I'm hoping two things (for her) - one, they (her new owners) might take her cutting as well because that's halfway where she is, and definitely she'd make a drafter," she said.

"I think she's got the ability to ... follow them around very well. She's had a good foundation from ... Jason's (Leitch) training.

"And I just think her demeanour - she's sensible, she's quiet, but she's got a little bit of grit in there, and I think she'd make a good drafter, but I'm hoping she might make a good cutter first, and then go on again."

Kate Henwood said she bought Iscotta Little Sugar because of her bloodlines

"I just really liked her type and she seemed cowy and quick, and I've recently had a little mare by the same stallion (NRR Nat King Cole), who was doing really well in the cutting pen.

Ms Henwood, who is a first-time buyer from Barbara Williams, said she had seen the filly on videos posted by her trainers, Jason and Rachel Leitch, and liked her style and conformation.

"And she just suited me for going to the futurity next year," she said.

"I'm pretty green to it (cutting) so I've only been in it three years ... I just ride like a non-pro rookie rider."

Out of the 43 horses offered in the ridden horse sale, 24 sold for a 55 per cent clearance rate, a gross of $520,000 and an average of $21,666.

Last year, in the ridden sale section, 29 horses sold of the 36 offered for a clearance rate of 80pc, a gross of $559,000, and an average of $19,272.

In 2025, the top-priced ridden horse was a bay gelding, Checotah Exspensive Duck, sold by Bill and Kit Kirkwood, Wandal, for $40,000 to.Disney Cattle Co, Clermont.

The top-priced gelding for 2026 was the second-last horse in the catalogue at Lot 84, Caloolah Calvin Klien, that was sold by Sam and Amy Greenup, Jimbour East, and ridden by Sam Greenup.

The chestnut roan was bought by Colin Bell, Gracemere, for $29,000.

Of the 24 ridden horses sold, six were mares that averaged $33,333 and 18 were geldings that averaged $17,777.

For the combined yearling and ridden horse total, 43 horses were sold of 74 offered for a clearance rate of 58pc, a gross of $976,000 and an average of $23,238.

Ray White Gracemere Rural principal Gary Wendt said both sales were really good this year, especially with the yearling top-price of $115,000 for Make it Reyn.

Mr Wendt said there were a lot of pluses about the sales and campdraft including that he and his team were getting more experience in how to run the event.

"I know that's a plus," he said.

"We had a really good catalogue of horses this year, that was a plus ... and we had great cattle donors."

Mr Wendt agreed the ridden horse sale was a bit tougher this year.

"It could've been the market, you wouldn't know, it could be the fuel prices, who'd know," he said.

"I don't really know what it is or why it is ... it just happens."

• Selling agents: Ray White Rural Gracemere and AuctionsPlus