Solo Select Horses made a bold entrance into the racehorse world, closing out their first-ever appearance at the 2024 Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale with undeniable impact. Known for setting the standard in performance horse sales and online sales, Solo Select proved they’re just as formidable in the race horse sale ring—offering a standout group of yearlings that turned heads and made headlines.
Their success at the Ruidoso Sale in 2024, grossing nearly $3 million, was just the beginning for the potent punch they would be packing at the Heritage Place Sales in the following months, where in November they would be the #1 Leading Consigner with $1,123,000 in gross receipts.
The Solo Select crew in Ruidoso NM 2024
As breeding season continues in full swing, attention is already shifting toward the 2025 sales calendar. Solo Select has officially opened to consign to the , continuing their commitment to offering top-tier prospects on one of the biggest stages in the racing industry.
The success Solo Select experienced in 2024 was no accident. At the heart of it was a world-class fitting program, led by one of the industry’s most respected sales fitters, Dustin Price. Backed by decades of experience, Dustin—alongside Gayle Price and Dawson Price—forms a true “dream team” in the barn. Their unmatched expertise, combined with Solo Select’s next-level marketing, creates a formula that’s simply without comparison.
“It’s a distinct privilege to represent horses of this caliber,” says Dustin. “My job is to draw attention to the brand I represent by sending the best-prepared individuals into the ring—because let’s face it, there are a lot of good ones out there. Our program is completely customized for each horse. Some go in the walker, some in the round pen, all of them get hands-on grooming, clipping, and the right feed. Sometimes it’s better to hold one for a future sale if they need a few more months to really peak—and that’s okay. We do what’s right for each horse.”
“The Price family is a force to be reckoned with,” says Melanie Smith, founder of Solo Select Horses. “We initially served the cutting and cow horse markets by offering exceptional prospects online. In 2023, we shattered records—one after another—through our online sales, at the Western Bloodstock Snaffle Bit Futurity Sale, and at the Pink Buckle Sale, where Blackkout sold for $875,000—a record that still stands today. When we made the decision to enter the racehorse fitting industry, we knew we had to uphold that same standard of excellence. Bringing on Dustin, Gayle and Dawson was the only way to do that.”
The Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale has become the destination for anyone looking to purchase a prestigious, high-caliber prospect—where elite bloodlines, serious buyers, and major futures converge in one electric weekend. What about it sets it apart? The location? The Buyers?
The answer? The horses.
"Ruidoso has been the highest quality yearling sale since 1962," Says Matt Wittman, Solo Selects ranch manager and the man on the backside of the well oiled machine that is the racehorse fitting program (even if he denies it.) **"**It’s a very “select” sale, only the best go into that ring."
The Ruidoso Select Yearling Sale has firmly established itself as the premier destination for acquiring elite Quarter Horse prospects. Held annually at Ruidoso Downs, this sale attracts top-tier buyers and consignors from across the nation.The 2024 edition, conducted on August 30–31, featured 425 yearlings and achieved record-breaking sales, underscoring its significance in the industry. Esteemed bloodstock agents, such as Butch Wise, meticulously evaluate potential consignments well in advance, often beginning their assessments in the spring of the horses yearling year. This rigorous selection process ensures that only the most promising and well-prepared horses make it to the sale ring, maintaining the high standards that Ruidoso is known for.
“When I’m evaluating yearlings for Ruidoso, the first things I look at are conformation, pedigree, and size,” says respected bloodstock agent Butch Wise. “Then it comes down to the details—subtle indicators like horses closely related to others who have excelled at Ruidoso. With 450 head in the sale, it takes far more than a good page. We’re not just looking at bloodlines—we’re looking for the total package.”
“April is dedicated entirely to the search,” he adds. “We’re on the road across Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Missouri, California, Utah, and Idaho, scouting for the right individuals. And when it comes to pedigree, the bottom side matters just as much as the top. Both have to be there if a horse is going to stand out in that ring.”
Once the horses are selected, they head to elite fitting facilities to begin their sale preparation—Solo Select Horses being one of them. Fitting elite race prospects for a sale like Ruidoso is both an art and a responsibility—one that Dustin Price takes seriously. With a program that tailors every aspect of care to the individual, from feed and exercise to handling and presentation, Solo Select’s fitting barn is where good horses become unforgettable ones.
**"I can't overstate how incredible it is to have the opportunity to present these athletes," **says Dustin, "Racehorses are different to be around. They’re a different kind of smart, a different kind of athlete. It might take them a little longer to learn something, but once they do, it sticks. They’re like a Ferrari at a stoplight—just waiting on you to tell them to go. And when you do... it’s lights out.”
As we talked about Ruidoso, Dustin Price couldn’t help but reflect on the yearling that changed everything for him—the one he’ll never forget.
Tiny First Effort.
“Tiny First Effort was one we sold early in my career,” Dustin recalls, a fond smile forming. “She brought $300,000 at the 2000 Ruidoso Sale. Even now, that’s an impressive number, but back then? That was massive.”
The yearling filly, sired by First Down Dash and out of Tinys Effort, went on to win eight races, place second in six, and earn over $445,000. She was even a Rainbow Futurity Trials qualifier, further cementing her name in the books, and in Dustin’s memory.
“After she sold, I stole her stall card,” he says with a laugh. “Butch made me hand it over to the buyer. Later, they came back and gave me a laminated version. That stall card is framed and still hangs in my house, 25 years later. Horses like her… those are the ones I do this for.”
**Sale Fitting Inquiries: **
**Butch Wise **405-640-2234
Ty Smith 405-317-9363
Matt Witman 405-613-4007
