$260,000 Third Edge Tops NRCHA Western Bloodstock Yearling Sale on Day 1
- Melanie Smith
- Oct 30
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 31
Fort Worth, TX - Some moments remind us why we do this. This is one of them.
On the first day of the Western Bloodstock Snaffle Bit Futurity Sale in Fort Worth, hip 1090, a red roan colt by Third Edge and out of Abbey Roan made history—bringing $260,000 and setting the highest yearling record in NRCHA history at the time.
Consigned by Sarah Deane Ringwood and fitted by JC Sale Fitting, this exceptional colt captivated the sale ring in the Watt Arena from the moment he stepped in. Balanced, bright, and full of promise, Ringwood Roan Edge is the living proof of his sire’s legacy.
Passion Built It. Dedication Carried It.
For Sarah Deane, this wasn’t the product of generations in the game, it started with a phone call and a dream.
“I was interested in buying a couple of horses and got a call asking if I’d be interested in an embryo,” Deane said. “I said heck yeah. I knew Third Edge—he was beautiful, successful, and I loved the opportunity.”
That embryo became something extraordinary. The colt was born flawless, and Sarah named him after her grandparents’ hometown in England, Ringwood, a nod to the family and faith that shaped her journey. “My grandma always believed I’d have my own ranch one day,” she said. “That name is for her.”
“Cash” grew into a striking young stud: sweet-natured, sharp-minded, and built like an athlete through and through.
When the hammer fell at $260,000, it wasn’t just a sale, it was validation. Proof that you don’t have to be born into the horse industry to become a real player in the breeding game. Sarah Deane, seated in the front row just a few feet from the sale ring, was visibly overwhelmed and for good reason. She’d just proven a powerful point: if you want to play, you can, and you should.
When we called Sarah to schedule this interview, she laughed softly and said she was sitting alone in her hotel room, taking a quiet moment to pinch herself. “It still doesn’t feel real,” she admitted. “To be part of something like this, it’s just incredible.”
The horse industry can be a tough investment — costly, complex, and unpredictable. But moments like this show that it can also reward, and reward for real.
A New Era: Breeding Dreams Within Reach
Sarah’s story is proof that today, breeding for greatness is within reach for anyone willing to believe and invest smartly.
The game has evolved. With programs like Select Genes, accessible embryo opportunities, and professional preparation teams, doors that were once reserved for the few are now open to passionate breeders everywhere.
“For a long time, breeding felt out of reach for a lot of people,” Melanie Smith explained. “Select Genes changes that. It gives breeders a solid bottom to stand on—elite mares, proven genetics, and a real chance to build something that lasts.”
You don’t need to be born into the business to make an impact, you just need vision, good mentorship, and the right partners. Sarah’s success shows that with determination and strategy, the dream of breeding and selling elite-level prospects isn’t just possible—it’s attainable.
Selling this colt has now given Sarah the opportunity to fund the training of another one with a top reined cow horse trainer and maybe see another dream come true: watching one of her horses walk to the herd at the Snaffle Bit Futurity. This is what she loves most: watching her horses step onto the biggest stages and prove they belong there, as much as she does.
“That’s what makes this so special,” Melanie Smith said. “When people like Sarah reinvest and stay in the game, that’s how new stories are written. One embryo, one colt, one dream at a time.”
And that’s exactly what she plans to do: buy another embryo, reinvest, and keep the dream alive. Because in this business, there will always be voices that try to knock your dreams down but the ones who keep believing, keep building.
Want to relive the excitement of the 2025 edition of the Snaffle Bit Futurity? Just watch!
