Solo Select May Mixed Sale Grosses $1.27 MILLION as Embryo Market Booms
- Melanie Smith
- Jun 2
- 7 min read
Solo Select's May Mixed Sale grossed more than $1.27 million, marking the company's biggest online performance horse sale to date.
The catalog featured over $2 million in producing bloodlines, with elite performers on both sides of the pedigrees.
Solo curated a diverse catalog that offered something for every player in the game—stretching from racing and roping to cutting and reined cow horse. The results proved one thing definitively: the Western performance industry is operating in a resilient economic bubble of its own, and buyers are hungrier than ever for elite genetics.
"We were also especially excited to see the cutting community shopping our catalog so heavily all weekend," Melanie Smith, Solo Select founder, said. "Between the high demand for premium futurity prospects and turn-key show horses, Solo Select is undeniably experiencing massive momentum within the cutting industry."
Democratizing Elite Bloodlines: The Boom of the Embryo Market
The standout storyline of the Solo Select May Mixed Sale was the fierce bidding surrounding in-utero foals offerings.
"Selling embryos and in-utero foals in the Western performance horse industry isn't just good right now—it is an absolutely booming, multi-million dollar market," Ty Smith, co-founder and co-owner of Solo Select, said. "In disciplines like cutting, reining, reined cow horse, and barrel racing, buying a foal before it hits the ground has become one of the primary ways to secure strong genetics."
The driving force behind this highly liquid market is the widespread adoption of ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) technology. This allows Solo's customers to purchase a "magic cross" without having to own a six-figure dam outright. For sellers, it provides a seamless way to sell extra embryos and cash-flow their premier donor mares.
When you choose to breed with Solo, your frozen embryos and in-utero foals become eligible to sell in future Solo Select sales. And when you buy through Solo's platform, you aren't just buying a horse; you are gaining a full team that will gladly help you from A to Z, no matter what discipline you are in.
While buying a foal before it is born requires a bit of a gamble, the market trade-off is undeniable.
"While purchasing a foal in-utero shifts the gestational risk to the buyer, that risk is offset by a significantly lower purchase price," Melanie Smith explained. "They have allowed so many of our customers to play at a level they would not have been able to play at otherwise—to raise a baby out of a mare that is more mare than they would have been able to afford owning as a broodmare."
The proof of this concept is already in the show pen. A few years ago, Solo Select sold a foal in-utero named Jaymes Bond. Fast forward to this year, and that horse captured the coveted 2026 World’s Greatest Horseman Championship.
Trust us: you will try this process once, and you will want to do it again.
The Dynasty of Blackish
"Blackish’s full sister brought $250,000 at the 2024 Western Bloodstock Futurity Sale, and her 2023 bay roan colt by Metallic Cat sold for $200,000," Melanie Smiths said. "This family offers some of the most in-demand genetics in our industry."
Indeed, the legendary Blackish bloodlines never disappoint, bringing in-utero prices through our roof. Following the tragic passing of the iconic mare SS Blacks Lil Kitty last year, this was the very last full sibling to Blackish to sell, and he brought $82,000.
"My family has been in the cutting industry for over 40 years, and we have loved watching Blackish show, so we try to buy everything that we can that is related to her," new owner Kate Bañuelos said. "We purchased the Rollz Royce out of Blackish in the Solo Select Flash Sale that was held during the NCHA Open finals last year. It's a colt with A LOT of personality, and he is already a barn favorite!"
Solo's highest-selling embryo honors went to a Metallic Rey Mink x Blackish embryo—a full sibling to the spectacular NCHA Futurity Champion Minkish, who left his very first major show with over $600,000 in lifetime earnings. Hammering down at $122,500 to buyer Robert Schow, the cross represents an incredible deal. As a newcomer to the sport, Schow has decided to compete at the highest level right from the start, purchasing 12 premier embryos last year and another four at the May Sale.
"The Solo Select Sale and the 817 Sale are my favorite online sales," Schow said. "I think the Solo Select team does a great job, and I am interested in getting involved with programs like Select Genes in the near future."
Half of the resulting foals will go into training with cutting horse trainer Westin Sampson at the Double Down Horse Ranch in Utah. Schow plans to resell the remaining horses, either at auction or privately, as he continues to build his high-end cutting breeding and training program.
By The Numbers: Sizzling Embryo Stats
The efficiency of Solo's embryo market structure was on full display this May:
> Six embryos and foals in-utero sold for over $40,000.
> Frozen embryo packages are riding a wave of hype. A frozen embryo package featuring the VERY hot sire Third Edge crossed on the incredible reined cow horse mare Soula Jule Forever fetched over $19,000, proving the market's now non-negotiable appetite for strong maternal lines.
The LBR Hangem Hype Reaches a Fever Pitch
If there is one stallion the industry cannot stop talking about, it is LBR Hangem, affectionately known as "Shotty". His 2026 show season has been on absolute fire: out of five main aged-events entered, he made the finals in all five, winning four of them. Along the way, he marked back-to-back 228 scores and captured the highly coveted NCHA Super Stakes Open Classic Championship that put him in the NCHA Hall of Fame.
His 2027 breeding waitlist already boasts over 160 mares, sending the market value of his embryos and foals into the stratosphere.
Among the unique offerings was an LBR Hangem embryo, purchased with excitement for the stallion’s future.
“He’s an unreal stud—so athletic and talented. The bloodline makes it a no-brainer as the resulting foal will have zero Cat in his pedigree!” said buyer Robert Schow.
We also watched a striking LBR Hangem colt out of Select Genes’ Cattahoochie, a proven producer who was electric to watch during her own show career, sell to Ashton Robertson of XXL Performance Horses. The colt features the signature class, eye appeal, and structural movement that "Shotty" is known for, and he will head into training to show for his new owner.
"This colt had the class, eye appeal, and talent we see from Shotty," new owner Robertson said. "The maternal pedigree was excellent on this colt as well. I have high hopes that we will see him in the winner’s circle."
XXL Performance Horses also partnered with Solo Select on the beautiful LBR Hangem x CR Tuff Boonie weanling filly. Both of these weanlings will remain at Solo until they are old enough to enter Tyson Benson's 2-year-old program.
Don Ham, breeder and partner on LBR Hangem, noted that the crowd is clearly recognizing a sire in full ascension.
"His books are a testament to how trustworthy this young sire is. Some stallions start the season with a few quiet bookings. LBR Hangem is not one of them. The demand for his breedings and offspring is one of the highest I have ever seen on a young sire".
Cutters lined up to take home their next ready-to-show prospects
The cutting scene delivered massive numbers across the board this weekend during the Solo Select May Mixed Sale. Cutters turned out in full force to secure their next elite futurity prospects, driving intense bidding on horses like Blaque Magic, who sold for $80,000 to chase the ultimate dream of an NCHA Futurity finalist berth later this year.
Right behind her was Dark Arising, a stunning, homozygous black prospect tailor-made for the high-end cutting stages that commanded $74,000.
The demand was just as strong for ready-to-show athletes currently competing in aged events and future breeding pieces, highlighting the incredible momentum we are experiencing in the cutting industry. This was anchored by Stevie Reyetta, a premier aged-event competitor that drew heavy attention from top trainers before hammering down at $70,000.
This momentum was further illustrated by the continued market dominance of Once In A Blu Boon (OBB). The $16 million+ sire continues to be an absolute safe bet for our customers looking for excellence in both the show pen and a future broodmare herd. The bridleless freak Marvelous Versace sold for $64,000 and a weanling filly out of Metalicious hit $29,000.
The May Mixed Sale was more than just a million-dollar milestone; it was proof that the market is evolving. Between the explosive demand for in-utero foals, the growing competition for frozen embryo packages, and the intense bidding on cutting prospects and aged-event competitors, the results show that buyers are ready to invest heavily in top-tier genetics. By making world-class maternal lines accessible through our Select Genes program, Solo is proud to give every breeder and owner a seat at the high-level table.
Whether you are a seller looking to cash-flow your donor mare or a buyer aiming to secure your next open-caliber athlete in any discipline, Solo remains committed to setting the standard for excellence in online sales.
"The industry is moving fast, and Solo is thrilled to bring our customers along for the ride," Melanie Smith said.
The Solo Select Sale will be back for the Labor Day Sale on September 7.
We will follow that up with our Thanksgiving Sale, featuring a special Yearling Sale on Day 2, November 27.
