A crowd of 100 potential buyers and horse enthusiasts are expected to gather Saturday, June 24, for the 14th annual Horse Production Sale, coordinated by the UC Davis Animal Science Horse Barn.

For the students, the sale is a time of proud accomplishment and sadness, as they part with the young horses they have bred, birthed and trained.

This year the public will have the opportunity to bid on seven yearlings, four weanlings about six months old, and three young mules.

"Most buyers come with an interest in our quarter horse babies and mules, but one of the highlights of this year's sale will be a big flashy Selle Francais colt named Triscuit," said animal science professor Jan Roser, who coordinates the production sale with horse barn manager Nicole Webster. The Selle Francais is a strong, elegant French sporting-horse breed that excels at show jumping and is often used in dressage and eventing competitions.

Quarter horses, which represent the majority of the horses in the sale, are bred for cutting, riding and working cattle. This is a stocky, broad-chested American breed, known for its ability to produce short bursts of speed and turn sharply and quickly. Generally credited with being intelligent and having a good disposition, it has become a popular family breed.

Proceeds from the sale, which traditionally brings in $20,000 to $30,000, will support the animal science department's Equine Management Program. This program provides hands-on experience for students preparing for careers in the horse industry or for further studies in veterinary medicine or graduate school.

During the program, students learn to plan and manage the breeding, deliver the foals, and coordinate overall training and health care for the herd. They also train the young horses to be led, tied, bathed, clipped groomed and transported in horse trailers.

This year's event will begin with viewing of the horses from 3 to 5 p.m., followed by a barbecue from 4 to 6 p.m. The auction will begin at 6 p.m.

Detailed descriptions of the horses and the Equine Management Program, as well as driving directions, are available online at http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/HorseBarn/ProductionSale/default.htm.