Stockland Livestock Exchange in Davenport, Wash. is a sales institution that first started off Freya Street, Spokane, Wash., near Spokane Community College in 1962.  In 1981, Ted and Joanne Kerst bought the exchange and in 1999 moved it to its present location in Davenport, Wash.  It is a family affair: son Joe is the Office Manager; daughter Alicia is Assistant Bid recorder.  Their other son, John, also works for Stocklands as Field Man who solicits cattle breeders to send their animals in for the livestock sales.

When attending the Stockland Livestock Exchange, be sure to go early to find a good seat and parking, as their sales can be very crowed.  The recent sale featured breeding horses from the Northeast Washington Horse Breeders Association located in Colville, Wash was no exception.

The sale drew 175 horses from all over Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Montana.  It was a full house for people too.  “The room seats 500 people and they were packed in there to see this big sale,” according to Ted Kerst.  One sales attendee, Doug Martin of Sandpoint, Idaho, stated, “The drive is worth it.  I would not miss the sale.”

Stockland has horse sales the last Saturday of every month except in December and January.  “These are our regular horses sales 10 months out of the year.  These feature breeder sales also draw in all the local owners to who want to cash in on the advertising,” stated Kerst who went on to say that their horse sales have increased in size “because the sale barns at Okanogan and Quincy have shut down.  It is not something we like to see, but we have seen our entries grow.”

The top selling horse at the event was a Quarter Horse Gelding for sale by Sandy Sterrett of Davenport, Wash.  Bob Manion paid $2,400 for the nice gelding.

For more information about Stockland, visit their website at: http://www.stocklandlivestock.com or call 509-535-2444.