UMW and MCH Host 2026 Colt Challenge & Sale

The annual Colt Challenge and Sale, hosted by the University of Montana Western and the Montana Center for Horsemanship, will take place March 27–28, 2026, at the Montana Center for Horsemanship in Dillon, Montana.

Students and colts compete in a series of events that demonstrate their wide range of abilities during the Colt Challenge, followed by a public preview and auction the next day. All sale proceeds are reinvested in the program to provide scholarships to Natural Horsemanship majors at the University of Montana Western.

The event will also feature the Alumni Horse Sale, offering past Colt Challenge students the opportunity to showcase their horsemanship skills and their post-graduation accomplishments. Four alumni horses will be available for purchase, giving buyers the opportunity to invest in horses with additional real-world experience.

Schedule of Events

Friday, March 27

• Colt Challenge: 9:00 a.m.

Saturday, March 28

• Preview: 9:30 a.m.

• Lunch: 11:30 a.m.

• Sale: 1:00 p.m.

Each colt receives approximately 80 days of  training from equine students in the Natural Horsemanship/Equine Studies Bachelor of Science degree program at Montana Western, under the guidance of Montana Center for Horsemanship instructors. The 2026 event will showcase 25 quality colts donated by ranches from across the region.

Throughout their training, the young horses are familiarized with a wide range of environments and scenarios, including working with cattle and ropes, loading and unloading from trailers, and other situations commonly encountered in ranch work and recreational riding. This process allows students and instructors to develop an in-depth understanding of each horse, which they share with prospective buyers.

Leading up to the event, horses and students will be featured on Facebook and Instagram with details about each colt’s color, conformation, personality, and skills. More information about the 2026 Colt Challenge and Sale, including the sale catalog, will be available on the University of Montana Western website.

Those interested in attending the auction may participate in person, online, or by phone. Online bidders must pre-register at least one day prior to the sale by visiting bid.northernlivestockvideo.com and selecting “Get Approved to Bid.” Approved bidders may participate online via desktop at www.northernlivestockvideo.com or through the Northern Livestock Auction mobile app on sale day.

To bid by phone, participants must pre-register by calling Northern Livestock Video Auction at 866-616-5035 prior to the sale to obtain a bid number. Phone bidding will be available on sale day by calling 406-245-0889.

The sale order will be posted on Friday, March 27, by 5:00 p.m. on the Montana Western Colt Challenge and Sale website and Facebook page.

Corporate sponsors for the 2026 Colt Challenge and Sale include CHS Inc., New Generation Supplements, Rocky Mountain Supply, and Zinpro Performance Minerals, in partnership with the University of Montana Western and the Montana Center for Horsemanship. Saturday’s complimentary lunch is sponsored by Beaverhead Motors and Bryan and Marcia Mussard of Reminisce Angus. Stockman Bank is sponsoring the saddle for the Colt Challenge winner. The University of Montana Western thanks all sponsors for their continued support of the event and its students.

The Equine Studies Department at the University of Montana Western offers the nation’s only Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Horsemanship, with options in management, psychology, science, and instruction, and has been ranked among the “Best Equestrian Colleges” by ThoughtCo.com.

The Montana Center for Horsemanship is the first and only equine center in the United States devoted exclusively to promoting natural horsemanship. The center serves as the primary teaching facility for Montana Western’s Natural Horsemanship curriculum.

The MCH teaches the La Cense Method, developed by William Kriegel, owner of Haras de la Cense in France and co-founder of the Montana Center for Horsemanship. The method blends traditional horsemanship with a progressive, step-by-step training approach that works with a horse’s natural behavior and instincts.

For more information about the Colt Challenge and Sale, contact Head Natural Horsemanship Instructor Eric Hoffmann at eric.hoffmann@umwestern.edu or 406-925-1499.