Horse Roundup 2026 | Come on girls, run ’em in: Colorado Horse Sale breaks horse sale paradigms

Finding your dream horse in Colorado has gotten a lot easier, more reliable – and truthfully, a lot more fun – since 2022 with the emergence of Colorado Horse Sale. 

Charlotte Volt is the owner and operator of Colorado Horse Sale, now in its third year of operation. Volt and her team have worked tirelessly to transform the traditional horse sale model into a more trustworthy, vetted process that matches horses to buyers and creates a venue for high-quality, broke and reliable mounts. Although it may not have been planned, Colorado Horse Sale is proudly woman-owned and primarily staffed by women. 

Based in northern Colorado, the company conducts live auctions annually across four strategic locations throughout the state: Eaton, Castle Rock, Brighton and Montrose. Buyers and sellers both come from across the nation as the sale has grown in reputation.  

Volt says the sale started like many others as an “anything goes auction” where they would sell all types and classes of horses. But in 2026 “we shifted gears and really want potential sellers to know they will have a unique experience going forward,” said Volt. All horses are now vetted as they arrive, including a basic health and soundness exam on site, with the results and findings posted live for everyone watching as they are conducted.  

“This shift represents a departure from the traditional “horse trader mentality,” said Volt, with the company now implementing rigorous standards that prioritize transparency and buyer confidence. The company has also introduced an innovative “sifting” option – a no warmup riding and handling exam that has become a major draw for buyers, according to Volt. During this process, horses are tied at the fence, have all four feet picked up, are saddled, bridled, and ridden at a walk, trot and lope within about a minute. “This cold evaluation pushes horses to demonstrate their true temperament and training level without any preparation,” said Volt.  

The sifting process has proven popular with sellers as well – so much that all higher-end, more finished horse sellers are opting to participate. “Buyers attend these Friday examinations in strong numbers because they want to see how honest the horses are and how they perform in new settings,” said Volt.  

Colorado Horse Sale requires all consignors to sign drug affidavits, disclosing any medications the horse may be on, recent dental work, or any reason sedatives or NSAIDs might be in the horse’s system. While the company doesn’t conduct drug testing, this transparency requirement helps buyers make informed decisions. 

The company’s veterinarian is also on-site with an x-ray machine and posts examination notes publicly for all to see. Buyers can request additional services like flexion tests or x-rays, and many take advantage of these opportunities. The company has also been promoting pre-sale x-rays, particularly hocks and front feet for Quarter Horses, and hocks and stifles for draft crosses. At the most recent sale, every single horse had x-rays on file, compared to 30 out of 60 horses at previous sales, said Volt.  

But health and soundness are just one of the important aspects of buying a horse. Skills and handling are at the heart. To showcase the ability of the horse, Colorado Horse Sale hosts three ranch rodeos annually, including events before their Montrose sales and their Castle Rock sale in May. “These family-oriented, fast-paced events provide an excellent platform for sale horses to demonstrate their abilities, and we also welcome non-sale horses to fill team rosters,” said Volt. All sales feature cattle for preview work, allowing buyers to see horses rope, box drive box, and demonstrate ranch versatility. 

One of the company’s most innovative initiatives is the youth consignor special session held during their August sale. This program, now in its third year, allows young people to consign and fully represent horses they’ve worked with throughout the summer or even for several years. 

“Youth participants must complete a comprehensive application process, writing descriptions and answering questions about their career aspirations, what makes their horse special, and why they’re offering it to the public,” said Volt. “They then handle every aspect of the sale process – from representing and previewing the horse to introducing themselves to buyers afterward. 

The program functions like a parallel to a 4-H market livestock program – but for horses – giving kids real-world experience with genuine buyers who will take the horses home. Volt adds some fun to the youth program, including a Friday night goat roping event where all participating youth can socialize and make new friends. 

Volt says Colorado Horse Sale has identified a unique market niche in the state’s recreational horse sector. “We serve weekend trail riders, weekend competitors, and people who help friends on ranches – we have a unique demographic distinct from Montana or Nebraska markets. Many customers are recent transplants to Colorado who have horse property and want to purchase horses,” said Volt. “There’s particularly strong demand for children’s horses, which the youth consignor program addresses perfectly, as horses that can safely carry eight-year-olds must be genuinely honest.” 

Volt understands not being a native – she grew up showing horses competitively in New Hampshire, went to school at Montana State University in Bozeman and studied ag business, and found her sweet spot spending one weekend a month at the Billings Horse Sale. “I’ve worked feedlots, ranches, sale barns, but really found my groove working at sale barns,” she said. “In 2022 felt I had enough of a base to start my own.” 

Along the way, she has surrounded herself with talent and people who share a similar vision of improving the horse sale methodology.  

The team at Colorado Horse Sale may be primarily women, but that aspect may be more coincidental than the extensive equine background and horse knowledge of the team members. “All our team are experienced horse people who ride competitively and some who train for the public,” said Volt. “This expertise allows staff to provide knowledgeable guidance to both consignors and buyers.” 

Kullen Wooton has been an auctioneer for the company since its inception. He grew up in the livestock auction industry in New Mexico and has been around horse sales his entire life. “I really drive it home that finding someone as transparent and as honest as Charlotte in this business is few and far between,” said Wooton, and that her innovative mentality keeps building the business in a unique, transparent way. “From the first sale I’ve ever worked for her, each sale has been better and better,” he said. “She is constantly working to implement more and more criteria to help the buyer, yet she maintains the perfect balance of working for both the buyer and the seller.  

“If I had to pat Charlotte on the back about anything, it would be her attention to detail in helping match a seller to a buyer and find their forever horse.” 

Wooton would be the first to note there are occasionally some sour apples among “horse traders” – and the reason he is proud to work for Volt is that mentality has been driven out at Colorado Horse Sale.   

“Charlotte has gone above and beyond to sift out the undesirable horse traders – there are some who have been told to never come back. She has always strived for straight up honesty. There are plenty of folks who will tell you what you want to hear to get their dollar. She has sifted out to those who will tell you the truth and represent what they sell.” 

Colorado Horse Sale operates its own bidding platform at bid.coloradohorsesale.com. Rather than mailing traditional catalogs, the company directs customers to their comprehensive online platform where buyers can view multiple photos, videos, contact consignors, read descriptions, enter pre-sale bids and register as bidders. Printed catalogs are available exclusively onsite at the sale location. 

The company livestreams sifting sessions, previews and auctions on their YouTube channel, allowing interested parties to watch current and previous events to understand their process as well. People can find these streams by searching “Colorado Horse Sale” on YouTube. 

Colorado Horse Sale typically handles 55-75 head per sale, with their upcoming August sale in Eaton on August 22 being the largest at approximately 80 head. “We like to keep it at this manageable size, as it allows staff to develop thorough knowledge of each horse and provide personalized attention to both buyers and sellers,” said Volt. The company builds catalogs in advance and accepts late consignments as supplement horses throughout the week before each sale. The company maintains relationships with commercial haulers ready to transport horses anywhere across the country and works with insurance providers offering fall-of-hammer coverage. 

Volt says as they have implemented their new practices and standards of quality in 2026, they welcome buyers who may have attended previous sales to return and experience their elevated standards.  

Volt said her company’s philosophy centers on wanting participants to “bring their best to Colorado Horse Sale and show up and show out.”  

Her mentality has shifted the auction module to transparency and renewed confidence at the cry of the auctioneer, the fall of a gavel, and the start of someone’s future.