The debut of the BidXSell bidding platform was a huge success when the Indiana Thoroughbred Alliance (ITA) hosted their annual stallions and services auction on it December 18 through December 20.
The platform hosted 56 stallions from Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio, as well as services from body work specialists, veterinarians and a wine experience from Cedar Creek Winery. The auction is an annual charity event for the ITA, where it raises money to provide a variety of services for the Indiana horse racing industry, such as educational seminars and webinars, a crisis fund for breeders and owners, marketing assistance, scholarships and more.
“When we were first approached to move our sale to this new platform, I was excited about it. I like to do things outside of the box,” says Christine Cagle, ITA board member and ITA Stallions and Services Auction Director. “Everything was streamlined, and we had support from beginning to end. It made a huge difference in our charity fund.”
The move to the new, state-of-the-art online platform resulted in plusses for the ITA auction compared to previous years:
- The ITA’s revenue increased 50% in this sale from their previous high in 2023.
- The ITA increased their bidder base by over 100% in this sale. Participation was dramatically higher and all bidders were brand new registrants.
“I was pleased with the results from the ITA Stallion Season Auction,” says Brock Martin, Stallion Nominations with Taylor Made Sales Agency. “The ITA put a lot of work into organizing this sale, and it showed. The registration process was very smooth, and this allowed for more buyers and sellers to connect. The ITA’s commitment to improving the breeding and racing industry in Indiana was evident in the effort they put forth through advertising and promoting this event for both buyers and sellers. The benefits of this sale will support a great cause and something that is needed to encourage participation. I look forward to seeing how it will positively impact the Indiana Thoroughbred industry.”
Those who registered to bid on BidXSell will now have an even easier time to bid on any future BidXSell auctions. Not only will all registrants who requested to bid on the ITA sale now be permanently connected to the ITA administrative account, allowing future direct communication, but those new registrants will also have first looks at new sales posted by other sellers in the future.
“The users I talked to personally were excited about the user experience and the site and expressed enthusiasm in using the site again,” says Kris Stuebs, Director of U.S. Operations for BidXSell. “I’m proud of our team, as there were zero other technical issues that arose at all during the sale.”
The funds raised from the auction will be put to use throughout the year, with plans for seminars and assistance funds coming in 2025.
BidXSell is preparing to host more online stallion service auctions and horse sales in the coming months.