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WAVERLY HORSE SALE
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Semi-annual draft horse sale worth visit
The semiannual Waverly Horse Sale is one of Iowa’s great undiscovered traditions, a five-day event that has drawn as many as 25,000 buyers, sellers and the curious to the sale barn on the west side of town. The draft horse sale attracts a range of buyers from Disney executives to Amish farmers, all interested in the 1,500 or so Clydesdales, Belgians, and Percherons plus a variety of tack.
The sales are held in the spring and fall and are a big draw for Amish farmers who still use the big draft horses for all their field work and transportation needs. Each day, they seem to outnumber the rest of the buyers; when the sale is over you might see them clop-clopping in their buggies through the parking lot at McDonalds or having a beer at a hotel bar.
But plenty of other buyers are interested in the horses at well. Budweiser visits to scout for Clydesdales; Disney buyers are looking for horses to pull horse-drawn vehicles through their theme parks. Canadian logging companies still use the draft horses to reach areas that are inaccessible by truck. And hobbyists know there isn’t a better place in the county to find draft horses.
That’s why the animals draw top dollar. It’s not unusual to see a well-bred animal fetch $4,000 to $5,000.

The sale barn is operated by Bill Dean, who began working at the Waverly Sale Barn in 1964 and bought the business from Arnold Hexom in 1975. Hexom held the first Midwest Horse Sale in 1946 and built it into one of the top sales of its kind when Dean joined him 18 years later.

Hexom and Dean never intended the horse sale to become a tourist attraction, but the draw is obvious and the Waverly Chamber of
Commerce works hard to show visitors a good time while they are in town. All five of the city’s motels fill up quickly and the chamber facilitates the request for rooms at local homes. (The less adventurous have the option of staying in the Cedar Falls-Waterloo area, a half-hour away).

Waverly features several good restaurants, including Martin’s Brandenburg Restaurant, whose German food draws travelers to town even when the horse sale isn’t going on. Another great bet for food is The Other Place, a restaurant and bar that originated in Cedar Falls and has since added location in Waverly, Mason City, Clear Lake and in the Kansas City area.

But if you are looking for a good meal, there’s no reason to leave the sale barn grounds during the day. The full-service restaurant offers good burgers, hot dogs and sides, but the star of the menu is the homemade chicken and noodles on real mashed potatoes. Throughout the grounds, vendors also offer popcorn and soft drinks.

The Midwest Horse Sale is free and open to the public. Ample, free parking is available on lots adjacent to the sale barn grounds.

The Waverly Horse Sale is held each March and October and takes place northwest of town on U.S. Highway 218. Call (319) 352-2804. The Waverly Chamber of Commerce, 118 West Bremer Avenue, (319) 352-4526, publishes an accommodations guide to the area and offers friendly help to visitors.

AT LEFT: The Waverly Horse Sale draws people from around the world interested in draft horses. TOP: An Amish farmer leads a draft horse through the sale barn. ABOVE: A crowd gathers to inspect teams of horses. (Photos © Bill Witt.)
An Amish farmer talks to a cowboy about horses.