WAVERLY -- With the horse sale less than a week away, the Waverly Sale Barn is already bustling.

About 20 employees are mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms and prepping pens. When they're through polishing and dressing the place, the arena may be the classiest spots in town.

"It ain't the Ritz, but we try the best we can," said David Beyer, the barn's co-owner. "It's more like a 4 1/2 star hotel."

Come Tuesday, horses, owners, buyers and spectators will flood the grounds for the Waverly Midwest Horse Sale, a biannual auction where 1,000 or more horses change hands. Some are expected to sell for upwards of $30,000.

Beyer likes the event's 36-acre home to look sharp for the international crowd it draws. Major preparations began early Wednesday and will continue until the sale starts. Beyer plans to hire as many as 150 people to help manage activities -- on normal weeks he employees about 10.

"There's a lot more prep work than people realize," he said.

The workday started at about 7 a.m. for Barb Quass of Frederika, a hired hand for the sale.

"It's crazy cleaning up and getting ready," she said. "There's so much dust that I didn't know about."

She spent part of the day setting up bleachers for 10,000 attendees expected. Some come from as far away as Germany and Japan to buy and sell horses. With free admission, others come just to look.

"We like greeting people and meeting people -- it's like a family reunion," co-owner Ron Dean said.

The sale, which began in 1947, will run from Tuesday through Saturday. Equipment, like saddles, buggies and wagons, will sell the first two days. Horses will go on the auction block Thursday. Ponies and saddle horses will sell Saturday.

The routine is second nature to Jan Fritcher of Nashua, a regular at the sale for 25 years. While major work to the barn is first visible this week, office work for the horse sale consumes her time year-round. One of her biggest jobs is assembling and mailing 25,000 flyers in August.

"The work didn't start today and it won't end until after the sale," she said.

Fritcher also makes tickets and takes calls.

"You're talking to people from all over the United States," she said. "That's the fun part, the part that's interesting."

Most of her tasks are done. Now Fritcher is busy wrapping up "all the little things," like posting signs, before horses and guests arrive.

Dean said his employees' effort makes the sale recognized as one of the best in the country.

"They dig in and make it work," he said.

Contact Brian Spannagel at (319) 291-1570 or brian.spannagel@wcfcourier.com

Go & Do:

What: Waverly Midwest Horse Sale

When: Tuesday through Saturday

Where: Waverly Sale Barn, 2212 Fifth Ave. NW

Admission: free