At 3.22pm, it was all over. The city of San Diego's coffers were swollen by $US111,000 from the sale of its seven police horses, but residents have been left pondering what they have lost.
The city's mounted police unit has been consigned to history as part of wider budget cuts aimed at narrowing a $US179 million gap in the city's budget.
The horses were a popular sight in patrolling the beaches, walkways and streets of the city.
The city had a mounted patrol from 1889 but it was discontinued in 1948. It was resurrected in 1983, based out of Balboa Park.
The horses not only proved effective in policing duties, particularly crowd control, but fulfilled a valuable public relations role.
The horses and their gear were put up for auction over 10 days on publicsurplus.com and, after a late bidding war, the last of the seven horse auctions closed at 3.22pm local time.
Last to go, after 110 bids, was Junior. The five-year-old 16.2-hand horse fetched $US15,200.
Twelve-year-old Bret fetched 113 bids to finish at $US18,300.
Eleven-year-old Austin closed at $US15,100 after 73 bids.
Trigger, 15, attracted 90 bids to close at $US15,000, while Major, also 15, closed at $US15,000 after 95 bids.
Bandit, 15, attracted 90 bids and finished at $US13,200.
Wam attracted the highest price, closing at $US19,100 after 77 bids.
All the horses are geldings.
Seven officers and one sergeant with the mounted unit are being placed on other duties.
The removal of the horse patrol will save the city about $US282,000 a year, although one revised budget suggested the patrol could have been maintained for a little over $US100,000 a year.
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