Page 115 - July 2019

Q: How would you describe your schedule heading into, and during, one of the annual sales at Heritage Place? A: We always plan a year in advance for sales.
I start to get really excited as the sales dates approach. Once we get all of the entries in, we start preparing the catalog and making sure all of the last-minute things are accomplished. We kind of do the same things over and over from year to year, but we are always looking for ways to do things better or more efficiently. Once the catalogs come off the press and we mail them out, I get geared up. I always tell people the few days before the sale happens is when
I ‘go off my feed’ and the adrenaline starts kicking in. I am still amazed at how every sale operates. We go from six to seven full-time employees to over 70, not even including the catering operation. We have a heck of a crew and we are thankful for them all. It takes a small village of people to put our sales on,
and many of our village have been with us for 20-plus years. A few people have helped with our sales since we first opened in 1978.
Q: What’s your favorite part of what you do, professionally?
A: People, people, people. I get to meet and be involved with so many different people. I took a job as a kid cleaning stalls and feeding horses to make a little spending money. Little did I know back then that
I would fall in love with horses and that horses would lead me to the life I have today. I have met and get to be around some of the most amazing people, and it is all because we share a passion for horses.
Jeff won the 2010 Oklahoma State Auctioneering Championship
Q: What’s the most challenging part of what you do?
A: We always have to keep pushing and looking for new ideas and ways to market our services. Oh, and one other challenging issue we face at Heritage Place is collecting money in a timely manner. I can’t tell you how many times people buy horses and don’t have a check or money with them. They always say they are going to send it as soon as they get home. “First thing Monday morning.” People need to understand we are not a bank. Get your financial affairs in order and be prepared to pay for the horse before you leave the sale or don’t buy! We are not the only sale company with this issue, and I am continually amazed at the stories I hear about money and when the customer is going to or wants to pay. I had a prominent person one time tell me, after buying a horse, he wanted to pay in six months. I started laughing, but he was dead serious. You can’t make this stuff up. Through the years,
I’ve heard every excuse in the book regarding payment. It is very simple. You buy a horse...you immediately pay for the horse.
Q: Who’s the most impressive horse you’ve ever encountered, and why? A: All the horses I’ve owned or watched compete or race bring back wonderful memories. I
don’t have an all-time favorite. I guess I’m still looking. I’ve owned some awesome horses that have brought my family and me much joy.
Q: You’re also part of the Board of Directors for OQHRA. How would you evaluate the health of the sport in the state of Oklahoma at this time? A: I think we are on solid ground, but you never really know for sure. When politics are involved, you always wonder what is going to happen in the future. Gaming is big business in Oklahoma, and currently the horse industry is a beneficiary of gaming’s success. I hope it continues, but we all know nothing stays the same. We have a great organization, the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association, with a strong Board of Directors and a great team at our office. Debbie Schauf and her team do an amazing job.
Q: If you weren’t involved in the horse racing industry, what do you think you would be doing for a living, and why? A: Most people know I got involved in the insur- ance business 10 years ago with John Andreini. Mr. Andreini built one of the largest insurance brokerages in the country. My wife, Vicki,
and I went to work for Mr. Andreini and then became partners in the firm. We have a large presence now in Oklahoma City and an office in Sweetwater, Texas, that Arthur and Kirk Maberry
Jeff serves on the OQHRA Board of Directors, shown here with OQHRA Executive Director Debbie Schauf
manage. We have a large book of business in the equine industry and write many of the top horses and farms/ranches in the country. I feel confident saying we are the largest insurance broker in the Quarter Horse racing industry.
Q: What in your opinion needs to happen to make sure there is future growth in the sport, overall?
A: We need to get more people involved in our industry. I am not exactly sure how to do it other than through a grassroots movement where we bring people in one at a time and everyone does their part. I also think we have to make sure the welfare of the horse is the number one priority.
Q: What’s the biggest challenge you face, professionally speaking?
A: Not becoming complacent. I am content, but don’t want to become complacent; there is
a big difference in the two. I hope I can keep doing the same thing I am doing for the next 20-30 years. I am the luckiest guy in the world to get to do what I do, and I know it. Life hasn’t always been this good to me. I have a wonderful wife and two great kids and get to be around horse people at Heritage Place and Andreini & Company. What more could a person want?
As far as I’m concerned, nothing. I have been blessed and hope I can be a blessing to others.
Q: What advice would you give to young people looking to enter the industry?
A: Get into the business because you love horses. If you don’t like horses, you have no business joining the industry.
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THE BACKSIDE