Page 94 - Speedhorse May 2019

ANDREW OFFERMAN
by John Moorehouse
“I still love the raw speed and athletic ability of the animal.”
Q: Where were you born?
A: I was born and raised and now work in Minnesota.
Q: What are your hobbies outside of horse racing?
A: I love sports. Baseball and basketball primarily. With my job, I also spend a lot of time at racetracks around the country, so I still consider it a career and a hobby!
Q: What is your favorite movie and
why?
A: “Apollo 13” is my favorite film. I’ve long been fascinated with NASA and space exploration, and
I think the drama that is built throughout the film is truly one of the best filmmaking jobs in modern movie history.
Q: Do you have a nickname and,
if so, what is it and how did it come about?
A: No nickname. I went to grade school with 50 kids, of which six or seven were named Andrew each year. I was the only one to keep the full name and not go by Drew or Andy, it worked out pretty well for me.
Q: What’s an interesting fact about your family?
A: My aunt registered the first Minnesota-bred Thoroughbred in the history of the Minnesota racing program.
Q: If you could vacation anywhere on the planet, where would it be and what would you do there?
A: Australia. I would love to explore everything that the country has to offer – looks like a once-in-a- lifetime experience.
Q: If you were not in the horse racing business, what job would you have?
A: Great question. I would most likely be an attorney. After completing my bachelor’s degrees in Business Management and Criminal Justice, I was torn between the racing industry and going to law school. Horse racing won out.
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SPEEDHORSE, May 2019
John Moorehouse
As the Director of Racing Operations at Canterbury Park, Andrew Offerman always has a lot on his plate. No worries. His current role is just the latest example of his work in the Quarter Horse world, which allows him to continue to bolster the relationships he’s built within the sport over the past three-plus decades.
Offerman oversees every aspect of racing at Canterbury — from the racing office to wagering, the condition of the track and grounds, security, and even audio/visual components such as broadcasts of races and even digital signage. And he does it all right in Minnesota, where he was born and raised.
Racing returns to Canterbury in May, so Offerman’s “busy season” is here. However, he did find time to answer these questions.
THE LIGHTER SIDE