The highest bidder

Unveiling the UF Spring Horse Sale

By: Juliyana Straley

Going once, going twice, sold to the highest bidder!  It is time for one of the biggest days of the year at the University of Findlay Western Farm: the UF Spring Horse Sale on April 29. More than 60 horses will be up for auction this year and Rusty Miller, Young Horse Coordinator and Equine Marketing co-instructor at UF, is proud to show the work he and the Equine Marketing students have completed.

“It’s all broken down into groups within the Equine Marketing class,” said Miller.  The teams of students consist of: sale coordinator assistants, sale secretaries, pedigree research, print and merchandise advertising, sale catalog, photography and video, website and social media.

Senior Emily Gill, a member of the photography and video team, is proud of their accomplishments.

“It’s a lot of work and everything is out of class time, but it has been a really great experience.  We have been working on this all semester which shows how much work is put into this event,” said Gill.

Equine Marketing students aren’t the only ones putting in extra hours. Equine seniors at the Western Farm have been training many of the 2-year-old horses up for auction.

“Students start working with the horses in the fall.  Teaching them to lunge and give them ground manners and then they start breaking them the first of the year,” said Miller.

Chris Zawisza, a buyer of two horses at previous UF Horse Sale’s, was very impressed with the quality of not only the event, but the horses themselves.

“The horse sale at UF was first class.  The horses were obviously very well taken care of and very well trained.  The students, instructors, and staff were very professional and knowledgeable,” said Zawisza.

The professionalism and quality of the horse sale is what makes this event so important, according to Gill.

“The sale is a real professional setting, it’s not just an assignment or project for the classroom.  It gives the University an edge that others don’t have.  The quality of the horses and the real world experience is what makes this event so special to the students and buyers,” noted Gill. 

Professionalism inspires confidence within the crowd of the sale.  Thrilled with the purchases of her two horses, Zawisza says she would do it again if need be.

“We would definitely recommend purchasing a horse from the UF sale. Both times we’ve purchased have been very positive experiences,” said Zawisza. “It made us feel very confident about the horses because we knew they were coming from such a reputable place.  Our horses are truly awesome!”

 

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