FROM THE AUCTION BLOCK

FROM THE AUCTION BLOCK: COFFEE WITH THE COLONEL

BY ASHTYN CARR

“During this [COVID-19 pandemic], in the midst of the news media and the gloom and doom, people are still trying to live,” Friskup said. “They’re still trying to spend money. They’re still enjoying life. And if you have to do it six feet apart or with a mask on, that’s how you’re going to do it. But we’re going to keep living.”

The smell of horsehair. The sea of Stetsons, Resistols or Bullhides. The sound of a wooden gavel clapping against the block. The hooping and hollering of cowboys, bid spotters and auctioneers. All of which are too familiar to Steve Friskup.

As a boy in Kansas, Steve Friskup was practically brought up in the sale barn. Apart from working cows and tending to alfalfa fields, Friskup worked auctions alongside his father. As a freshman in high school, Friskup and his family moved to Central Oklahoma where his father bought a community auction barn. Friskup soon graduated high school and thought he would also be graduating from the auctioneering lifestyle. But he could not let go.

“I remember driving off to college and I told my mom, I said ‘well, I’ll see you when I see you,’” Friskup said. “‘But I won’t be coming to no sale barn anymore. I’m done with this sale barn stuff’. That lasted about a month.”

As a college student at Panhandle State University, Friskup continued to auctioneer and worked at Texoma Livestock. Friskup then learned to enjoy different aspects of livestock auctions. He says his favorite parts of the sale barn is the lifestyle, the people and the horses.

Though he never went to auctioneering school, Friskup feels like his talent as an auctioneer is God-given. Friskup’s career shot off in 1984 when he got his first real job at Triangle Sale Company. Friskup has spent the last 36 years building his career, selling horses, following his passion, and watching the industry evolve.

Not only has Friskup experienced the ups and downs of the market, he has also witnessed the role of the horse in society change. From the cattle industry’s demand for ranch horses to the advancing of recreational horses for rodeo events, the equine industry shifts with society’s shifts and trends.

Additionally, the incorporation of technology has changed the way auctions are conducted. Though Friskup considers himself an old school guy, he was previously a partner in Satellite Cattle Exchange. With the help of online auction sites, Facebook and virtual advertising, the auctioneering world looks a lot different than it did during Friskup’s childhood. But the relationships have stayed the same despite this.

“The one thing that is still old school is the human to human relationships,” Friskup said. “That is the one thing that is so important, I believe, in the auction business. The ability to not only connect to your product but to connect to the people around it.”

Though technology is useful in ways, Friskup said the detriment is losing some of the human contact. He claims this is one of the most effective marketing tools in sales. Technology is not the only thing affecting the live auction world. Like many other industries, the auctioneering industry is facing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Auctions are considered an essential service. Even so, many auctions were still canceled, postponed or moved online. For those auctions that continued, protocols were put in place based on local restrictions. Even with the restrictions in place, Friskup said the markets and human morale is up.

“During this [COVID-19 pandemic], in the midst of the news media and the gloom and doom, people are still trying to live,” Friskup said. “They’re still trying to spend money. They’re still enjoying life. And if you have to do it six feet apart or with a mask on, that’s how you’re going to do it. But we’re going to keep living.”

When Friskup isn’t in the sale barn, he spends his time spreading the word of God. From leading Muleshoe Fellowship to his Coffee with the Colonel videos, he uses his platform to share his views. Friskup has been involved in ministry at Muleshoe Fellowship for 18 years. However, his Coffee with the Colonel videos started when COVID-19 hit.

Coffee with the Colonel was a revelation that came to Friskup in spring 2020. Friskup said he was speaking at a church in Arkansas when he heard from God. The message he wanted to share was that of preparation.

“I was sitting in the motel room and put my telephone on the counter,” Friskup said. “I started telling everybody what I believe God would have us do during some of this to get ready for it. Next thing I know 50,000 people listened to it.”

Friskup used his personal Facebook account to spread this message. Though the idea was to do a short series, Friskup’s followers didn’t want him to stop. Since the first video, he has continued to share the gospel almost every morning with his cup of coffee.

“I tell something that I believe God wants to help us through these times to give us some direction,” Friskup said. “It’s the craziest thing I have ever seen. There will be 10 to 20,000 people watching every day.”

Because of Coffee with the Colonel, Friskup has met new people and been given unique opportunities. One of those opportunities was attending an event held by President Donald Trump. In July of this year, Friskup and his wife were invited to a luncheon for President Trump in Midland- Odessa, TX.

“To sit in a room with [President Trump] is absolutely overwhelming,” Friskup said. “We were in a pretty intimate setting and there wasn’t any cameras or any of that going on. So, he was very real.”

Friskup said it’s no secret where his beliefs and patriotism lie. Before the 2016 election, Friskup had been to Washington D.C. twice. He even rode into the city on horseback the day before the election. Friskup’s trips to the nation’s capital led him to become heavily interested in President Trump.

Again, through Coffee with the Colonel, Friskup was presented with the opportunity to pray over the President at the 2020 National Republican Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the convention was canceled.

Friskup’s passions have led him to achieve many things during his lifetime. From his success in auctioneering to the opportunities coming from Coffee with the Colonel, Friskup does what he loves every day. With his family by his side, he plans on continuing auctioning, spreading the gospel and sharing his love for the horse.

“The best part about my life is my wife,” Friskup said, through teary eyes. “She had two amazing daughters. [I have] three grandsons and they’re the best part of the whole deal.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ashtyn Carr grew up raising and exhibiting swine and cattle. Now a senior at Texas Tech University, she is majoring in agricultural communications with a minor in animal science. Ashtyn is a first-generation Red Raider and West Texas resident. She loves writing about West Texas culture, hot spots, and events. When she isn’t studying, writing, or taking pictures, she’s spending time in the barn with her family.