The Brownfield Chamber of Commerce at one time hosted an ag appreciation breakfast for the farmers, ranchers, and those who are a part of the ag community. Of course, many people would show up, and then in early 2020, the Chamber Board wanted to get Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller in as a special guest, however, he could not come in the mornings, only late afternoon or evening. That’s when the Chamber decided to do an Ag Appreciation Dinner that is free of charge. Of course, the first one that took place was on March 3, 2020, and that was the last gathering for a large group for a while due to COVID-19.
Fast forward three years later the Ag Appreciation Dinner hosted by the Chamber continues to be a success. This year’s Ag Appreciation Dinner will also be full of laughter, love, and food as the Chamber will host the fourth one on April 6, 2023. The guest speaker is not a stranger to some right here in Terry County and on the South Plains and he has been on TownTalk’s The PAC Show with Dan Jackson and his name is Steve Friskup.
Steve Friskup has been an auctioneer in the equine industry for 40 years. Getting his start in the auction block at his family’s local sale barn in Meeker, OK, Steve went on to auctioneer for Triangle Sale Company, where he still auctioneers today. Steve has gone on to be Senior Auctioneer for Western Bloodstock and is also CEO of Clovis Horse Sales in Levelland, TX. Also on his auctioneering résumé are Rancho Rio, League of Legends, Twombly Performance Horses, along with many other sales too numerous to mention.
Though Steve is an accomplished auctioneer, his faith in Christ has helped him and his family along the way. Almost every day, Steve will take time out to post a video on Facebook called “Coffee with the Colonel. Why is Steve called a colonel? Well, the tradition of calling an Auctioneer “Colonel” goes all the way back to the Civil War. According to historians, after a hard-fought battle, the soldiers of the winning side would search and rummage the battlefield to collect all the equipment, weapons, and personal belongings of the conquered and overthrown. These items were then displayed in a central area where the winning soldiers were allowed to view all these items. The items were then “auctioned off”. Of course, there had to be a person in charge of the auction and that person in charge of the auction was always a Colonel. That’s how Now all auctioneers have the honorary title of Colonel.
Going back to the videos, each video he makes, some would say is a ministry, and perhaps that is exactly what it is. One thing about Steve, he is not ashamed of the Gospel. As far as his greatest accomplishments? That would be his family. Steve has been married to his wife, Robin, for 41 years. He has two daughters & sons-in-law, Kaci & Justin Morris, and Kelsy & Jake Ratliff. His greatest joys are his three grandsons, Rider, Ransom, & Rhett.
So come out to the upcoming Brownfield Chamber of Commerce Ag Appreciation Dinner on Thursday, April 6, 2023, at 6:00 pm. Also, be there to find our who this year’s Ag Champion Award goes to!
