For NRHA saddle sponsor Tim Bauer, owner of Oasis Equine, he has developed a great business niche within the reining industry. Bauer, who continues to be active in ranching and breeding horses, brings more than three decades of equine industry experience with him here to Oklahoma City.
Bauer took time out from helping customers here at the 2020 NRHA Futurity to visit with us for a few minutes about his history as a vendor and as a NRHA sponsor.
How did you first become involved in reining?
“We’ve been involved as a reining horse supplier for 18 or 19 years. We got started with the reiners just through evolution really. We tried some other disciplines, the hunter jumpers, all-arounds and everything, but the reiners really stuck.”
How long have you been involved as a sponsor of the NRHA Futurity?
“Ever since I started managing Jim Taylor’s, which it’s been 10-plus years, so we’ve been involved as a sponsor for quite some time.”
How long have you been bringing Oasis Tack to the NRHA Futurity?
“We were just talking about that. It’s been at least a dozen years that we’ve been here, so 10 to 12 I guess.”
Favorite Futurity memory?
“For me, back when I first started this, I used to work the booth by myself without any help whatsoever, so I would come in and I would set up alone and it would take all night long. The first time I learned my lesson about when the trainers came and worked was one night between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. I was so busy I couldn’t see straight because all the trainers were here, so I worked my tail off because that’s when they had the time to come into the booth. I’ve never done it since, but that particular night was a lot of fun.”
What does it mean to you to get to have this Futurity?
“Well, obviously this is our living, so it means a great deal from that standpoint, but even beyond that, it’s so important for the continuity of the sport. Without that, we all wouldn’t be here. If we don’t develop the family atmosphere and the familial feeling and everybody wanting to be a part of this, you’re going to lose the sport quicker than you’re going to lose the money. So just maintaining that camaraderie is what’s going to keep people coming back.”
What would you like people who are new to NRHA, or who may not know you, to know about Oasis Equine?
“That we’re here to help everyone get started. We spend a lot of time and effort with new people, especially with young trainers on helping them get the right gear in place. We’re here to help get you in business and then you help us stay in business.”