Canterbury Park's Andrew Offerman Returns to RTIP to Speak with Students
Race Track Industry Program master’s graduate Andrew Offerman, now the Senior Director of Racing at Canterbury Park, returned to his alma mater to share some of his experiences with current students. Offerman visited two classes; Race Track Organization, Structure, and Financial Management, as well as the Joe Hirsch Speaker Series.
In his presentation for the Race Track Organization, Structure, and Financial Management class, Offerman spoke about the challenges of operating a seasonal race meeting. Some points he touched on included the winterization of the track and facility,as well as the task of staffing seasonal employees for the race meet. Offerman also discussed the process of purse calculation, which he must coordinate with Canterbury’s partner Mystic Lake Casino. He stressed the importance of having the condition books and stakes schedules published early, so horsemen know what to expect.
In the Joe Hirsch Speaker Series, Offerman gave students an inside look into the history and future direction of Canterbury Park. He talked about how Canterbury has always tried to keep strong ties with the community, and that the track was the first major employer in the area. The focus of his presentation was the current redevelopment plan that Canterbury is planning, called Canterbury Commons. Currently the track only uses 275 of the 400 acres on their property, and the aim of the ambitious project is to maximize the acreage by incorporating other businesses while keeping racing in the spotlight.