Hunting His Dreams
Any horseman will tell you, you better be very good or very lucky to succeed in the equine business. It takes determination, early mornings, late nights and lots of anxious moments, all dictated by the horse. Hunter Simms ’03 has never been one to shy away from hard work. As a Sayre basketball player, Hunter excelled on the court, scoring over 1000 points in his career. Hunter was a scholar athlete, maintaining a solid effort in the classroom and juggling the demands of extracurricular activities.
During his senior year, Hunter worked an internship at a local horse farm. This was his first taste of the horse business. He took that experience and followed his dream. Today, Hunter is a partner at Warrendale Sales. Hunting his dreams, with dedication and hard work, he created his own luck.
What brought you and your family to Sayre School? How many years were you here?
My parents sent me to Sayre starting in Pre-K and I attended all the way through 12th. I think the main reason that they chose Sayre for me was just the overall comfort level that they had in the school. I don’t really think at the age of 3 or 4 that I had a real opinion about where I went but it worked out well and wouldn’t change anything looking back on it.
Where did you attend college? Ole Miss
You are a member of the 1000 point club in basketball. Do you have any favorite memories from you time on the team?
I started with the Sayre basketball team when they created Future Spartans and I always played up against the older grades which really allowed the coaches to push me and reach the highest potential as a player. As far as memories go as a basketball player, there are many but the one that sticks out the most was becoming a member of the 1000 point club, because there was not that many players who had achieved that accomplishment.
Did an individual at Sayre influence your life?
I’m not sure that any one person sticks out to me in particular, because looking back I think everyone at one point or another through different situations, helped mold me into the person that I’m today.
You are in the Equine Industry. Can you tell us more about your job?
I’m a partner at Warrendale Sales located here in Lexington, KY. We offer various services in the thoroughbred industry including private sales, matings, and portfolio management. Our main service is representing various clients at public auction. We typically sell around 400 horses a year through Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton. I travel all over the east coast talking to breeders and trainers trying to recruit horses to sell through our consignment. I really enjoy the aspect of talking to a range of people from different backgrounds and help shape their equine portfolio into a profitable one.
How did Sayre help prepare you for your life today?
Sayre really allowed me to expand as a person. If they didn’t require us to do a senior internship, I’m really not sure that I would be involved in what I do today, that experience alone brought me into the equine industry. Sayre offered a different environment than most schools at least around Lexington, and I think that it prepared me to excel at the next level. Sayre works endlessly to hire the best staff possible and I think that goes a long way in preparing young students for what life throws at you.
With so many families involved in the horse business in central Kentucky, what are the most important things you would tell perspective parents about Sayre?
Sayre is a great experience, what they are doing now on campus is incredible. I remember when I went to elementary school in the old lower school, took classes in an old bus station (where the current High School is now), and went to high school in Old Sayre, but the one thing that I take away from Sayre the most are the relationships. When I got married 6 years ago, the groomsmen in my wedding were friends that I met at Sayre and have known for over 20 years. We still do things together. Sayre prepared me to conduct business with integrity. Looking back I had a wonderful time at Sayre and enjoy going back when the time permits to still see a lot of the same faces.