During my first year in business, I was entrusted to promote three horses who made seven-figures in the ring:
- Distorted d'Oro, who made $2,100,000 at Fasig-Tipton's November Sale for Nicky Drion Thoroughbreds
- Term of Endearment, who fetched 1,300,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale as part of the Imperium consignment
- A Flightline colt out of Lady Shipman, sold for $1,500,000 by VanMeter Sales at Keeneland September.
Million-Dollar Sale Marketing
Simplify the message. Amplify the impact.
I'm a firm believer that in print advertising, less is more.
How often do you open the trade publications to see ads crammed with overwhelming amounts of information, statistics and imagery? It makes you want to keep scrolling, right?
My approach uses simplicity and strong visual hierarchy to highlight your most compelling selling points and guide viewers to take the next step—like exploring the catalog page or visiting your website. Clean, strategic creative doesn't just look better; it moves your audience further down the marketing funnel.
Case Study: VanMeter Sales
VanMeter Sales, a boutique Thoroughbred sales consignment launched in late 2024, made its Keeneland September debut in 2025 with two elite Book 1 colts. This presented a defining moment to establish credibility and momentum for a new consignment operation.
Digital marketing remains underutilized in the Thoroughbred industry, where many legacy consignors and farms still lean heavily on print and television media. But in today’s mediascape, digital marketing is an essential aspect of a well-rounded campaign:
Digital marketing remains underutilized in the Thoroughbred industry, where many legacy consignors and farms still lean heavily on print and television media. But in today’s mediascape, digital marketing is an essential aspect of a well-rounded campaign:
- It allows businesses to tell a consistent story through video, the most popular and far-reaching medium right now
- It’s where audiences are already spending their time, researching, comparing, and making purchasing decisions
- It offers a more cost-effective way to build awareness than traditional methods
2,607 Instagram views
In the leadup to the 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, VanMeter Sales launched its first-ever organic social media campaign on Instagram and X. The approach combined high-value horse promotion with trending formats and behind-the-scenes storytelling, giving audiences an authentic look at the preparation and selling of elite yearlings.
- 50,000+ views across Instagram and X
- 832 new followers in under 30 days
- 1,765 interactions (likes, comments, shares, saves)
- On Instagram, 72% of engagement came from Reels
- 71% of views came from non-followers, proving the reach extended beyond existing networks
- Campaign momentum mirrored in the sales ring: the Flightline–Lady Shipman colt sold for $1.5 million to Resolute Bloodstock, a standout success for the young consignment
