Debbie Schauf

Born and raised about 30 miles north of the Oklahoma state line in Mulvane, Kansas, Debbie Schauf would eventually work the bulk of her life, serving communities and industries in both states.

The rural town just south of Wichita provided a perfect family base that would help Schauf keep her priorities in perspective while representing thousands of other families throughout her career.

Graduating from Mulvane High School, Schauf attended Kansas State University in Manhattan for a time, before getting into the family business of real estate and eventually homebuilding. Always working to make all things better, Schauf took a bit of a surprising turn to state politics, running a successful election to the Kansas legislature in 1986, where she would serve four years.

During her tenure as a state representative, the drive to legalize pari-mutuel horse racing in Kansas moved closer to reality. Having grown up around horses and been active in rodeo, colleagues turned to Schauf for guidance, even though she did not have racing experience.

Never one to avoid a challenge, Schauf sought to learn as much about racing as she could. She landed a job working in the racing office at Eureka Downs just east of Wichita, Kansas, in order to better understand the business. From this experience Schauf became well acquainted with many horsemen, eventually moving on to represent them as director of the Kansas Horsemen’s Association once pari-mutuel racing was passed.

Her time as the director in Kansas was noticed quickly by others, leading Schauf on a brief tour of the country. She went to work in California as the director of the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Racing Association (1991), then to the Lone Star State to lead the Texas Quarter Horse Association (1994) before eventually being brought to work in Oklahoma.

Schauf took the reins of the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association in 1996 and guided them into the era of full-card simulcasting and casino gaming at racetracks in Oklahoma. A tireless worker on behalf of her horsemen, Schauf never stopped in making certain those she represented received their fair share of any new purse revenue being generated. Whenever there was a high-level meeting to decide the fate of the state’s racing business, Schauf was always ready with a full-on presentation. In the pre-internet and computer technology days, this meant easels with boards depicting graphics, various statistics and enlarged photographs to support any strong speech she planned to give.

Such diligence did not go unnoticed. Schauf received numerous honors for her work, including national awards such as the Mildred N. Vessels Special Achievement Award, earned twice, in 2001 and 2012, along with the her OQHRA team receiving the John Andreini Special Recognition Award in 2009. Both awards are presented annually by the American Quarter Horse Association.

Among the successes for Schauf and the OQHRA at Remington Park, was an expansion of the sprint season to 50 race dates. She also helped usher in the Extreme Race Day, featuring camels, ostriches, zebras and more competing on the track between the horse races. The promotional date is the most popular event of the year at Remington Park.

Never hard to find, Schauf made herself available on a regular basis, parking her giant recreational vehicle close by when there was something of major industry importance going on for multiple days, or weeks.

Despite helming the OQHRA throughout the never-ending whirlwind that is the horse racing business, Schauf was also diligent in attending to her growing family and their numerous activities and endeavors.

During the summer of 2019, Schauf experienced health issues, resulting in her passing.

The Remington Park Championship, the top race for older American Quarter Horses locally, was renamed the Debbie Schauf Remington Park Championship in 2020.