Jeff Askey is part of the American Hat team because he believes in the core values of the company. “The whole company is based in American values. From the bottom to the top of the company, everyone is someone you want to be involved with. All the core values you associate with the cowboy way of life.”
Jeff Askey started life in Pennsylvania. “My dad (Steve) was a factory worker, and he would go to the sale barn and buy three-year-old horses and bring them home,” he explained. “I’d find out if they were broke.” After the factory shut down, Steve was able to continue making a living by buying and selling horses, cows, and a load of hay here or there. From his riding days, Jeff knew he had the ability to stay on and he took that ability to the next level. “One of my best friends started getting on bulls and I entered up and here I am in Texas, 22 years later.”
He wasn’t sure what to do after he graduated from high school. “I wasn’t sure I was college material. School was stupid easy to me.” He got a little scholarship to go to college in northeastern Oklahoma. “The coach that was there said I needed to go to UTM – Coach Luthi. John Luthi taught Jeff how to have a positive attitude. “Mentality in general – it’s hard to pinpoint, but he would teach us how to make our thought worded positive even if it was just in our head.” He also taught his students how to set goals, very specific small goals, structured down so they are achievable. “All of what he taught us applies in all of life – if you take anything he taught and fill in the blank with your relationship, your job, your life – the positive attitude makes all the difference.”
“Not many of them make a career out of rodeo like Jeff has – so we taught them about life,” said Coach Luthi. “He is very smart – he took anatomy and physiology for humans because the animal classes were full – he got an A the first time.”
Jeff started a fence company after getting his degree in Animal Science, graduating with a 3.8, He went pro, and has five NFR qualifications. He married to Tianti Carter, 2017 Miss Rodeo Texas, in 2019. Tianti Askey, DVM, just opened a fully mobile equine vet clinic, Royalty Equine, LLC., serving the area around their home in Athens, Texas. Now when Jeff’s not on the road, he goes with her, helping with tech and books.
“She’ll get on to you if you’re not a good tech,” said Jeff, who knew nothing about being a vet tech. “I hate needles and hate gore and she just tells me to suck it up. I’ve had to scrub some nasty lacerations – a couple months ago I wouldn’t even look at it – now I’m in there with my finger getting the debris out. You just do it. One day at a time.”
