TEXARKANA MONTHLY
On January 6, Oaklawn announced that they would allow a limited number of fans for their 2021 schedule. The 57-day season runs from Friday, January 22 through Saturday, May 1. “We’ve been working on plans covering numerous scenarios and we’re happy to announce we will be welcoming back race fans in 2021, albeit on a limited basis,” Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort General Manager Wayne Smith said. “We know that the fans are what make Oaklawn so special, but our main concern is for the safety and well-being of our guests and team members. We will be working with the Arkansas Department of Health throughout the live season and will adjust as needed.” In accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Arkansas Department of Health, Oaklawn has submitted a plan to allow a limited number of spectators at the races during the 2021 live race meet highlighted by the following: • General admission into the Grandstand will not be allowed initially in 2021. • Entrance into the Grandstand will strictly be for guests with a racing credential and/or reservation for that day’s races. Doors will open at 11 am.
(L-R) Kerry Ribble, David Freeze, Alan Ribble, Robin Hickerson, David Hickerson, Terry Thompson and Chuck Weldon on the track at Oaklawn in February 2018.
In 2007, an accident changed David Vance’s life. He was injured in a car accident, and he currently maneuvers around in a motorized chair. Kerry said, “When he became our trainer, I didn’t understand how training was possible when your trainer couldn’t get on the horses. There is certainly much more to it than this, but I quickly learned that training involves knowing how to develop horses to reach their full potential and knowing what races are best for each horse. David has this knowledge and experience from more than 50 years of horse training. He does the thinking, and he has helpers to get their hands on the horses.” Some of the most memorable moments for the Ribbles came early in their ownership of horses. Kerry said, “We had the time of our lives watching our horse, Bad Student, win his first race for us. Our first time to ever go to Churchill Downs and walk under the notorious Twin Spires took us to the winner’s circle with Bad Student once again. There is nothing like the excitement of being at the racetrack and hearing the thunder of those hooves going across the finish line-that is, when your horse is in the lead!” With David’s training, Kerry says that they are still in the early stages of moving up into allowance level of ownership, but 2019 was a “pretty hot year” for them and that it got them “fired up to own more horses,” until everything changed with the Coronavirus pandemic. “The goal of a race is to have conditions written that try
and make the field of horses have equal skill level. During the times that many tracks were closed, trainers were having to enter horses into any race they could find. It was hard to know where your horse would best fit.” The Ribbles, along with their trainer David Vance, hope to get into the winner’s circle “a few more times this race meet,” and they also hope to shop for a few more potential Saturday horses–which is a horse that will run in a feature race on a Saturday. “On the days our horses are not racing, we are keeping up with other horses in case we decide it is time to shop for another. I would have a barn full, but then again, I am not the one who sees the training bills.” A romantic relationship between Kerry and Alan, that started with first dates at Oaklawn and honeymoon days spent at Louisiana Downs, now flourishes with a shared passion for horse ownership ever since that gift on Christmas in 2015. Kerry said, “Alan and I have had very different career paths over the years, and it has been a pleasure finding a common business interest for the two of us. After all the years of going to the races, we never envisioned the excitement that would come from the anticipation of a race with your own horse entered, nor the unending elation that we have when heading to the winner’s circle. We can spend hours lost in conversation about a race situation that has nothing to do with our horses; we are just enjoying the fascination and excitement of the sport together.”
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Current seasonal box seat holders and current Oaklawn Jockey Club members may enter the Grandstand with weekly reservations required. Detailed correspondence to be sent separately to these individuals. Restaurants inside the Grandstand, following Arkansas Department of Health directives, will be open to the public with weekly reservations required. Simulcast will be open Wednesday– Sunday, 11 am–8 pm to limited capacity with weekly reservations required. Social distancing will be enforced. All guests and team members will be required to have non-invasive temperature checks as they enter the facility. Anyone presenting a temp at/ over 100 degrees Fahrenheit will not be permitted inside the building. All guests and team members will be required to wear masks at all times. Smoking will not be allowed anywhere inside the facility, including the casino.
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For additional details and future updates, please visit oaklawn.com.
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