Page 94 - March 2017

A JOCKEY’S VIEW
Randy Wilson
by John Moorehouse
NAME: Randy Wilson
HOME BASE: Vian, Oklahoma YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: 39 (Randy started racing when he was 12 years old)
STATES IN WHICH YOU RIDE:
Oklahoma and Iowa
FAVORITE HOBBY AWAY FROM THE TRACK: “Really don’t have any. All I do is work.”
I break a bunch of ours here at the house and
watch them progress.
Randy Wilson has been a part of Quarter Horse rac- ing for as long as he can remember. He began his journey in the saddle when he was just 12 years old
in a schooling race where he finished third on a filly that he broke. After moving to Sallisaw, Oklahoma, in 1983, Wilson began riding full time at Blue Ribbon Downs. He won his first race at Custer County Racecourse in Broken Bow, Nebraska.
Randy has ridden throughout the country during his race career, including in California, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. He was named leading rider
at Blue Ribbon Downs, Custer County Racecourse, Hastings, and Fair County Downs.
Wilson carries physical reminders of his time on the track and the risks involved, as well. A veteran jockey, he has been subject to quite a few injuries during his racing career.
“It takes more than both hands twice to count how many bones I’ve broke,” said Wilson.
Some of his worst accidents include a broken leg in 1987 and another tragic accident on the track in 1990 that left him clinically dead for a few minutes. After each injury, Wilson somehow came back to climb in the saddle again.
At its heart, racing remains a family business and a family goal for the Wilson family. “My whole family is in it and I’m glad to be able to share it with them,” he said.
A resident of Vian, Oklahoma, where he and his family breed and raise racehorses, Randy recently visited with Speedhorse to reflect on his career riding American Quarter Horses.
Q: HOW DID YOU BECOME A JOCKEY?
A: My dad. Whenever he was young, he rode. I’m the third boy in our family to ride. I had two older brothers who rode as well. Just kind of a family deal.
Q: DID YOU EVER RACE AGAINST YOUR BROTHERS, AND HOW DID THAT TURN OUT?
A: Sure. It went back and forth.
Q: HOW WERE YOU INTRODUCED TO QUARTER HORSE RACING?
A: I’ve always rode Quarter Horses, which my mom and dad also trained.
Q: SINCE YOU’VE BEEN IN QUARTER HORSE RACING PRETTY MUCH ALL YOUR LIFE, WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THE STATE OF THE SPORT AND THE CHANGES IN IT?
A: In my opinion, it’s kind of declined because there’s so much of the simulcasting trying to weed out the live racing for Quarter Horses. It’s tough on the Quarter Horse people.
Q: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR RACING STYLE?
A: I guess there’s a lot of trainers that think that maybe I’m a little over aggressive. In my opinion, a lot of horses need enticement. Other than that, just trying to ride straight.
Q: OF ALL THE HORSES YOU’VE RIDDEN, ARE THERE ANY THAT STAND OUT?
A: My favorite horse that I rode was Rare Form. He’s the fastest horse I ever rode. He and I were just kind of in sync. He got along good with me and I got along good with him. I won the Remington Park Derby with him and I won several races with him, but that was the main one.
Q: ANY OTHER MEMORABLE MOMENTS OR VICTORIES?
A: Winning the Remington Derby again with Rock N Rona. Then we had a mare, Redneck Sis. At eight years old, she ran in the Cherokee Challenge four years in a row and won it twice and ran second twice.
Q: WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING A JOCKEY?
A: Getting to do what you love to do. Riding the horses and being with a lot of them from the start through the races. I break a bunch of ours here at the house and watch them progress.
Q: FINALLY, WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BECOME A JOCKEY?
A: Don’t rush into it. Give yourself plenty of time. Get accustomed to riding, rather than just going off into it.
John Moorehouse
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SPEEDHORSE, March 2017
THE BACKSIDE