Horseman talk about live racing at Fair Meadows
BY KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
12/05/12 at 4:49 PM
COLLINSVILLE -- Approximately 50 horsemen gathered Wednesday at the Collinsville Library to discuss how to save live horse racing at Fair Meadows Racetrack.
The Tulsa County fair board voted Nov. 1 to end live racing as part of a lucrative naming rights agreement with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
Horsemen across the state say the deal will hurt an already struggling industry because it will remove millions of dollars in purse money that had been distributed at horse racing track across the state.
Joe Lucas, spokesman for the Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma, reminded the horseman that no mention of live racing was included on the agenda when the fair board voted on the naming rights agreement.
He said he expects the deck to be stacked against the horsemen again at Thursday's meeting.
"We decided to hang you, but now we're going to give you a trial and hang you again," he said on the fair board's attitude toward the horsmen.
Wednesday's gathering of horsemen was arranged by Equestrians United to Save Fair Meadows.
The fair board will meet again Thursday to consider an amended version of the agreement that clarifies which courts the parties can appeal to when legal disputes arise.
Thursday's meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. in the ExpoServe conference room of the armory annex on the fairgrounds.
County Commissioner and fair board Chairman Fred Perry has said the board will take public comments before voting on the amended agreement.
The board initially voted on the naming rights deal without comment and the agenda item listing the vote made no mention of the horse racing provision of the agreement.
