Jockey Club organises Horseracing at People?s Stadium

This holiday weekend, it’s off to the races as the Orange Walk Jockey Club is planning an all day event at the People’s Stadium. According to the club’s acting secretary, Melissa Cadle, Orange Walk Day was traditionally celebrated on May twenty-fourth with horse racing. But in recent years that custom has fallen to the wayside. To bring back the practice, the jockeys have organised a two-day sporting event to help renew interest in the sport and raise some much needed funds.

Melissa Cadle, Ag. Secretary O.W. Jockey Club
?It?s going to be a lot of fun, we have a lot of races, about nine races for the day, including the biggest race for the day, which is the Shell One-Stop Mile Race, a two thousand, five hundred dollar purse and we have some big horses coming in for that particular race.?

Kendra Griffith, Reporting
?And it?s a two-day event you mentioned??

Melissa Cadle
?Yes, it?s a two-day event on Sunday and Monday. On Monday we have an all day sports day, cycling race, domino tournament, Mundialito, which is a junior football thing. We have the devil takes the high most rider, mountain bike race, thug-of-war, a lot of sports will be happening as well as the first ever mud-big foot thing going on in the stadium.?

Kendra Griffith
?The proceeds from this event will go towards what??

Melissa Cadle
?We usually take the proceeds to upgrade the track. Last year we built a starting gate with the proceeds we made, this year we fixed the rail on the front face of the track and the proceeds from this race and the other upcoming race, we?re planning on a bigger grandstand for the public.?

?We are asking everyone to support us, we are working very hard. We?d like to see everybody support us and come out and enjoy the day.?

The races are scheduled to start at one on Sunday following an opening ceremony at noon. On Monday the action gets underway at ten in the morning. Entrance fees are four dollars on Sunday and three on Monday. The cover charge entitles visitors to a raffle ticket for a chance to win a bull.