Donald L. Howard (born in
Ft. Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 169,810 at the 2020 census, an increase of 17.94% since 2010. Fort Collin ...
) is a retired American
jockey
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...
in
Thoroughbred horse racing.
Early life
He is the son of John and Sandra Howard. Unlike many
jockey
A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing. The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual ...
s, Don did not grow up around the race track. After his father, a veterinarian, purchased a
horse trailer
A horse trailer or horse van (also called a horse float in Australia and New Zealand or horsebox in the British Isles) is used to transport horses. There are many different designs, ranging in size from small units capable of holding two or thre ...
from a trainer in Juarez, Mexico, Don was given the opportunity to work as an exercise rider as a summer job. He continued as an exercise rider until he signed a contract with the trainer and began his horse racing career when he was 16 years old. He was the leading rider at
Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico
Ruidoso Downs is a city in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States, located within the Lincoln National Forest. The population was 1,824 at the 2000 census and 2,815 at the 2010 census. Originally incorporated as a village, it became a city in ...
as a senior in high school.
Career
Don has raced throughout the United States and spent significant time at
Oaklawn Park in
Hot Springs, Arkansas where in 1991 he rode five winners on a single racecard. He also competed at
Louisiana Downs (
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is t ...
) as well as in Chicago, New York and Kentucky. Howard was the leading rider at Louisiana Downs for several consecutive years in the late 1980s.
As is the case with most jockeys, Don Howard experienced several serious injuries. In 1993, he suffered a nearly fatal accident while racing at Louisiana Downs. In the final stretch riding Police Cat, the horse broke its leg resulting in the horse falling into a somersault. Don was able to untangle himself from his horse only to be trampled by an apprentice's horse that was several lengths behind. Don was unconscious for nearly an hour and initially was not expected to survive. He suffered his fourth severe concussion in six months and had a compound fracture of his right humerus, the same arm that was nearly amputated when he was 14 due to a hay equipment accident. In 1994, Don Howard attempted to return to horse racing, only to discover that the fractured
humerus
The humerus (; ) is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extremity consists of a roun ...
had not healed. The non-union fracture required several additional surgeries.
In 1997, Howard returned to horse racing in New Mexico and then back to Oaklawn Park. His circuit eventually included
Prairie Meadows Racetrack
Prairie Meadows is a Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racetrack casino located in Altoona, Iowa, United States.
History and information
In 1984, Prairie Meadows received a license from the Iowa Racing and Gaming commission to operate a horse racing ...
in
Altoona, Iowa
Altoona is a city in Polk County, Iowa, United States, and is a part of the Des Moines metropolitan area. The population was 19,565 at the 2020 census.
Altoona is home of the Adventureland amusement park and Prairie Meadows horse racing track ...
. Don Howard was very successful at Prairie Meadows and was consistently in the top 3 jockeys in the number of wins as well as earnings.
He never officially retired, but has not raced since 2002.
Horse racing milestones
* 1989 Kentucky Derby on Irish Actor
Easy Goer Way Outside In Draw For Derby Start
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* Super Derby X
* Super Derby XII
* Won 5 races during the Arkansas Derby Day
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Howard, Donald L.
American jockeys
Sportspeople from Fort Collins, Colorado
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)