Drivers from South Okanagan Concrete were very busy last Thursday as they poured almost 200 truckloads of dirt onto the track surface at the Desert Park racetrack facility. The local horse racing facility is undergoing some major renovations as part of a long-term plan to bring back live horse racing to Osoyoos late next spring. Desert Park Exhibition Society chair Carol Youngberg said she hopes all 128 stalls at the facility will be full by the end of January and if everything goes according to plans, bring back live racing for the first time in more than a decade by late May. Photo by Keith Lacey.
It has been many years since horse breeders and owners from across British Columbia and Alberta brought their horses to Osoyoos to train in the winter months, but that’s about to change.
“If everything goes according to plan, we should be full with 128 horses by the end of January … considering we only had 98 here this past spring and the place was incredibly busy, that’s very good news,” said Carol Youngberg, chair of the Desert Park Exhibition Society.
The society became an official non-profit organization this past spring and now has almost 100 registered members, said Youngberg.
After several years of little or no activity at what was once a thriving racetrack facility, there is more optimism surrounding the Desert Park racetrack facility than there has been in more than a decade, said Youngberg.
Last week, Chris Johnson, the owner of South Okanagan Concrete, donated his trucks and four drivers to pour almost 200 loads of sand and fill onto the racetrack surface to get it ready for the huge influx of horses and trainers expected to start coming to the facility in the coming weeks, said Youngberg.
“You need certain track conditions in order to train horses during the winter months, so we had to soften the track with this sand,” she said. “It’s going to make the track surface perfect for winter training. It’s too cold to train in Alberta and we used to be very busy in the winter, but that hasn’t happened in a long time so we’re excited about what’s about to happen.”
It has been a long time since there have been full stalls at Desert Park in the fall or winter, but that’s all about to change, she said.
“We’re expecting our first group of horses and trainers this week and we will be getting more and more until the end of January and early February, when we should be full to capacity,” she said. “All of the trainers and owners in Alberta know all about Desert Park, but they also knew the place was kind of falling apart and needed a lot of work and we’ve committed to putting in the work and sprucing up the place over the past few months.
“If this beautiful weather continues, I think we’ll be full sooner than later.”
All of the stalls have also been upgraded this past summer and volunteers are about to repaint all of them as well, she said.
The jockey shack has also been upgraded with new windows and doors and will now serve as the main office for the facility. Two other volunteers recently painted the guardrails around the entire racetrack.
The board of directors remains confident it will be able to hold two full race cards next year, with the first tentatively scheduled for May and the second one in August, said Youngberg.
“Our goal is to have two race dates in 2013, but we have to get approval from B.C. Lotteries, which works in conjunction with the B.C. Horse Racing Association,” she said. “First of all, they are going to want to ensure the facility meets all their needs before giving approval for race dates so sprucing up the facility to meet those requirements is our top priority.”
It has been more than a decade since racing took place at Desert Park and the board remains confident holding live racing would be a huge success with locals and visitors alike, said Youngberg.
“We’ve upgraded all the stalls, which are actually in wonderful shape now,” she said. “We’re working on the track, we’re working on beautifying the RV campground … it’s all coming together slowly, but surely.”
The grandstand is not currently in good enough shape to host race events, but the board has already received assurances portable grandstands will be provided should race dates be approved, she said.
The board is working with Town of Osoyoos staff and engineers to determine the “best course of action” in regards to the grandstand area, she said.
“We believe the town and our society will continue to work collectively to determine what’s best for the Desert Park building and facility moving forward,” she said.
When horses, trainers and owners start arriving at Desert Park in the coming weeks, Youngberg said she and the board are convinced they’re going to be very impressed with the upgrades and commitment to return this facility to its former glory.
“We’re taking things one step at a time,” she said. “This place needed a lot of work and we’ve done a lot of work to make things better, but we still have some ways to go yet.”
Having local businesses and citizens donate their time and equipment to improving the facility is heartwarming, she said.
“There is a lot of community buy-in this time around,” she said. “People who have lived here for many years remember what a great facility this used to be and our board and members are determined to make it great once again.”
The society continues to accept new members. Memberships for the remainder of 2102 are only $10 and $20 memberships for 2013 are now being accepted.
Anyone wishing to join or seeking more information is asked to contact Youngberg at 250-485-2238.
