Arkansas HBPA

Every barn at Oaklawn Park has been equipped with wifi after the Arkansas Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) covered the costs of installation in each of the 38 barns. Each barn is set to have its own router with the wifi password protected, and the Arkansas HBPA will also pay the monthly bills for the Internet access. "Even our older trainers are using the internet now," said Arkansas HBPA President Bill Walmsley, a horse owner. "We felt this was a type of investment that will help virtually every trainer...

The July 5 opinion out of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit that declared that part of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) is unconstitutional is generating legal filings from both sides in a related case awaiting a decision in the Eighth Circuit. Both the plaintiffs/appellants in the Eighth Circuit case (led by Bill Walmsley, the president of the Arkansas HBPA, and Jon Moss, the executive director of the Iowa HBPA) and the defendants/appellees (executives with the HISA Authority and the Federal Trade Commission [FTC]),...

Ten days after a federal judge denied a motion for a preliminary injunction that sought to halt the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) and its Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) program, the plaintiffs in the case, who are representatives of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA) chapters in Arkansas and Iowa, appealed that denial to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Led by Bill Walmsley, the president of the Arkansas HBPA, and Jon Moss, the executive director of the Iowa HBPA, the July 21...

The Arkansas-based lawsuit filed six weeks ago that is the most recent among five separate federal complaints attempting to derail the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) via alleged constitutionality claims was broadly rebuffed Monday in separate legal filings by the defendants in the case, who are executives with the HISA Authority and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The plaintiffs, led by Bill Walmsley, president of the Arkansas Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA), and Jon Moss, the executive director of the Iowa HBPA, had asked a judge in United...

Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort and the Arkansas H.B.P.A. will honor Thoroughbred owners with a $400 per horse cash reward, regardless of where their horse finishes in a race, beginning Mar. 18 through the end of the racing season, May 6, 2023. Stakes races are excluded from Owner's Reward program. Owners of runners competing in allowance races will be eligible as long as seven or more horses arrive in the paddock. Owners of horses competing in all other races will be eligible as long as eight or more horses arrive in...

After some test rings last spring, Oaklawn's fund-raising efforts for local Thoroughbred aftercare began in earnest Dec. 9 with the opening of its scheduled 68-day live racing season. The final six days of the 2021-2022 meeting raised $14,000 through the new "Ring the Bell" program, which gives winning connections following each race an opportunity to donate at least $100 toward aftercare. Money raised is earmarked for the Arkansas Thoroughbred Retirement Program and Rehabilitation Foundation Inc., a collaboration between the Arkansas division of the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association and Oaklawn....

Trainers who compete at the 2022-2023 meeting at Oaklawn Park will be eligible for thousands of dollars in incentives owing to a new program sponsored by Oaklawn and the Arkansas HBPA. The 'Stay Until May' bonus will reward traines with $200-$250 for every non-stakes runner that fails to hit the board. Trainers are required to run at least two horses during the final 14 days of the racing season and one over the course of the last nine programs. According to a release, the total bonus payout could reach as...

The administration of Clenbuterol or any other beta2-agonist will be banned within 120 days of a race at the 2021-22 Oaklawn Park meet, Oaklawn announced Thursday. The rule, agreed to in partnership with the Arkansas HBPA and Arkansas Racing Commission, extends the ban from 60 days, which was the standard for last season's meet. Conducted by Industrial Labs, the presence of Clenbuterol and other beta2-agonist will be determined through blood, urine and hair follicle testing. "Banning the use of Clenbuterol and other beta2-agonists further proves our commitment to the safety...