The Oklahoma racetrack that even the Cherokee and Choctaw nations couldn’t save

Bill Hedge’s Blue Ribbon Downs Racing Revolution

Blue Ribbon Downs started with a cowboy’s dream in 1960. Bill Hedge bought 102 acres near Sallisaw and built a dirt track for match races.

Soon after, the track got big-time status from the American Quarter Horse Association. By 1984, it made history as Oklahoma’s first legal betting track, drawing 12,000 fans in 100-degree heat.

The small town boomed with new motels and shops. At its peak, 20,000 people packed the stands for major races.

Yet success didn’t last. Despite tribal ownership attempts, the track shut down in 2009.

Today in Sallisaw, you can still see the track where Oklahoma’s racing history was made.

Cowboy Bill Hedge Built a Simple Training Track

Bill Hedge, a local cowboy, bought 102 acres near Sallisaw in 1960. He built a basic dirt track where cowboys could train their quarter horses.

The simple oval soon became a weekend hotspot for friends racing their horses against each other. Folks brought lawn chairs and coolers to watch these casual races.

The place had no permanent seats, betting windows, or fancy features in those early days.

Quarter Horse Association Gave Their Stamp of Approval

Blue Ribbon Downs got the nod from the American Quarter Horse Association in 1963. This put the small Oklahoma track on the map for serious racing fans.

Local horse owners now had a real place to show off their animals without long trips. The track quickly became known as a spot where good horses could make a name for themselves.

Racing families from four states started coming to Sallisaw to compete on weekends.

The Blue Ribbon Futurity Started a Racing Tradition

The track launched the Blue Ribbon Futurity in 1965 as its first real stakes race. This main event gave owners something big to aim for each year.

The prize money, though small compared to later years, brought good horses from all over the region. Many winners went on to race well at bigger tracks.

The yearly race helped make the track more important in quarter horse circles.

New Owners Pumped Money Into the Track

Investors bought the property from Bill Hedge in 1973 and started fixing it up. They built better seats so fans didn’t have to sit in lawn chairs.

They improved the track surface to keep horses and riders safer. The new owners added proper barns, a paddock, and other needed facilities.

Even without legal betting, the track grew more popular through the 1970s as the go-to place for quarter horse racing in eastern Oklahoma.

Voters Said Yes to Betting at the Track

Oklahoma voters changed everything by saying yes to track betting through State Question 553 in 1982. Blue Ribbon Downs jumped at the chance and asked for the state’s first racing license.

The owners saw this as their big break to grow from a weekend spot into a major venue. Oklahoma created a Racing Commission to watch over the new industry.

After years of secret betting, racing fans could finally bet legally at Oklahoma tracks.

A Million Bucks on the Line Drew National Attention

The track made news in 1983 by hosting the Black Gold Futurity with its huge $1 million prize. This amount of money was unheard of for quarter horse racing then.

Horse owners across America suddenly noticed the small Oklahoma track. National media covered the race and put Blue Ribbon Downs in magazines and newspapers everywhere.

The humble training track had come a long way in just over 20 years.

Thousands Sweated Through the First Legal Race

Blue Ribbon Downs held Oklahoma’s first legal betting race on August 30, 1984, with about 12,000 fans filling the stands. The heat hit 100 degrees, but nobody minded as they watched history happen.

Lines at betting windows stretched across the grandstand as people placed their first legal bets. The crowd cheered as the gates opened for that first race.

This moment changed horse racing in Oklahoma forever.

Sallisaw Boomed as Racing Fans Flocked to Town

The track’s success sparked growth in Sallisaw, with new motels and restaurants opening to serve racing fans. Local shops thrived as thousands of visitors came on race weekends.

Big events could draw crowds up to 20,000 people. The track created hundreds of jobs for locals, from grounds crew to food sellers to office workers.

Sallisaw changed from a quiet town into a weekend hot spot because of the track.

Bigger Tracks Started Taking Away the Crowds

Remington Park opened in Oklahoma City in 1988, offering a nicer place with more features. The new track took away top horses and bigger crowds from Blue Ribbon Downs.

Prize money at Remington often beat what Blue Ribbon could offer, making it harder to get good horses. Race dates often overlapped, forcing fans and horsemen to pick between tracks.

Money troubles grew through the 1990s, leading to bankruptcy in 1997.

Tribal Nations Tried to Save the Struggling Track

The Choctaw Nation bought the track in 1998, hoping to fix its problems. They added a casino to bring in more money when Oklahoma allowed tribal gaming at racetracks.

Despite these efforts, money troubles continued, and the track went bankrupt again in 2002. The Cherokee Nation took over in 2003 and fixed up the aging facility.

Both tribes worked hard to save the historic track, but fewer people came to watch and bet each year.

The Final Race Closed a Chapter in Oklahoma History

Blue Ribbon Downs ran its last race on November 28, 2009, ending nearly 50 years of racing history. Fans and horsemen gathered for one final day at the track that had meant so much to Oklahoma racing.

The property sat mostly unused for years until the grandstands came down in 2022. The track and barns still stand today, serving as a training facility for horses.

In 2023, Blue Ribbon Downs earned a spot in the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Hall of Fame, honoring its role as the pioneer that started it all.

Visiting Sallisaw, Oklahoma

You can visit the former Blue Ribbon Downs at 3700 W. Cherokee Ave, just 2 miles west of Sallisaw off I-40.

While the grandstand was torn down in 2022, the track and barns still work as training facilities. The venue earned recognition in the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2023.

For more history about this pioneering track that ran from 1960-2009, check out displays at Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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