65 Year Old Jockey Has No Intention Of Retiring

Thursday, July 19th 2007, 5:00 pm

By: News On 6

Many 65 year olds are retired, or at least thinking about it, and theyâ€™re not riding race horses. But they're not Roy Brooks! The News On 6â€™s Rick Wells reports Brooks turns 66 in two weeks, and still races every night.

"I think it keeps me healthier," 65-year-old jockey Roy Brooks said.

Jockey Roy Brooks is talking about riding race horses. He's been doing that for 41 years, and very successfully. But these days, he pretty much limits himself to Oklahoma.

"I really enjoy the competition," said Brooks.

So far this race meet in Tulsa he's won 12 times on 93 mounts that gives him more than 1,400 career quarter horse wins. Quarter Horse races are over so quickly, the longest ones are usually run in less than 20 seconds

"Some days the horses just leave there running and take care of me, and I don't have to do much,â€ said Brooks. â€œOther days I have to ride hard and barely get there."

"The horse right here is the horse I won the Rocky Heinzig on," Brooks said.

The Rocky Heinzig Stakes was a $25,000 race back on July 6th. The horse, Streakin Postoak, he's ridden him six times to four wins. He's riding him again Saturday night.

News On 6 reporter Rick Wells asked Brooks if he ever thought about wanting to be the oldest jockey in America.

"Uh, that would be fun, I'm working on that," he said.

He says there's one, maybe two others as old as he is, and when it comes to retiringâ€¦

"I think I will, it hasn't hit me yet," said Brooks.

There are twelve races Thursday night out at Fair Meadows. Roy Brooks is riding in five of them.

Watch the video: 41 Years In The Saddle