“It’s not often a man has his two greatest loves combined, preaching God’s word and then preaching it to horsemen that I truly love,” Brown said.

Q: What is your title?
I’m a Chaplain at Evangeline Downs and serve as a board member on the Evangeline Downs RTCA Council. I’ve also been a policeman for 20 years, 17 at the Opelousas Police Department where I currently work as a Sergeant teaching D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) to students.

Q: How many years have you been a chaplain at Evangeline Downs?
Almost a year now.

Q: Did you do hold any other positions at your current track before you became chaplain?
I have been a licensed horse trainer since 1991 and have trained both quarter horses and thoroughbreds successfully winning races, but I’ve never felt like I do now when we win a soul to Christ.

Q: How would you describe your role as chaplain?
It has always been my pleasure to serve others. Even when I feel down, when I help others, it lifts my spirits. Helping others and seeing their happiness is more gratifying to me than anything this world could ever give me.

Q: How many services do you offer each week?
Monday is football night and/or wrestling night on TV. Tuesday is our church service where we meet, greet and eat after the service. We provide transportation to grocery stores on Fridays. We also have a food bank and several other programs to assist kids with after school tutoring.

Q: How many total people on average attend your services each week?
30 to 80

Q: Do you have a staff? If so, how many people?
My mother and my wife assist part time but there are also about 10 people who volunteer weekly who do an awesome job.

Q: Any examples of programs you started at the racetrack?
Project HOPE is for the kids on the backside. It offers many opportunities to learn English and get homework assistance. Also, we make sure all kids have a book back filled with school supplies regardless of whether they are in school or not. We want kids in the right frame of mind so when it’s their turn to begin school, they will be ready. We also are starting a Groom of the Week program.

Q: Describe the scope of the work you do for the folks who work on the backside.
Besides being their spiritual leader, I am their friend. I once lived in the same tack rooms that some live in today. I know what I wanted on the backside and I’m trying my best to make it come to pass for them.

Q: What are some of your greatest challenges?
Being a policeman was a bit odd at first for some on the race track. Once people saw the advantages that come with knowing a local policeman, they take advantage of it, especially when they get citations!

Q: How have you worked to overcome these challenges?
I assure them that I am still their chaplain and that I am a resource whenever needed.

Q: Do you have a specific story of a challenge you’ve overcome and how you overcame it?
Perhaps the toughest choice I’ve had to make in my life was when I was contemplating whether or not to stop training horses. I prayed and trusted God but I did not know what God had in store for me. Four months later, the chaplain job was offered to me and I graciously accepted. If I had been training horses, I would never have been afforded this great opportunity. It’s not often a man has his two greatest loves combined, preaching God’s word and then preaching it to horsemen that I truly love. This is a blessing only God could have provided.

Q: What would you say to encourage other racetrack chaplains?
Stay in touch with other chaplains and keep positive people in your life because at times you will get down and they will pick you back up.

Q: Do you have a favorite scripture you’d like to share?
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.” (KJV) Romans 8:28

Sue Dow helping a groom get ready at one of the few indoor weddings

David Dow singing/speaking at the Labor Day outreach

We recently asked Chaplain David Dow and his wife Sue about their experiences, challenges and accomplishments over the past seven years at the Penn National Race Course in Grantville, PA.

Here are the responses of this dynamic duo.

David Dow

Q: What is your title?
Chaplain at the Penn National Race Track and Chaplain at the Central Penn RTCA Council

Q: Did you hold any other positions at your current track before you became chaplain?
No, but in God’s providence I had previously worked for two different feed companies on several different tracks including: Liberty Bell, Garden State, Brandywine, and Philadelphia Park.

Q: How would you describe your role as chaplain?
I am a pastor ministering to people from very diverse social, ethnic, and spiritual backgrounds. I am also an evangelist/missionary, counselor, confidant, mentor, servant, prayer supporter, social worker, comforter, encourager, mediator, liaison, helper, friend, family member, fundraiser and promoter, enlister of local churches and volunteers, and facilitator. My primary goal in all these things is to bring people into a closer relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Q: How many services do you offer each week?
We have one Chapel Service per week along with Bible Studies.

Q: How many total people on average attend your services each week?
Thirty-five at Chapel Service and Bible Study during the fall/winter and then we have an average of 175 during our spring/summer services.

Q: Do you have a staff?
We have 2 paid part-time staff; a social services worker for 20 hours per week and an administrative multipurpose assistant for 16 hours per week. We also have many volunteers.

Q: Any examples of programs you started at the racetrack?
I don’t know that I have initiated any new programs myself other than a Spanish Bible Study. We function as a team and have expanded a number of our services. Our Family Sports Night is our biggest and most effective program with 150-200 people coming each week during the spring and summer.

Q: What are some of your greatest challenges?
Finding enough time to accomplish all the things I would like to get done. Being constantly flexible, knowing that the things you plan for the day rarely turn out exactly as you planned.

Q: How have you worked to overcome these challenges?
With the time issue, I continue to try and prioritize and do what is most important first. I also make an effort to delegate things that do not require my personal attention. I have learned to accept the fact that things don’t have to be done exactly the way that I might do them. It is more important to involve people and allow them to share in the satisfaction that comes from serving.

Flexibility is still difficult and frustrating at times. I strive to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in discerning who or what really needs the attention at any given moment. People are our priority. I try not to miss those “divine appointments” that God has for me during the day.

Q: Do you have a specific story of a challenge you’ve overcome and how you overcame it?
Staying encouraged can be a huge challenge especially when people fall back into their old habits after you have invested a great deal of time and effort in their lives. One example of this is an individual that I will call Peter (not his real name). Peter was a professing Christian who seemed very receptive to spiritual things. The problem was that Peter was secretly struggling with an ongoing addiction to alcohol and gambling.

When his problems finally came to the surface, I encouraged him to go to a Christian rehabilitation facility. Peter was resistant at first, but he finally realized that his life was out of control and that he needed help. It took quite a bit of work, but we finally got him into the rehabilitation facility. There were a couple of times when Peter wanted to bail out but, by God’s grace, he completed the one-year program. He was confident in his walk with the Lord.

Against my advice, Peter decided to come back to the track. He seemed fine for quite a while, but the temptations became too much for him and he fell back into his gambling habits. I was extremely disappointed and wondered how people could be so stuck in their addictions. Peter is not alone. I have seen this type of thing time and time again. I wondered if it was worth all the effort.

Staying encouraged can be a real challenge, especially if our expectations are either unrealistic or not in line with the truth of God’s Word. Sometimes I make the mistake of being “results oriented” as opposed to “God oriented”. God’s timing is not always what I might hope or expect.

The Lord graciously reminded me of Hebrews 12:2-3, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” The Lord reminded me that I need to keep my focus on Him and he will provide the strength and encouragement and resources to do His work. With the Lord’s help, I regularly remind myself of this truth and I trust the Lord for His timing and His results.

By God’s grace, Peter is back on track (pun intended). He is on fire for the Lord and is growing every day. He is now encouraging others with the hope of Jesus Christ.

Q: What would you say to encourage other racetrack chaplains?
Keep the main thing the main thing. It is very easy to get distracted in doing things for people and neglect our most important responsibility of sharing the Gospel and bringing people to Jesus to trust Him as their personal Savior. Everything we do must support that main purpose for us being in this ministry — to win people to Jesus Christ.

I would also encourage them with 1 Corinthians 15:57-58, “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

Sue Dow

Q: Do you work alongside your husband at the same track?
Yes. I have two “part-time” jobs. I work/volunteer at the track about 29 hours a week and I also work for a local credit union about 21 hours a week.

Q: What is your role?
Administrative multipurpose assistant

Q: What would you say to encourage other racetrack chaplain spouses?
Make sure you know that God has called you both to this ministry or you won’t survive!

Q: Do you have a favorite scripture you’d like to share?
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

Chaplains and their spouses are invited to a time of renewal during the Chaplaincy School March 14 – 16 in Phoenix, Arizona at the Sheraton Crescent Hotel. The theme of the school this year is “Spiritual Integrity.” The school planning committee has been working on this special event and knows it will be a refreshing and informative time for you. We have partnered with The Winners Federation for the program on Wednesday and are excited to have Reverend Ben Fike lead us in training on Thursday and Friday.

There will be a 40^th Year Anniversary banquet on Saturday night as well as a worship service and family banquet at Turf Paradise Race Track on Sunday. Affiliated Councils and Chaplains are invited to the business meeting on Saturday.

Councils and Chaplains have received the invitation letter and registration form. If you need another copy, please contact Tammy Robinson in the National Office. An exciting new program is in the developmental stages to designate funds for Affiliated Councils, which can be used for specific areas including education such as the Chaplain School. This new program will be announced in 2012 and the funds will be disbursed as Affiliated Councils meet the established criteria.

We have negotiated a special sleeping room rate of $115 per night plus tax at the Sheraton Crescent. Due to the high demand for hotel space in Phoenix during the prime time our meeting is taking place, sleeping rooms will need to be reserved by February 13.

To reserve your hotel room, click on this link: https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/booking/reservation?id=1111304321&key=2CA66

We look forward to seeing you in Phoenix. It will be a memorable experience and you will be blessed!

Chaplain Craig Wiley, new RTCA executive director

After a lengthy search process, we’re proud to announce that Chaplain Craig Wiley has accepted our offer to become the next executive director of RTCA and will assume duties full-time in mid-April.

A horseman and pleasure rider, Chaplain Wiley and his wife Jean reside in Atlanta, GA, and will be relocating to Lexington, KY.

Chaplain Craig Wiley is an ordained minister of the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches. He has served in the United States Army since 1969, with nineteen months in the Republic of Vietnam.

He has served in the Army’s Chaplain Corps since 1973, and has been stationed with the Michigan Army National Guard; Fort Hood, TX; the Republic of Korea; Fort Monmouth, NJ; Fort Gordon, Georgia; Baumholder, Germany and Bosnia-Herzegovina; Fort McPherson, GA; Fort Irwin, California; Fort Gillem, GA; and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC.

Chaplain Wiley holds a Bachelor of Religious Education degree from Cornerstone University, Grand Rapids, MI and Master of Religious Education and Master of Divinity degree’s from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, MI. He also holds a Master of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College, Carlisle, PA.

Please join us in welcoming Chaplain Wiley to RTCA.

Denise Mitchell, president of the Southern California RTCA council, said this about the Mezas: “Francis and Eddie work so hard. Their scope of work on the backside covers so many different areas. Francis helps literally anyone who walks through her office with filing taxes and work visas etc. They never charge for their services. The Meza’s are gifted in networking…picking up food, clothing, and furniture and distributing to those in need. They are always working to meet physical needs but more importantly I believe they both have the evangelist heart and sharing the Lord is their priority.”

Here’s their interview:

Q: What is your title?
Eddie: Sr. Chaplain
Francis: Reverend and Secretary for the local Southern California RTCA chapter

Q: Name of racetracks where you work:
Eddie and Francis: Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, Del Mar and Pomona

Q: Have you held any other positions at your current track?
Eddie: E-Rider, jockey and safety coordinator
Francis: I’m also a trainer

Q: How many services do you offer each week?
Eddie and Francis: 2-3 per track — we have two tracks opened at this moment in time.

Q: How many total people on average attend your services each week?
Eddie and Francis: 15-20 people

Q: What are some of your greatest challenges?
Eddie: Helping people overcome alcohol and drug addiction.

Q: How have you worked to overcome these challenges?
Eddie and Francis: We try and reach each person at the track on a daily basis.

Q: What have been some of the results of the work you and your team have accomplished?
Eddie: Lives are being changed and marriages are being restored.

Q: Do you have a specific story of a challenge you’ve overcome and how you overcame it?

Eddie: We have a stable groom from Guatemala who used to have an alcohol addiction. He was in danger of losing his life when he prayed and asked the Lord for help. According to him, the Lord showed him my face, and I hadn’t even met him at the time. Since that experience three years ago, he’s been clean, and he contributes a very special part in all of our services.

Q: What would you say to encourage other racetrack chaplains?
Eddie: Keep up the good faith, and do not give up. Most of the time we are not rewarded here in this life, but our reward awaits us in heaven.

Q: Do you have a favorite scripture?
Eddie: Philippians 4:13: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Francis: Proverbs 21:31: “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.”

Councils and Chaplains:

Arizona
Chaplain John Shumaker

Central Pennsylvania
Chaplain David Dow

Charles Town
Chaplain Bo Bullock

Colorado
Chaplain John Shumaker

Canterbury Park
Chaplain Ed Underwood

Evangeline Downs
Chaplain Dwight Brown

Homestretch Church
Chaplain Tommy Griffin

Illinois
Chaplains Ernesto Reyes and Luis Peralta

Kentucky
Chaplains Ken Boehm, Yurian Santiesteban,
Tom Farley, Ruben Berra, and Ron Crawford

Los Alamitos
Chaplain Sergio Armas

Northern California
Chaplain Chris Bulluomini

Maryland
Chaplain position is currently vacant

Mountaineer Park
Chaplain Jim Smith

New Hampshire
Chaplain Lee Alphen

New Jersey
Chaplain Peter Guilfoyle

New York
Chaplain Humberto Chavez

Ocala Florida
Chaplain Robert Miller

Pennsylvania
Chaplain Rick Bunker

Race Track Chaplaincy of Texas
Chaplains Sam Ed Spence, Eddie Rodriguez,
and Michael Bingaman

Remington Park
Chaplains Carl Criswell, Esten Leonard,
and Jerry Green

Southern California
Chaplains Eddie & Francis Meza

Southwest Louisiana
Dr. Alberto Martinez

Tampa Bay Downs
Dr. Rafeal Santana

A valet and worker on the starting gate crew at Remington Park, Best risked his own life to help rescue legendary 69-year-old Quarter Horse rider Roy Brooks. 

On April 17 of this year, Fit Ta Fly was in the eight hole for the fifth race with Roy in the saddle. Suddenly, Fit Ta Fly attempted to flip backwards in the starting gate stall.

The three-year-old gelding was now on his rear end in the back of the starting gate stall thrashing wildly and striking Roy in the head and chest with its hind legs. 

Jeremy saw this happening from his position at the back of the starting gate, so he dashed around the starting gate, dove under the front of post position number eight and, while also being struck by Fit Ta Fly’s hooves, pulled Roy to safety.

Roy would be sent by ambulance to the trauma treatment center with severe head and chest injuries. Jeremy would be treated for lacerations on his left arm. Roy would live to ride again.

Then in January 2010, Jeremy was at home when he heard a horn honking, and saw that his neighbor, 83-year-old Beverly Bay, was pinned under her car at the bottom of her driveway. She had gotten out of her car thinking it was in park, but it was neutral. 

She had tried to grab the driver’s side door but it knocked her down and she was dragged under the car with her legs under the front tire. With extraordinary strength, he pushed the car back up the driveway to where another neighbor could pull Beverly free.

A: For me, a chaplain is a combination between a pastor and a social worker. I provide all of the sacerdotal functions for the community. Those are the weddings, funerals, baptisms, baby dedications, worship services, bible studies and all of the other trappings of any church congregation.

I also do the social work helping those who need help find housing or bedding or navigate the legal systems at both the track and the local community. I will go to court with people and visit them in the hospital (the two places where I believe no one should be alone).

I help with immigration issues. I translate between English and Spanish. I have offered classes in both of those languages as well as GED and computer classes.

We provide all of the parties including Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving as well as occasional barbecues or perhaps serving taco breakfasts to the horsemen in their barns. Often I describe it with the analogy of a Wild West film where there is a West Texas town with one pastor and that pastor helps the people whether or not they go to his service.

As a chaplain I advocate for those who can’t always stand up for themselves. Our jockey colony believes that this very action has saved the lives of at least two jockeys here at Retama. At times I coordinate between our community and a treatment center. I help translate our reality to the outside world (and the outside world to our community).

No two days are alike for a chaplain. We are more like a missionary than a traditional pastor. In 1977 there was a ministry called the Missionary Advancement and Communications Center (MARCC). Their whole ministry at the time was compiling an exhaustive list of unreached peoples. For their definition an “unreached people” was any group that was held together by a common thread; race, region, common language, etc. and less than 20% of that community had a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. In the middle of that five-inch thick annual volume were the people who lived and worked in racetrack barn areas in North America. At the time they estimated that 250,000 people slept in the barn areas in North America (not counting those who commute daily from farms and apartments) and less than 20% had enough of a knowledge of Jesus Christ to make a decision. That population has only grown since then.

Once in Seattle, I had an Episcopalian Priest follow me around for the day. At the end if the day he commented “I know what you do!” To which I replied, “I give, what do I do?” He responded, “You loiter with intent!” I couldn’t agree more. I, along with my council, try to bring the message of Christ’s love to a community who is forgotten and invisible. A community that is so forgotten and invisible that they often believe that about themselves.

Q: What are some of your greatest challenges?

A: Two of my greatest challenges are funding and rejection/judgment by the church community. The track is 10 months behind in it’s support, but miraculously we still do everything that we’ve always done (with the exception of classes). We can’t afford the resources any more.

When I was in Seattle I met a lady named Belle Roberts. At the time she was the matriarch of horse racing in the Northwest. She trained the horses for the owner of our beloved Longacres Race Track. The third most prestigious race North of San Francisco and West of Chicago was named after her. She and her husband, “Hump” both died Christians.

When Belle was “middle aged” she decided to finish her training early and visit a church in the town of Hot Springs, AK where she was running at the time. She loved the service. By her description it was some form of an evangelical service. When the service was over and people were mulling about deciding where to go for lunch, some “men in suits and ties” came and asked her who she was. (To a racetracker, anyone in a suit and tie represents power, either horse owner or track management). She responded with pride, “I’m Belle Roberts and I’m from Hot Springs Race Track!” It’s important to note that the track in Hot Springs is a prestigious and a significant part of the town’s economy. Those “men in suits and ties” asked her to leave and not come back until she “got her life right with Jesus.”

In my 30 years as a chaplain, that story, in various ways has been recounted to me hundreds of times. I do my best to undo that message that Christ won’t love you if you work with horse racing.

Q: How have you worked to overcome these challenges?

A: As far as the financial challenge, I don’t know how we do it. I was scratching my head last week as I tried to understand how we’ve kept going with such a significant loss of regular funding. I can only attribute it to God.

With the second challenge, God has finally opened up a strong relationship with my local Assembly of God Presbyter (like a bishop). Because of that, we now have a “Pastor’s Day” with about 30 pastors attending and two churches assisting us with holiday activities.

Q: What have been some of the results of the work you and your team have accomplished?

A: Probably the greatest results of the chaplaincies where I serve are disciples won. I have never been at huge, well-funded tracks. I have never been able to have great crusades like some tracks. Our form of evangelism has always been personal, intimate and very strong. I have often described my tracks as “farm teams” for other chaplaincies. Though we don’t have huge numbers saved at crusades, the ones who are saved grow strong and eventually bless other programs.

Often, when a family gets saved, I have learned to tell them that they won’t be staying for long. They always protest saying they love me, they love whatever track we are at and they have no plans of moving. My response is always “you have always had a good product. You are a great hand. Now you have Jesus. It’s inevitable that you are going to find yourself in Kentucky or California or some other big track.”

I love those notes I get from Keeneland or Santa Anita or elsewhere when I read that they are now racing at tracks they only dreamed of and they are continuing to serve Jesus. I also love those occasional phone calls from fellow chaplains thanking me for “sending” such a strong Christian.

Q: Do you have a specific story of a challenge you’ve overcome and how you overcame it?

A: Probably the greatest challenge that I have ever faced in RTCA was when I first started in the program. Although as a pastor I had been a member of the RTCA board at that track, I truly was unaware of how unpopular the chaplaincy was both with the people who worked and lived there at the track and the local community.

One of the major funders had already opted out of supporting the chaplaincy. They were so surprised that they had a new chaplain that they continued to support us for an entire year. The next year when they reviewed the minutes from their last annual business meeting they were surprised to remember their dissatisfaction with our program. The head of security informed upon my arrival that if the current program were anything like the last, he would “kick (my) butt from one end of the barn area to the other!” Five years into my tenure at that track I was still receiving complaints from individuals who had felt violated by the past program.

Simply a strong “ministry of presence” overcame this. However, this caused my family to pay a huge price.

The auction and luncheon raise funds in support of racetrack ministry and chaplain training.

Two outstanding individuals and one organization were honored for their contribution to horse racing and for their benefit to mankind.

The award recipients were:

White Horse Award – Remington’s Jeremy Best

Tribute to Excellence – the late Pimlico legend Chick Lang

Community Service Award – National Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association

Bill Casner, owner of Well Armed and winner of the 2009 Dubai World Cup, gave a moving keynote address about the story of Well Armed, born the same day as his late daughter Karri.

“Well Armed carried Susan and me to the highest mountain top we’ve ever been on,” Casner said. “He had what my dear mother referred to as gumption.”

This year’s White Horse Award recipient was Jeremy Best, who was recognized for his heroics both on and off the track (see sidebar story in Nov. e-newsletter).

Special tribute went to the late Charles John “Chick” Lang, the longtime general manager of Pimlico Race Course and an industry legend who became known as “Mr. Preakness” for his promotion and transformation of the Preakness Stakes into a premier spectacle.

“Chick Lang was the champion of the little guy,” said racing executive Corey Johnsen. “He would work tirelessly for those less fortunate.”

The RTCA Community Service Award was presented to the national Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, an organization with over 35,000 owner and trainer members throughout the United States and Canada, for their positive impact on the horse racing industry — specifically to the backstretch community.

“Their heart runs deep,” said Chaplain John Shumaker, chaplain at Turf Paradise Race Track in AZ. “They (HBPA) are there to support the horsemen on every level… they plant seeds of hope and love.”

A special thanks to these members of the White Horse Awards committee: Lee Alphen, Ken Boehm, Gary Cartwright, Mike Crayton, Diana Elam, Arnie Frazee, Carolyn Linder, Waverly Parsons, Patsy Payne, Suzanne Ransdell, Paul Ransdell, Pam Sears, Susan Watkins, and Marty Way.