'That's Oklahoma Helping Oklahoma': Racehorses In Claremore Relocated To Tulsa Fairgrounds Following Tornado

The tornado over the weekend caused a lot of trouble for animals.

Some more severely hurt racehorses from the Will Rogers Downs in Claremore are now at the OSU Veterinary Medical Hospital in Stillwater.

The Tulsa Fairgrounds is now a temporary home for others who otherwise would have nowhere to go, like racehorse Minnesota Nice.

“She was one of the horses that went through the tornado,” said owner Kassie Gladd.

That tornado destroyed several barns at the Will Rogers Downs racing facility in Claremore.

Gladd can breathe a sigh of relief as it barely missed hers.

“All of our horses are okay, thank God,” she said. 

Colleen Davidson can’t say the same.

“We tried. He’s in the blue skies forever now. It's just heartbreaking,” she said on a phone call to her veterinarian. 

One of her horses suffered a broken neck and had to be euthanized. Another is currently at the clinic.

“My barn took a pretty brutal hit from the fact that it didn’t only tear the roof off, it broke the stalls down, and that's what got my horse hurt,” she said. 

Her nine remaining horses are now at the Fairgrounds, and thanks to people like Lindsay Raper, they’re getting everything they need.

She owns L&R Feed Store in Pryor and has donated several deliveries of hay and feed.

“Whatever they need, we’ll keep bringing it,” Raper said. 

Both Davidson and Gladd say it's that support that keeps them going and makes the horse racing community bond so strong.

“All of us horsemen, we come together at times like this. Whether we run against each other or not, we’re a family at the end of the day,” said Gladd. 

They say this is yet another example of how Oklahomans are always willing to help others - whether human or horse.

 “That's Oklahoma helping Oklahoma,” said Davidson.

Raper says she plans to put a link to donate directly to these families on L&R’s Facebook page.