Ray Sibille
Encyclopedia
Raymond Frederick Sibille (born September 13, 1952 in Sunset, Louisiana
) is a retired American Thoroughbred horse racing
jockey
. In a career that spanned thirty-five years, Sibille rode his first winner on June 29, 1969 at Evangeline Downs
in Carencro, Louisiana
. In 1973 he moved to compete on the Chicago
-area tracks where he won riding titles at Arlington Park
, Hawthorne Race Course
, and Sportsman's Park Racetrack
. In 1981 he relocated to Southern California
where he won numerous top races. In 1988 trainer Thad Ackel
hired him as the regular rider for Great Communicator
and Sibille met with his greatest success that year, winning major races such as the Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes
and the San Juan Capistrano, San Luis Obispo
, and San Marcos Handicap
s before capping off the year with a win in the Breeders' Cup Turf
. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067974/2/index.htm
In 1993, Ray Sibille returned to race in Chicago where he would compete until retiring on July 24, 2004. On Nov. 8, 2004, the Illinois House of Representatives
recognized his distinguished career and riding accomplishments. In 2005, he was voted the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award
, a one-time honor given annually by the members of the Jockeys' Guild
to a jockey in North America
who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack.
Ray Sibille was a member of the Jockeys' Guild for more than thirty years and served on its Board of Directors
as well as the organization's financial committee. He is an officer of the MacBeth Memorial Jockey Fund which assists former jockeys experiencing hard times and the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation
for at-risk kids.
Sunset, Louisiana
Sunset is a town in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,897 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Opelousas–Eunice Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Sunset is located at ....
) is a retired American Thoroughbred horse racing
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
. In a career that spanned thirty-five years, Sibille rode his first winner on June 29, 1969 at Evangeline Downs
Evangeline Downs
Evangeline Downs is an American race track and casino located in St. Landry Parish, just east of Opelousas, Louisiana. With a seven furlong oval track, the facility provides close to 1,000 horse stalls for Thoroughbred flat racing and American Quarter Horse racing...
in Carencro, Louisiana
Carencro, Louisiana
Carencro[p] is a small city in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is a suburb of the nearby city of Lafayette. The population was 6,120 at the 2000 census. Its name comes from the Louisiana Creole word for buzzard: the spot was one where large flocks of buzzards roosted in the bald...
. In 1973 he moved to compete on the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-area tracks where he won riding titles at Arlington Park
Arlington Park
Arlington Park is a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago region has been a popular sport since the early days of the city in the 1830s, and at one time Chicago had more horse racing tracks than any other major metropolitan area...
, Hawthorne Race Course
Hawthorne Race Course
Hawthorne Race Course is a race track for horse racing in Stickney/Cicero, Illinois, near Chicago.The oldest continually-run family-owned racetrack in North America, in 2009 the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America...
, and Sportsman's Park Racetrack
Chicago Motor Speedway
The Chicago Motor Speedway at Sportsman's Park located in Cicero, Illinois, just outside of Chicago, was built in 1999 by a group including Chip Ganassi, owner of Chip Ganassi Racing. In 2002 the oval shaped track suspended operations due to financial conditions in the motorsports industry. The...
. In 1981 he relocated to Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
where he won numerous top races. In 1988 trainer Thad Ackel
Thad Ackel
Thad Ackel is a retired American thoroughbred horse trainer. He was a California-based trainer and part-owner of Great Communicator, winner of the 1988 Breeders' Cup Turf and Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes as well as the 1989 Hollywood Turf Handicap.Ackel retired from training after his father, George...
hired him as the regular rider for Great Communicator
Great Communicator
Great Communicator is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 1988 Breeders' Cup Turf.Great Communicator suffered a breakdown in the 1990 Carleton F. Burke Handicap at Santa Anita Park and had to be euthanized.-References:...
and Sibille met with his greatest success that year, winning major races such as the Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes
Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes
The Hollywood Turf Cup is an American stakes race for thoroughbred horses at Hollywood Park Racetrack. A Grade I event, it is open to horses, age three and up, and run at a distance of one and one-half miles. The Hollywood Turf Cup offers a purse of $250,000....
and the San Juan Capistrano, San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo Handicap
The San Luis Obispo Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The race is open to horses age four and up, willing to race one and one-half miles on the turf...
, and San Marcos Handicap
San Marcos Handicap
The San Marcos Stakes is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late January at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to horses aged four and older, it is raced on turf over a distance of one and one-quarter miles....
s before capping off the year with a win in the Breeders' Cup Turf
Breeders' Cup Turf
The Breeders' Cup Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for three-year-olds and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships. The race's current title sponsor is Emirates Airlines.The forerunner...
. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067974/2/index.htm
In 1993, Ray Sibille returned to race in Chicago where he would compete until retiring on July 24, 2004. On Nov. 8, 2004, the Illinois House of Representatives
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from...
recognized his distinguished career and riding accomplishments. In 2005, he was voted the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award
George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award
The George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award has been presented by Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, annually since 1950 to the thoroughbred horse racing jockey in North America who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack.The award was created...
, a one-time honor given annually by the members of the Jockeys' Guild
Jockeys' Guild
The Jockeys' Guild Inc. is an American trade association based in Lexington, Kentucky, representing thoroughbred horse racing and American quarter horse professional jockeys...
to a jockey in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct, on and off the racetrack.
Ray Sibille was a member of the Jockeys' Guild for more than thirty years and served on its Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
as well as the organization's financial committee. He is an officer of the MacBeth Memorial Jockey Fund which assists former jockeys experiencing hard times and the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation
Andre Agassi
Andre Kirk Agassi is a retired American professional tennis player and former world no. 1. Generally considered by critics and fellow players to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Agassi has been called the best service returner in the history of the game...
for at-risk kids.