It’s taking a whole village to bury one of their own.

A 58-year-old jockey, who had only been at Blue Ribbon Downs in Sallisaw since mid-September, was killed in the first race at the Choctaw-owned track Sunday.

Members of the racing community have gathered round to find the family of Mark Steven Pace, 58, a retired jockey who came back to ride again, and return him to that family after that last ride.

According to those who knew him and Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission (OHRC) records, Pace had retired from racing about 10 years ago, but returned to the sport Sept. 18 when he got his OHRC jockey’s license. From Devine, Texas, Pace had traveled to Blue Ribbon Downs to ride for a friend. Another jockey, Mike Bishop, 46, of Vian was injured in a race Saturday, when his horse broke down at the finish line, and Pace agreed to take Bishop’s rides on Sunday.

Pace was aboard the 3-year-old filly Reep What You Sow who started from the two gate in a $5,000 maiden claiming race, the first race Sunday. Spectators said the filly suddenly spooked and hit the outside rail, throwing Pace into the rail. Pace was transported to Sequoyah Memorial Hospital in Sallisaw, where he was pronounced dead. The filly was not hurt, spectators reported, but was listed as Did Not Finish in the race results.

Few at the racetrack knew Pace, but they have come forward to take care of him in death.

Jockey Cody Smith and his father, retired jockey Rodger Smith, both of Sallisaw, said they only met Pace recently. Rodger Smith, a well-known rider at Blue Ribbon Downs, had to lend Pace a helmet, because he had none.

No one was sure who to call — family or friends — to report the tragic news of Pace’s death.

Constantin A. Rieger, OHRC executive director, said Tuesday, “It was difficult finding his family. The chaplain at Blue Ribbon Downs worked hard contacting the next of kin. He was instrumental in locating his family.”

The pastor at Blue Ribbon Downs Chapel is Jerry Green, but he was modest about his part in locating the dead rider’s family.

“Mary Kirby helped me,” Green said Tuesday. “All we had was one phone number. He was working with Jesse Cowan who came up from Texas with him. He has horses and Mark was riding for him.”

Green said he and Kirby knew where Cowan was staying and had to go to the motel where the two horsemen were living to find Pace’s friend.

“We saw his truck. We knew the truck. That’s how we found him to tell him there had been an accident.”

Green said, “Mark told him (Cowan) that if anything every happened to him to call a Tina Brown, apparently a lifelong friend. She told us about his family.”

Kirby said, “We had the one phone number. All we had was his (Pace’s) cell phone. We found names on his cell phone, and one name lead to another. We found he had a son in New Jersey, and his mom and dad are still living in Washington state.”

Not only did the minister and the horse owner, Kirby, have to tell Pace’s friends and family about his death, they are also making arrangements for his body to be cremated and returned to his family.

Investigation Underway

In the meantime, Pace’s death is being investigated by the OHRC. Rieger said an OHRC law enforcement agent was at the track at the time of the accident that killed Pace. Reiger said the OHRC tries to have an agent on the grounds at every Oklahoma racetrack where live racing is taking place.

“It’s standard procedure,” he said. “Investigating the accident is the thing to do under these tragic circumstances. We have assigned an agent ­— a retired OHP trooper — to the case. He’s putting all the pieces together. He’s doing interviews and collecting information.”

One race patron said it is rumored that Pace had spoken to the person ponying his horse to the starting gate and said he was not feeling well.

Pace’s body has been sent to the state medical examiner’s office in Tulsa, which is also standard procedure, to determine the exact cause of death.

“It was considered a trauma death,“ Green said, adding that doctors at Sequoyah Memorial Hospital did not want to comment on Pace’s death until the medical examiner’s report was completed.

After the second race on Sunday, the racetrack cancelled the rest of the day’s card due to Pace’s death.

The Choctaw Nation, which owns Blue Ribbon Downs, issued the following statement on behalf of Chief Gregory E. Pyle: “The assistant chief, tribal council and I were supportive of the decision to cease racing for the afternoon of Oct. 18 after the confirmed fatality due to a tragic accident during the first race. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Mark Pace.”

The Choctaw Nation said races will continue as scheduled for the remainder of the season, which runs through Nov. 28.

Community Gathers

Green said Pace had told friends that, “He just wanted to get back to doing what he liked to do.”

Green said, “It was just one of those things you can’t foresee. When one of these things happen, you just step up and do what you can. It’s amazing how these people at Blue Ribbon Downs step up to help one of their own when it’s needed. They may have their ups and downs, but when someone needs help, they step up.”

Green was gathering Pace’s belongings on Tuesday to return to the jockey’s family.

Green and Kirby said the Blue Ribbon Downs Chapel and benevolent fund are accepting donations to return Pace’s remains to his family. Donations may be made at the racetrack or by calling Green at (918) 427-0055.

Sadly, Green and Kirby are planning two memorial services this week, one for the dead jockey and another for horse owner and trainer Johannes “Hans” Borst.

Green said Borst won a race Oct. 10 at Blue Ribbon Downs and was walking his horse in the test barn when he collapsed with a heart attack. Borst was taken to a Fort Smith, Ark., hospital but was taken off life support and died Tuesday.

Green had just returned from the hospital Tuesday when interviewed.

“The memorial service for Hans will be held after the races Saturday at the chapel,” Green said.

“We are also planning on having a communion service for the jockeys in the jockey’s quarters at 11:15 a.m. Saturday in memory of Pace,” Green said. “Many of these jockey’s have Catholic backgrounds, and we thought we’d have a communion service to ease their minds after Pace’s death.”

Kirby was also saddened by Borst’s death.

“He was from Holland,” she said. “He came to the United States when he was 17. He was quite a character.”

Borst, Kirby said, died on his birthday Tuesday, when he turned 65 years old.

See his obituary on this page.