Buckley the subject of Florida service

A celebration of Parker Reid Buckley IIIs life will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Emerald Coast Funeral Home in Fort Walton Beach, Fla.

Buckley died at age 40 on Aug. 18 at Albany, N.Y., Medical Center after he fell from a horse he was galloping at Saratoga on Monday. A former jockey who rode 978 winners, Buckley had spent the last 16 months as an assistant trainer and exercise rider for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Buckley is survived by a daughter, Brett Michelle; a son, Cameron Reid; his parents, Alice and Parker Buckley Jr.; and sisters Belinda Buckley, Rhonda Buckley, Liz Burdick, and Larri Thatcher.

In addition to Wednesdays service, a memorial will be held in the chapel at Churchill Downs on Sept. 15 at noon.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Don MacBeth Memorial Fund or to another charity. Anyone wanting to share memories or condolences with the family can go to .