Racing official, educator David Hooper dead at 88

David Hooper, a longtime racing official whose career included turns as a steward, columnist, announcer, and educator, died on Monday, according to his family. Hooper, who had been receiving treatments for cancer for a decade, was 88 and died “peacefully” at home in Georgetown, Texas, his family said.

Hooper worked in racing for 60 years, most notably as a steward at racetracks in eight states. In 2018, he received the Pete Pedersen Award, the highest honor accorded to stewards. He officially retired in 2020 while working as a steward at Canterbury Park in Minnesota.

A native of New Jersey, Hooper was a lifelong fan of racing who turned his passion into a career that spanned the United States. In addition to his stewarding duties, Hooper held executive positions at the Thoroughbred Breeders of Kentucky, the Illinois Thoroughbred Breeders, the Illinois Racing Board, and the Texas Thoroughbred Association. He wrote columns and reported on racing for a variety of outlets, including Daily Racing Form, the Lexington Herald-Leader, and WHAS-TV is Louisville.

Hooper was the coordinator of the Race Track Industry Program at the University of Arizona in the early 1990s, where he taught courses on equine law and regulation. Many graduates of the program considered Hooper a mentor, and he maintained contact with many of the alumni of the program throughout his life.

Hooper is survived by his second wife, Martha Hufford, whom he met while working in Texas in 1995. He is survived by three children and two stepchildren, along with 11 grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

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