Retired Midwest rider John Rettele dies at age 70

Former jockey John Raymond Rettele, who rode as John O. Rettele, died at age 70 on March 10 in Tecumseh, Neb.

Rettele rode for 23 years, according to his daughter Jamie, before retiring in 1993. From 1976 through 1993, the period for which statistics are available, Rettele won 1,174 races, primarily in Nebraska and at Fairmount Park in Southern Illinois.

A native of Axtel, Kansas, who had seven brothers and sisters, Rettele won 427 races in Nebraska between 1976 and 1983 – Ak-Sar-Ben (73), Columbus (156), Fonner Park (136), and Lincoln (62). He switched his base to Fairmount in 1984 and won 666 races there before retiring.

One of the better horses Rettele rode was Battle Cat, a top handicap horse at Fairmount in 1986-87 for trainer Kim Hammond. Rettele went 8 for 12 at Fairmount on Battle Cat.

Hammond sent the horse to Arlington for three allowance races in 1987 – two years after the grandstand was destroyed by fire and two years before the track would reopen as Arlington International. Rettele and Battle Cat won their first two Arlington starts before finishing fourth the third time out.

Rettele, who stayed active after his riding days as a leather crafter and woodworker, was preceded in death by his wife Polly. He is survived by daughters Jamie and Jonnie; three grandchildren; four brothers; and two sisters, including his twin, Judy Bergman of Danville, Iowa.

No services are planned but the family intends to have a race named in his honor at Fairmount. The track opens April 27.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.