Jockey Anna Roberts Hangs Up Her Tack

Jockey Anna Roberts, who rode at Fair Grounds sparingly over the last several years after graduating from Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron’s North American Racing Academy, will no longer pursue a career in the saddle.

“I’m doing some ‘eventing’ (show jumping) now with a horse named Benny and the Jets, who I rode once at Ellis Park during the summer of 2011 when he raced under his thoroughbred name of (Thoroughbred Legends Racing Stable’s) Benziger for trainer Ronny Werner,” Roberts said while visiting her mother (Fair Grounds track photographer Lynn Roberts) in her office last week.

“I won the last race I rode on a horse named (Brad Raney’s) Randy Paul for Karl Broberg.  “I broke his maiden on Sept. 21 at Louisiana Downs,” Roberts said. “Now, I’m going back to nursing school at Bossier Parish Community College to become an R.N.”

Roberts retires with 69 wins from 731 mounts, with 82 seconds, 79 thirds and purse earnings of $516,864.