Dobson to Give National HBPA Conference Keynote Address

Everett Dobson, the new chair of The Jockey Club, will deliver the keynote address at the annual National HBPA Conference on March 4.

The telecommunications entrepreneur and philanthropist from Oklahoma City is a horse owner and breeder and partner in the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Dobson is the first Jockey Club chair to reside outside the Northeast and the 11th chair since Saratoga Race Track co-founder John Hunter became the first in 1894. Dobson follows the 42-year reign of cousins Stuart Janney, who stepped down this year after a decade in the post, and the late Ogden Mills Phipps.

"I'm very honored to get a chance to address the National HBPA. I'm very much looking forward to it," Dobson said. "It will largely be around a message of collaboration, how our two organizations can collaborate on initiatives, activities that are mutually beneficial for the betterment of our sport that we all love."

The 2026 Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association Conference will run March 3-6 in the Oaklawn Park hotel at the racetrack in Hot Springs, Ark. Dobson's March 4 remarks will conclude the conference lunch and awards presentations. The conference opens March 3 with an evening cocktail reception and continues March 4-6 with speakers and panel discussions.

"Each year I try to focus the National HBPA Conference by taking a deep dive into the most pressing issues facing our industry, not just to identify problems, but to explore constructive solutions and celebrate what makes Thoroughbred racing so special," said National HBPA CEO Eric Hamelback. "I have known Mr. Dobson for many years, dating back to my time as General Manager at Adena Springs, and I have tremendous personal and professional respect for him. While we may not always see every issue from the same vantage point, I've always appreciated his thoughtful approach and genuine commitment to the betterment of our sport.

"I also believe Everett brings a unique and valuable perspective to The Jockey Club, not only as a successful owner and breeder but also as an accomplished business executive with a proven record of innovation and leadership. We are genuinely thrilled he accepted our invitation to address the conference, and I hope everyone views his participation as an important opportunity for collaboration and consensus-building among all industry stakeholders. I hope his keynote serves as a meaningful step toward working together to tackle the complex challenges we all face."

Dobson, who grew up around horses in the ranching community of Cheyenne, Okla., will be returning to his racing roots at the HBPA conference.

"The very first thoroughbred race I ever went to was at Oaklawn when I was still in college," he said. "And the very first racehorse I had raced at Oaklawn many years later. It's going back to one of my favorite places."

Dobson majored in economics at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, where he starred on the golf team and was inducted into the university's sports hall of fame. He also founded the Oklahoma Golf Hall of Fame and each year presents the Everett Dobson Award—$5,000 cash—to an outstanding male or female golfer graduating from an Oklahoma college or university, with strong citizenship, sportsmanship and character among the recipient's important attributes, more so than golf accomplishments.

Dobson's family has been in the telecommunications industry since 1936. Dobson is executive chairman of Dobson Fiber, a 7,000-mile fiber-optic network in Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas. In 1989, he founded Dobson Communications Corporation (DCC), sold to AT&T in November 2007 for $5.1 billion. At the time of the sale, the company was one of the nation's largest independent rural wireless providers, operating in 17 states, producing $1.6 billion in revenue and with 3,000 employees and 1.6 million subscribers.

Dobson owns the award-winning Oak Tree National golf club in the Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond which is hosting the 2027 U.S. Senior Open. His board memberships include Dobson Family Foundation, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum and the Keeneland Association. Dobson, who splits his time between Oklahoma and Kentucky, races in the name of Cheyenne Stables, which campaigned 2011 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Caleb's Posse, trained by fellow Oklahoman Donnie Von Hemel. He also raced Grade 1 winner Mastery, $1.35 million-earner Madefromlucky and Grade 2 winners Mystical Star and Ozara. His breeding stock resides at Dobson's Candy Meadows farm in Lexington, Ky.

He acquired his first racehorse in 1996, a Texas-bred named Undeniable, who went 1 for 6 with three seconds. "My wife soon named him Unreliable for some reason," he joked. "He had a short career, but he was beautiful."

Dobson said he tries to bring in perspectives acquired from his diverse background to his leadership role as TJC chair.

"I come at this job from a horse owner's perspective, a breeder's perspective," he said. "My background has a lot of business elements to it—the NBA being one—but also bringing a perspective from the part of the country that is very important to this sport. That's the Midwest and Kentucky in particular."

Dobson said he wants "to reach out to all the constituents of The Jockey Club."

"I really believe the role of The Jockey Club is to support, frankly, everybody in the sport," he said. "That is a big tent. It extends beyond being a breed registry. The Jockey Club has the resources and understanding of our industry to provide support services and do what's best for the sport as we conduct our business."