SHAKOPEE, MN – As racing resumes at Canterbury Park tonight, the highlight of the weekend will be “Leg Up Day” on Sunday, July 28.

The Leg Up Fund was established in 2014 to provide temporary, transitional support to riders injured at Canterbury as they recover and return to the saddle. The fund provides direct resources to Canterbury Park jockeys who are hurt while riding and helps give them a “Leg Up” while they recuperate.  Each year, Canterbury Park and Minnesota’s horsemen team up to benefit the Leg Up Fund.  It’s a day when fans can participate and give back to the sport that they enjoy every weekend as well.

“Ideally we would grow the Leg Up Fund and never need to use it,” jockey Dean Butler told us when the fund was established. “But we know that is not the reality. Jockeys get injured occasionally and insurance is often unaffordable in this line of work. Leg Up Fund helps those injured riders take care of day-to-day expenses while they recover and return to the saddle.”

Jockeys themselves contribute to the fund each day on a voluntary per-mount basis and horse owners match that contribution so every horse that leaves the gate throughout the season contributes to the fund.

Owners can sponsor jockeys, contribute to the fund or sponsor a bouncy ball in the popular jockeys’ bouncy ball race.  Fans can participate in raffles, get pictures with jockeys as well as make direct contributions to the fund.  It’s an important day to help give jockeys a partial safety net.  When riders don’t ride, they don’t get paid, and making ends meet can be difficult – if not impossible.

Post time on Sunday is 12:45 with Leg Up events scheduled throughout the day.