By Carolyn Cole
Published on February 2, 2008

Mustang resident Reba Baker has barrel raced and sorted cattle with her father and sister in the Cedar Springs Arena for most of her life.

Now the facility’s future is in question.

The 48,000-square-foot Cedar Springs Arena, at 1120 E. state Highway 152, is listed on the Feb. 19 sheriff’s sale in connection with a 2004 civil case, in which the owner is listed among the defendants. Attempts to contact the owner through attorneys and his financial institution were not returned before press time.

Chuck Revelle, with the Oklahoma National Guard, said the military purchased 40 acres just south of the arena to build a $40 million regional armed forces reserve center. Planning has already started on building the facility, he said, which is expected to be competed within 2 1/2 years.

Revelle said the National Guard had considered purchasing another property nearby, but it is too early to make any announcements. When the armory opens, it is expected to bring 100 workers and 600 drilling Reserve and National Guard soldiers from across the state to town each weekend.

“It will be quite the state-of-the-art facility,” he said.

The owner bought the Cedar Springs Arena about five years ago from David and Deborah Anderson, who opened the facility in 1996. Baker said she was 8 years old then, and the arena gave her family a place to ride horses indoors during the winter months. Soon the Freedom Riders youth drill team formed, with Baker and her younger sister, Kallie, among its original members. Now the Freedom Riders has grown to 48 youth.

Her father, Ronnie Baker, said the Cedar Springs Arena is his family’s second home, between weekly barrel racing nights, team roping events, cattle sorting contests and Freedom Riders practices and performances.

“My family spends a lot of time here,” he said. “We are here three nights a week usually.”

Dozens of Oklahoma families have raised their children and taught them horsemanship in the arena, alongside the Bakers. As Reba Baker prepared her horse to compete in an American Quarter Horse Association cattle-sorting event Saturday, she pointed out adults she competes with, who are life-long family friends.

“It’s my first year riding with the top competitors and not the little kids,” she said. “I’m a little scared ... a lot of them I have rode with since I was little, they helped teach me about it.”

More than 60 teams of cattle sorters faced off Saturday with events starting at noon and stretching well past dark. Events are planned through March, but AQHA spokeswoman Mary Straka said no cattle sorting contests are planned past March 31 because officials aren’t certain the facility will still be available to riders.

If the facility is no longer open to horses, Reba Baker said a lot of riders will need another facility to practice and compete in their sports.

“It will be difficult,” she said. “Hopefully there will be other places that come available.”