David Gresham Jolly

David Gresham Jolly, known as “Doc”, was born on January 31, 1936 to Thomas Benjamin Jolly, Jr. and Ella Buford Winfree Jolly in Richmond, VA. He passed away on March 15, 2021. The youngest of seven children meant he was the baby son spoiled by the older siblings, especially the 4 sisters.

He graduated from Manchester High School in 1954 in Richmond and returned to many reunions as well as staying in touch with classmates. He first attended College at Randolph Macon where he played football before transferring to Virginia Tech, graduating in 1964. He entered Texas A&M Veterinarian School in 1964, graduating in the class of 1968. Upon graduation he looked at postings on the board and Little Rock, Arkansas jumped out at him, so he began his small animal practice at Dr. Mason’s Clinic on Broadway. After two years of practice he chose not to work indoors so he moved forward to study large animals, specifically Thoroughbred horses in West Virginia and Maine. He loved living in Maine, especially Saturday afternoons when he would pick up lobsters at the Lobster Shack to eat while watching football games on TV.

He acquired Stepahead Farm in 1977 and developed it into one of the top Thoroughbred Training Centers in Hot Springs as well as building his onsite Surgery Center. He loved working his own track, even into his eighties on his tractor.

“Doc” only owned one Racehorse, “Glamor & Grit”, who won all his races at Oaklawn and allowed “Doc” to pay off the mortgage on his farm, so he promised Glamor the best pasture at the Farm forever. Upon Glamor’s death he had his wife Jane erect a Memorial at his stall in the barn with flowers & photos to honor his memory. Eddie Cathcart, his Farm manager, buried him under his favorite tree in his pasture. Each race meet he stabled about a hundred horses at the farm and so much enjoyed all the owners and trainers that would stop by to visit him, his door was always open for them. He was forever grateful to his Farm Manager of 20 years, Eddie Cathcart, because he knew every horse would be fed, watered, and cared for. He also appreciated Maney and Judy Fires, who were with him at the Farm for 40 years breaking and training horses for Trainer Jinx Fires, another dear friend to Doc. This team produced an Arkansas Derby winner, ArchArchArch, winning the 2011 Derby, owned by Val and Bob Yagos. Doc thrived on people in the race world and being a top Equine Vet they were always calling him for advice. He greatly admired Trainer Chris Hartman and told Jane he had called him to tell him he loved him and how much he admired his horsemanship. His profound admiration was also in Staton Flurry for his ownership of some outstanding Thoroughbreds, and being a young man in his 20’s, “Doc” said people like Staton are the future of Oaklawn. Being involved at Oaklawn for many years was a joy especially in giving Lasix to the race horses the year American Pharoah won the Rebel, Arkansas Derby and went on to become the Triple Crown Winner. He would come home to tell Jane “What a horse.” Watching those races in the Jockey Club with his wife he said “I have never seen such a stride in a Thoroughbred”.

Over the last 20 years, “Doc” worked on catastrophic wound care using regenerative medicine with many injured horses spending months at the Farm before going home healed.

On his 80th birthday, Governor Asa Hutchinson and his daughter attended the celebration with a Farm tour and watching some horses train on the training track at Stepahead Farm. He was so proud to show them his farm.

After the sale of his Farm last summer and a move to town, as he called it, he loved his new life of hours a day watching videos of his work over the last 35 years. He told his wife, “I can’t believe I did all this work.” He loved the location of his new home most of all because it was 4 minutes to the Track Kitchen and Stubby’s. Chris Dunkel, the owner of Stubby’s, was like a son to him and they spoke sometimes daily. His love of the Track Kitchen allowed he and his wife many lunches, meeting his close friend, like a brother to him, Clay Loetscher and his wife Connie, after they moved.

He was forever consulting with clients all over the world, and when his wife would come home from work, would say, “Guess How many countries I talked to today.” Over the years he had many foreign exchange students who would live at the Farm and train under him, which afforded him the opportunity to visit Mongolia and observe their race horse dynamics. He also visited Russia to observe race tracks, always taking in the knowledge to somehow make his own race track better.

He was devoted to his large family, their children and grandchildren, speaking to several of them every day and always giving advice. Those left to cherish his memory include his wife, Jane Phillips-Jolly, sisters; Ann Motley of Charlotte, NC, Nancy Gordon, Phyllis Motley, and sister-in-law Melba Jolly, all of Richmond, VA; and numerous nieces nephews & great niece & nephews.

He was predeceased by brothers Thomas and Forest Jolly of Richmond and sister Woodie Eastham who lived in Hot Springs for many years.

He was a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, The Arkansas Veterinary Association, Association of Former Students of Texas A&M, The Century Club, The Oaklawn Jockey Club and Pleasant Valley Country Club in Little Rock and was of the Baptist faith.

A private family service of Christian Burial and Celebration of his Life will be held over the summer of 2021 in Richmond, VA. Rev. DeDe Parrish will officiate as she did at the wedding of “Doc” and Jane in 2016 on the Chesapeake Bay.

Memorials may be made to Oaklawn Chapel, P.O. Box 20564, Hot Springs, Arkansas, 71903.