Adirondack Sports July 2023

JULY 2023 21
important to put the time into running
to do it right. It’s about being consistent.
I’m much faster than I was three years ago
and even my workouts are faster. It’s liberating
to know that I’m going this fast and
enjoying my accomplishments. I’m content
running the 5K distance, but maybe
in the future I’ll run some 10ks and maybe
even a half marathon.”
Ironically back in 1996, when he first
came to this country as a jockey at Hialeah
Park in Florida, he roomed at the home of
the track’s groom, Ronnie Holassie, and
his wife. Ronnie would often go on long
runs before and after his shift at the track,
and Ramon eventually learned that he
was a marathon runner who competed
for Trinidad and Tobago at the Olympics
in 1996 and 2000.
“I had no desire to run at that time. I was
completely focused on racing horses, and
it’s impossible to do both. I did go on a training
run with Ronnie one time. While living
with him in Florida I did an 8K race called
the Festival of the Lights. I’m still Facebook
friends with him and his wife. We’ve
exchanged some texts about running.”
In 2016 Ramon was elected to the
National Museum of Racing’s Hall of
Fame, located in Saratoga Springs. “I
thought I would be a long shot to be elected.
I was sobbing and overcome with so
much emotion when I received that call.
It was an incredible moment in my life.
It’s hard to describe the feeling of being
on top of a horse and threading your way
through small openings. It was great to do
that for so long and to do it well.”
For most of us, leaving a career you
love in your prime would be an insurmountable
hurdle to overcome, but
Ramon Dominguez continues to find
excitement every day. “My life continues
to bring me such joy. I feel so fortunate to
live in Saratoga with my wife Sharon and
my two sons, Alex and Matthew. It’s such
a beautiful city, and I’m still connected to
horse racing.”
Ramon and Sharon will experience
a new phase of parenthood this fall. His
older son, Alex, is going to college in a
couple of months, and Matthew will start
his senior year of high school. As a family,
they enjoy playing pickleball but the rest
of the family is not involved with riding.
After his retirement, Ramon’s mind
turned to ways in which he might help racing
evolve and improve, eventually bringing
him back to his riding crop prototypes
that he started developing 10 years ago.
With a partner, they created a new gentler
touch horse riding whip, which is now in
full production. In addition to
the whip, he’s also working
on the development of other
equestrian equipment.
“Today I also have running
which is an extremely
important and gratifying
part of my life. It’s my form
of meditation. It keeps me
sane. Running is one of the
highlights of my day.”
Jack Rightmyer (jackxc@
nycap.rr.com) of Burnt
Hills was a longtime
cross-country coach at
Bethlehem High School
and today is an adjunct
English professor at
Siena College. He has
written two books “A
Funny Thing About
Teaching” and “It’s Not
About Winning.”
▶ IN A PADDOCK WITH
A HORSE.
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