Q&A: Ramón A. Domínguez On His New Role Helping Jockeys Succeed In Second Careers

A three-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey and a member of the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame, Ramón A. Domínguez has been retired since 2013, when he suffered a traumatic brain injury in a racing accident. He has since devoted his time to helping causes like the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and New York Race Track Chaplaincy, and he was instrumental in the introduction of the 360 Gentle Touch Riding Crop, a modernized and more humane version of the traditional whip.

After the initial recovery from his accident, Domínguez was devastated about missing the routine and everyday moments that made up his day as a jockey. Initially, he wanted to stay away from the racetrack. But at the urging of his family, he returned, and one visit led to another. “Now I love coming to the track,” Domínguez told TDN in a 2019 profile. “Not only to watch the races, but also to see and visit the people that have become like family.”

Last month, Domínguez, now 49, added another project to his inspiring list of advocacy and wellness initiatives: He's the executive director of the newly created Jockeys' Guild Education Foundation (JGEF), which will be dedicated to the educational empowerment of professional riders. Through scholarships, personalized academic guidance, and practical skills training, JGEF will aim to give jockeys tools to build financial security and employment opportunities during and after their riding careers.

TDN recently spoke to Domínguez to learn more about this new role and his vision for JGEF. An edited transcript follows.

TDN: Please start by telling us about the reception JGEF has received from the industry since the Apr. 21 press release announcing its launch.

RD: The one thing we realized is that timing-wise it was difficult just because our announcement coincided with the week leading to the Kentucky Derby. People were like, “Beautiful, great initiative. But let me get back to you after the Derby.”

Now that the Derby is behind us, we have a plan to actually go to some racetracks and meet not only with the jockeys to have focus groups and talk about this, but also to talk with different groups within the sport, like the HBPA or other organizations, who ultimately will be able to support this program, or to support us in the process of bringing this to the jockeys.

Right now, we're about to send out a survey to all of the jockeys' rooms. Just with our press release about the program being rolled out, there were a handful of jockeys who reached out via email, saying, “I'm interested, I want to know more.” So, that was very good to see.

TDN: What have the jockeys been asking about?

RD: The responses have been really anything from, “I'm definitely interested” to “Tell me more. What options are available?”

For example, we had one jockey who was specifically interested in a job in welding. He wanted to know if there was any way he could take some classes or courses, and our answer is “Yes!” So it's great, because not only there is an interest in doing something, or preparing, in some cases, for a Plan B, but there are some jockeys who already have in mind what is it that they would like to do, and that makes the process easier for us in terms of facilitating the pathway. It's helping our jockeys to discover in what area they'll be able to thrive.

I think if we had to put all the jockeys in one group, I think that overall, they will be able to do very well in something that is hands-on. Because our profession as jockeys is so physically demanding that I think, given the good and the bad, we are really accustomed to thriving in that type of environment where we have to just go, go, go and do things with our hands. So I think that there are many of those types of fields where jockeys will be able to do something great with their hands.

TDN: You've said that when you had to retire because of your injury, it was at first difficult. But then you adopted a mentality of “One chapter is closing in my life, but another is opening.” Other jockeys might be contemplating career changes without-thankfully-having to endure a career-ending injury. Are there still parallels to coming up with an effective exit strategy?

RD: Either way, it's not easy. When I retired, I didn't really know exactly what I wanted to do. You have to know that you will be able to overcome that initial, really big, obstacle of coming to terms that you're no longer going to do what you have done for many years that you were really very proud of and that you put your heart and soul into.

There is this separation of an identity that we created. And the process really is different for every jockey. That's because you have to really come to the understanding that you're no longer going to ride.

There can be this [and here Dominguez pauses to choose the right word] “unhealthy” identity with the profession. And that's really easy to understand, because, again, we are just so focused on what we do. But at the same time, it's great when one realizes, “I can do many other things, not just ride horses.”

Since my retirement, I have interacted with so many different jockeys who have retired for various reasons. Some of them by their own choice, some of them not. And you do see that with athletes from other sports. I think it's very consistent to say that no matter what the reason is for one's retirement, when you are an athlete, it is always difficult at first.

But at the end of the day, it's awesome to know that I'm not just limited to riding racehorses. I can do something else. That is the reality. But in theory, it sounds better than in practice, because the other part of the equation, so to speak, is that we feel like we don't have the necessary tools to do something else.

TDN: How do you aim to help jockeys along that path?

RD: The support is so, so key. I received support from my family and friends. And in this case, JGEF will be an extended source of support for the jockeys to be able to decipher what is it that they want to do.

We have an incredible board that I feel so, so good about. Because when we have meetings and Zoom sessions to talk about any topic, I realize that there is this incredible level of experience and expertise outside the sport being offered by people who are successful working with many not-for-profit initiatives, and who have a good understanding and care about our industry.

We have a very amazing team where there will be some positive synergy created that will be able to really be able to maximize our efforts.

I'm so glad that professor Gabrielle Kuenzli [the JGEF's academic coordinator, who has done specialized historical research related to Latino jockeys] will be able to help all these jockeys through this process. She's brilliant. She speaks Spanish, which is really helpful.

I think that these conversations will be so valuable, because it's not like, “Okay, this is available to you, take advantage if you want or not.” If that was the case, it's going to be a failure. But we're here to really work alongside the jockeys and help them from the beginning to the end.

TDN: If you have your crystal ball fired up, please look into the future and tell me what JGEF will have accomplished a year or two from now.

RD: It's amazing that this opportunity is going to be there for the jockeys. But it comes along with some challenges. This is all new to the jockeys. And it's even new to us who are part of the board managing this organization.

I don't even want to put a number on how many jockeys will take advantage of the program. But it's not going to be huge the first year, because there may be a little bit of doubt as to, “Can I do this?”

Being able to have some success stories, I think that that will have a ripple effect. I do feel very confident that after this first year, there will be some awesome stories that we can share from the successes that we have, when possible. And I say “when possible” because we also want to respect a jockey's confidentially if they would rather not have their stories publicized.

But at the end of the day, we all will learn from this, and the word will get out about the jockeys who have gone through the programs, who are taking some classes. And I think the second year, most likely, there will be doubling in terms of the jockeys that will be taking advantage of this.

So I'm not really answering the question directly. It's not black-and-white in my opinion. But I do think that having a couple dozen of jockeys taking advantage of this, to me, would be a success.