SUPREME RACING GUIDE (SRG): How did you get into racing?

EVERTON DIXON (ED): Well, while I was at home, I use to watch races on the television, and at that time, I said to myself that I wanted to become a jockey but when I came to the park, I had too much weight and so that didn’t work out for me. I then said to myself that I wasn’t going back home, either I become an owner, a trainer, or a groom and so I decided that I was going to learn more about the game and see what happens down the line. I ended up becoming a groom. The first trainer that I was around was Ivan Smith and his stables were around Christian Pen in Gregory Park and that was where I started to learn about racing. I spent a couple of years well at Christian Pen before I went to trainer Aubrey Pinnock which had big horses like Capitol Hill and Black Knight. I used to be a lightweight groom around the stables; picking out stalls and doing the rounds at the stables. I eventually got seasoned and got a horse for myself to look after. I also went on to John McKenzie’s stables to work.

SRG: When did you get your licence to groom horses?

ED: I went to Caymanas Park in the 1970s and got my licence in the 1980s.

SRG: Which horse was your first winner?

ED: My first winner was with a chestnut filly named Song Bird with Karl Brown aboard for trainer Pinnock. The feeling was really good when I won my first race knowing that I was a young groom growing up in the business trying to earn something. And from that, I kept on developing myself and trying to improve my craft where everyone got to like me. When I left McKenzie stables and I went around trainer Arnold Rambally and that was where the ball got rolling as I ended up winning more races.

SRG: Which horse was the best horse you have groomed?

ED: I would say that So Wonderful was the best horse that I have groomed in my career so far. She was trained by Vin Edwards. I won some decent races with her.

SRG: Did you win any Classic races?

ED: No. Back in that time, we, as small grooms, couldn’t get any Classic horses as the big grooms controlled those top horses. We just had to take what we get and make the best use of them. Every day I dream about having a Classic horse and all now I am still dreaming about it. Right now, I have three horses, two three year olds and a two-year-old. If the two-year-old stands up, I think I can win some races with him and be good enough to enter the Classic races as well.

SRG: Have you ever ventured overseas?

ED: Yes, I have gone overseas to groom horses. I went to Barbados and won races. I went to Canada and won races as well. So, you can say I know how to do my work and I do my work very well.

SRG: Which jockey/s and trainer/s you admire the most?

ED: Well, I have two jockeys that I am working with now and they are Oneil Mullings and Ruja Lahoe. They have won races for me as well. My trainer at present is Randolph Scott. He takes very good care of me and everything. We get along well. We sit down and talk and plan everything that we are going to do. He never did everything behind my back and I never did anything behind his back.

SRG: Do you have any regrets about choosing a profession in the racing industry?

ED: No regrets. I can’t tell you off the bat how many races I have won, but I have won quite a few. I am happy where I am and I am enjoying myself. The only thing that troubles me is that you have some trainers that don’t respect grooms but some trainers that do respect grooms. Respect goes both ways.