Sharon Dominguez: Always Moving Forward in Life

Every day of our lives, from the moment we are born, we are etching our life stories. Specific events that happen to us when we are young, though we may not realize it, have strong influence on our future. For example, imagine a little girl from Delaware who grows up riding horses with her mother and her father, who train Standardbreds. Unbeknownst to her, being around horses becomes part of her being and she carries that love through childhood, school days, college and beyond.

That little girl has grown into the lovely Sharon Dominguez, and her story is one that will inspire us all and make us think.

“I went to the University of Delaware and earned my degree in advertising and graphic design. I love being creative so that is right up my alley. And I did what every good college grad does,” she said jokingly. “I went straight to the racetrack and I started galloping horses! I was galloping and also ponying, which means I rode the horse that escorts the race horse from the paddock to the starting gate prior to a race.”

Love and Family
Her life experiences came full circle and she met the love of her life, Ramon Dominguez. “I remember the exact moment I met Ramon. He walked into the barn during an early morning training session. He had these sparkly eyes! He had on turquoise and black, and he remembers me wearing an old rugged, ragged New York Yankees hat. I still love that hat!”

The two lovebirds married in 2001 and lived in Delaware while Ramon rode at Delaware Park. After a few years, they moved to Maryland, near Laurel, where he raced. Following his career, they moved to a farm near Fair Hill, a training center in the northeast corner of Maryland.

“That was great, and we raised our two boys there during the first years of their lives. It was a beautiful place and we still go down there to visit. It’s truly God’s country!” she noted. “And the people are salt of the earth. What was happening then became the stepping stone for Ramon’s career and prepared him to race full time in New York. He’d been racing in Saratoga during the summers, then during the winter he would race in Aqueduct in Queens, New York. He actually would leave on Wednesday morning and come home Sunday night. I was at the farm with our two boys, and he realized he was missing them growing up. That’s when we made the decision to make the move to New York.”

Ramon has recorded 4,985 U.S. victories in his career as a jockey, which was cut short on January 18, 2013, when he was aboard Convocation in the seventh race, a $30,000 claiming race, at Aqueduct. Approaching the five-sixteenths pole, his mount clipped heels with the horse in front of him and he went down hard to the inner track. He was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and multiple skull fractures. Though he underwent extensive therapy, doctors told Ramon and Sharon that he could not hit his head again. He announced his retirement on June 13, 2013.

This fateful day obviously changed the course of his and Sharon’s entire world. His history will give some perspective of just how talented he is as a jockey. Ramon began riding horses at age 16 in his native Venezuela in show jumping, then turned to riding thoroughbreds after immigrating to the United States in 1996. In 2001, he became the winningest jockey in the United States. He achieved this honor again in 2003, and in 2004 he won the Isaac Murphy Award for having the highest winning percentage among jockeys. He is the second jockey in Saratoga’s history to win six races on a single race card and he did it twice in the same race meet. Ramon also received the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 2012; it is given each year to a jockey, chosen by his peers, who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct both on and off the racetrack.

“He got hurt on a Friday, and we were due to fly out the next day to Miami, where he was to receive the Eclipse Award, his third one in a row. The Eclipse is one of the higher-ranked awards and is awarded to jockeys, trainers, owners and even horses in all different categories based on the previous year’s performance,” Sharon noted.

Revelation of Purpose
Did this devastating event bring her down to the lowest of low? No. In fact, she had a bit of an epiphany while he was in the hospital, which was due to her never-ending positive outlook on life and how it keeps evolving. What Sharon has never shared before is that while she was there with him, she truly didn’t know how things were going to turn out.

“First of all, I have to say Ramon is my hero. I think whether you’re a jockey, or whatever career path you’re on and the rug is yanked out from under you, so to speak, it can be devastating,” she related. “Not only are you dealing with putting your life back together, but your mind is trying to decide what you will do next and how you will provide for your family. And what I love about Ramon is that he is able to handle all of that with such grace, which speaks volumes to his character. When he won big races he never got too high; then he would go through a slump, yet he always kept an even demeanor and I think that’s important. Whether you’re a jockey or a teacher, or whatever, hopefully it doesn’t define you as a person. I think the other thing that’s really key is that sometimes we get so caught up in our circumstances and we just try to get through each day that we lose sight of our vision and what we are truly capable of.

“I really had something come over me in the hospital that said, ‘Everything is going to be okay, and everything that is happening is supposed to be happening.’ I felt whatever was coming next was going to be bigger and greater! That sounds like a crazy thought to have when he had been winning and doing amazing things. But I believe God has a plan for all of us. We just have to trust that despite the adversities we may be facing, there is a bigger picture and we are just a piece in that picture.”

Refocused Energy
Sharon and Ramon now live in Long Island, New York, with their sons, Alex, 11, and Matthew, 10. Both are into soccer, Boy Scouts and other activities. They also have a summer home in Saratoga Springs. Alex and Matthew are well rounded, and she loves seeing the world through their young eyes. “Things we take for granted are ‘aha’ moments for them. it’s neat to see that kids have unlimited imaginations. It’s a good reminder for adults. I feel as we get older, we stop dreaming,” she mused. “The world is like an oyster in their hands. Parents and adults need to allow kids to dream. And that freedom for us should remain. What we want and where we want to be gets stripped away as we get older.”

Along with being a creative, energetic mom, Sharon and Ramon have a few projects they are working on together, one of which is creating a team in the network marketing industry, offering people health and freedom. She likes that this is a community of people lifting each other up. Another project is the Permanently Disabled Jockey Fund, for which they both had passion even before Ramon’s injury. This is a 501(c)(3) public charity that provides financial and day-to-day assistance to approximately 60 former jockeys who have suffered catastrophic on-track injuries. Since its founding in 2006, the fund has generously disbursed more than $7 million to permanently disabled jockeys and their families, most of whom have sustained paralysis or brain injuries, many in their 20s and 30s.

“It is a vital organization because the jockeys are putting their lives on the line and it’s important for us to offer support when they have given so much to this beautiful sport,” she continued. “Even though Ramon is not a recipient, I have a much better appreciation for what families go through when they do encounter an accident.”

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy is another organization that is near and dear to their hearts. Ramon is on the board of directors and Sharon helps with their fundraising efforts. Although the Chaplaincy is a Christian-based organization, it serves all people at the NYRA tracks. The chaplain serves as the official minister to this unique population, with a variety of ministries encompassing educational and social ministries, special events, emergency benevolence and recreational activities. Sharon noted, “They not only serve the spiritual needs of the racetrack community, but they provide back-to-school programs and Thanksgiving dinners, and during the holiday season you can sponsor a family who might not otherwise have presents to open.”

Creating Stepping Stones
She believes we are all in a position to give back even if it’s just something as simple as a smile to the cashier as you check out. She understands that is what makes the world a better place for all of us. “There’s always somebody out there for whom we don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes and it’s important for us to be kind to one another. A simple smile can mean the world. When we pay someone a compliment, a sincere one, not only does that person walk away happier, we feel good internally. It’s a win-win for everybody. I would challenge everyone reading this to take 30 days, and compliment three people each day you normally would not compliment!

“I like finding little things that help people move forward in their lives. I recently saw the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu’s inspirational quote, ‘The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ Take one step at a time and before you know it, it creates a snowball effect.”

Ramon will be inducted into the Horse Racing Hall of Fame this month at Saratoga Race Course. It is an award that is humbling to both Sharon and Ramon, and that is a truly exemplary coronation for his amazing life.

What inspires Sharon? How does she advise women who face struggle and adversity? “We are told ‘no’ so many times, even as adults, or that you’re too old; you can’t do that, you don’t have this or you don’t have that. Eventually that ‘no’ takes over and we start to believe it. What’s interesting is when Ramon started riding races he was told he didn’t look good on a horse and he wouldn’t make it. He knows, as I do, that it’s not what other people think; it’s about the belief we have inside ourselves.

“We all have circumstances but they do not define us, it’s our ability to dream beyond those circumstances that defines us. Everyone has a purpose and when we create a vision and take action we are living in purpose. It’s important to realize that we each are on a journey. You never know what someone is going through, so be kind.”

Are you using your life experiences as an excuse or as a tool to reach your dreams? Think about it for a minute. You may have your own epiphany. HLM

For more information, please visit Sharon’s website, ramonandsharon.com, the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund website at pdjf.org and the Chaplaincy site at rtcany.org.