Although it may not have been the case, black riders, trainers, and grooms are now scarce at the Kentucky Derby. Oliver Lewis, the first Kentucky Derby winner, and his horse were trained by Ansel Williamson, a black man, back in 1875.
About the history of black horsemen, Ronald Mack, the founder of the Legacy Equine Academy, had noted in a Kentucky Educational Television documentary that 15 of the first 28 Kentucky Derby winners were black riders.
However, the Jim Crow segregation drove out the black population, which had a significant influence on the Kentucky Derby’s early history and there hadn’t been a black trainer before 1985, not since 1951.
Consequently, Larry Demeritte became the first person from the Caribbean and the first black trainer to compete in the Derby in 35 years, he hopes that more people of color will be able to participate in the sport today.
In an interview, with NPR’s Scott Detrow, the 70-year-old said that he has known horses for as long as he can remember, and given how short jockeys’ careers are, he knew he wanted to train horses since he can’t be a jockey.
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Over the years, Demeritte has been diagnosed with three different forms of cancer in addition to an uncommon condition known as amyloidosis. He claims that, despite having health issues, his trust in God has allowed him to maintain an optimistic attitude.
Larry said in the interview that, he believed that this was his calling in life and his chance to positively impact someone’s life.
“Everything is conceivable. However, you must put forth effort, don’t you? That’s my perspective on life”.
He claims that his sickness never causes him to lose concentration on the work at hand. With the big day coming this weekend, he’s optimistic about West Saratoga’s chances.
“There is nothing difficult about doing what you love. Put a smile on your face the moment you witness a horse perform well for you that morning. The good news is that Saratoga doesn’t have many terrible days”, he remarked.
