Troy Garnett’s life has always been about happy walks.
Growing up in horse racing-rich Barbados, it didn’t take long for the wide-eyed kid to find his way to the country’s premier Thoroughbred racetrack.
“I lived a stone’s throw from the Garrison Savannah, so on weekends I would be at the track,” recalled Garnett, of the historic Bridgetown oval. “When I was out of school during the summers, I would be at the track.
“It was five minutes away, so I would get up early in the mornings and go there. For most people, getting up early is tough, but for me, knowing I would see the horses made it easy to wake up. The horses helped me be a morning person from a very young age.”
They also made him yearn for a life in racing.
Garnett wore a wide smile each time he made the short trek to Garrison Savannah.
He positively beamed when he received a job offer to work with Thoroughbreds.
“I would help the horse people at Garrison Savannah. It gave me the experience of working with the horses and handling them. I would cool out the horses, graze them and groom them.”
Eventually, Garnett pondered the thought of pursuing a riding career.
That idea, however, was quickly shot down.
“I wanted to be a jockey, but my mom was having no part of that,” said Garnett with a laugh. “She told me that I had to go into the army or learn a trade. I didn’t go the route of the army, so I went out and learned a trade.
“I was a professional press operator in the printing industry. But the thing with horses is that no matter what you do, they draw you back in.”
And that is exactly what happened to Garnett.
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