As luck would have it we got there after All American derby winner High Easter Jet and leading
leading trainer had just got back from Ruidoso. Johnny Goodman,regular grooms were taking time
off. Assistant trainer Dennis Blackmon hired us taking care of ten head apeice 150$ and glad to get
it.40 stalls, the older horses trained lightly. The younger horses went to round pen first then we
started taking to gate.Every Texan on grounds helped us every way possible. Teaching wrapping legs
to standing in ice to pinfiring shins. Johnny Goodman Racing team.Dennis, Henry, Tom Dooley and
his son little Tom, Booger Red(gallop boy). As season grew closer regular grooms returned keith and
3 more. We learned what a racing team was. Johnny pulled in one day and said I,ve got two good horses for yall, Ernie and his wife,the regular gallop boy at Ruidoso. Ernie broke these horses and we took
Special Effort to gate 1rst time. Dennis headed I was told to stand behind and hit with razor strop.
Well when gate popped I swung down as hard as I could Ernie and the horse were gone before I smashed
my hand against gate (hurt severly). From there on Johnny was at barn every day. We learned every day.
I was bitten,pawed, kicked,dragged down shedrow, stopped runaway walking wheels.Things I couldn't even imagine.Johnny's card had a saying, Just because you got a yacht that wont get you into the yacht club but if you own a race horse they cant keep you out of the Winners circle. We worked on till time to go to New Mexico.We were one big family bbqued every day during those training days. those texans played every trick possible on us.Then in Ruidoso we beat everything they threw at us