Page 110 - Speedhorse July 2018

RACE TRACK OFFICIALS
CLERK OF SCALES
“I’ve done many things in the racing industry like identifier, claims clerk, taking entries —you name it.”
Floyd Campbell
by Dillon Hamilton
• HOME BASE: Phoenix, Arizona
• TITLES IN THE INDUSTRY: Clerk of Scales,
Jock Room Supervisor
• YEARS EXPERIENCE: 45 as a jockey, 3 as
a Clerk of Scales
• TRACKS: Energy Downs & Turf Paradise • HOBBIES: Bike riding
Floyd Campbell feels like he can “still go.” At 65, just four years after his retirement as a jockey, the 45-year Quarter Horse race veteran expressed his
willingness to climb back in the saddle for another go, but a knee replacement and new position keep him from joining the fray of young jockeys he will- ingly helps when they seek to draw from his wealth of racing knowledge. He has over 2,200 Quarter Horse starts, multiple Graded stakes wins, and nearly $1.4 million in earnings to confirm his wisdom. Campbell provides a friendly atmosphere to his jock’s room and a deep respect for those brave enough to saddle up.
As Clerk of Scales for Energy Downs in Gillette, Wyoming, and Turf Paradise in Phoenix, Arizona, Campbell is a busy man. We were lucky enough to contact him before his responsibilities on race day began. He was generous with his time and willing to answer all our questions thoroughly with a gracious amount of detail.
Q: How were you introduced to Quarter Horse racing?
A: I started riding races when I was 10 years old in Newkirk, Oklahoma. I didn’t have to have a license then.
Q: What is your fondest early memory of Quarter Horse racing?
A: Probably winning my first race when I was 11 years old in Newkirk, Oklahoma.
Q: What events transpired that led you from jockeying to Clerk of Scales?
A: Ten years before I quit riding, I got my accredita- tion to be a steward. I was a steward in Arizona for four years and returned to riding. I didn’t like the politics
of it because if you even talk to the riders as a steward, they call it fraternizing. I have friends of forty years and I’m going to always talk to those people. They kind of frowned on that. But, I still have my accreditation if I wanted to go back and be a racing official, I could. I’ve done many things in the racing industry like identifier, claims clerk, taking entries—you name it.
Q: Does your experience as a jockey & steward help with your work relationships?
A: Oh, yes. It helps very much. The young riders will ask me, ‘Floyd, what do you think about this or that?’ I’ll tell them I tried that forty years ago. It didn’t work then and it won’t work for you now. They like that and they really respect me because I’m down-to-earth with them, and I try to help them in any way I can.
Q: What do you find to be the most difficult part of your job?
A: Weighing the jockeys is probably the most dif- ficult part because of the ones that may be too big to ride. But, because of the shortage of riders in this part of the country, you’ve got to let them ride. It’s difficult because I never had any trouble. I could eat three meals per day. It didn’t matter if it was cake, fries, steak, or potatoes, I always weighed the same and I was always small. Some of these guys can just look at a drink of water and gain three pounds. It’s hard for them.
Q: What is the most enjoyable part of being a Clerk of Scales?
A: It’s seeing things come together for the riders and management taking good care of the riders. It’s great to see everyone working together and they’re all happy.
Q: Would you change anything about your job or the horse racing industry?
A: No, not really. They’ve got it down really well. Everything is good. You’re always going to have things you think should or shouldn’t happen, but there’s a lot of give and take.
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SPEEDHORSE, July 2018
Dillon Hamilton
THE BACKSIDE