His passion for horses and horse racing can be traced back to his teenage days. Some 35 years later,
John Watkins is still very much a fan, seeing and sharing that love through a unique lens.
He can’t quite recall the name of the book he read, the one that detailed tips on how to improve your chances at winning at the racetrack.
But the one thing Watkins does remember is that he couldn’t put it down.
“I guess I was about 16 or 17,” he started. “I found a book somewhere – an old paperback – that was named something like Gambler’s Digest. There was a whole section on horse racing and the writer spoke about a day he had at Fair Grounds Race Track in New Orleans. I just read that section over and over. I’m not from a racing family so I finally ended up begging my dad to take me to Greenwood Racetrack to watch harness racing.”
As far as first visits go, it couldn’t have gone any better for the younger Watkins.
He eyed a horse in the first race, made his way down to the windows and then placed a $2 win wager.
“I remember I won on my first bet,” said Watkins with a laugh. “I can’t remember the name of the horse, but I know the odds were 5-2. As soon as the horse crossed the wire, I was hooked.”
Trips to southern Ontario racetracks soon became a regular part of Watkins’ life.
He also introduced others to the sport.
“I went to Seneca College in the mid 80s and met a guy from England,” recalled Watkins. “We’d go and watch the thoroughbreds run at Greenwood when they were still running horses there. I started going to Woodbine, too. I enjoyed it every time I went.”
Major life changes, namely, marriage and the birth of two children, saw Watkins spend more time at home and less time at the races.
“I started photography back in the early 90s when my kids (Christopher and Chantal) were born,” he said. “If you have kids, you take lots of pictures. I even had a darkroom in my basement. But I kind of got out of it for a bit. My kids were growing up and we were taking them all over the place for sports and their other activities.”
In between raising a family, he also had to contend with a serious health issue.
“Nine years ago, I had a kidney transplant,” said Watkins, whose sister Nancy donated one of her kidneys. “I was on dialysis for five or six years before that. Once I got the transplant, there was that feeling of having a whole new lease on life. I just wanted to do everything.”
It was Watkins’ wife, Jane, who reminded him of his affinity for taking pictures.
“About three years after the transplant, I remember a moment of thinking, ‘What do I really want to do?’ My wife was the one who encouraged me to get back into photography. She talked about how much I loved it. She said, ‘Now you have time. Now you have energy. You should start it up again.’ So I did. She’s been my best supporter and has always encouraged me to go out and take pictures.”
So that’s precisely what Watkins did.
He also reconnected with another of his other favourite pursuits.
“About three or four years ago, I took a friend – who had never been to the races before – to Woodbine. “I remembered how much I enjoyed it and as soon as the race started, I fell in love with it all over again. I’ve been going regularly ever since. I used to go to Woodbine and Kawartha a lot and I’ve been to Mohawk a couple of times. Now mostly, it’s Woodbine and to Ajax, but occasionally, I’ll also get to some of the other tracks in southern Ontario. I love it. I love the horses. I love the people part of it and I love the atmosphere.”
It’s something he reminds himself of every time he heads to
Ajax Downs – camera always in hand – the Quarter Horse racetrack that’s less than a 20 minute drive from his Oshawa home.
The night before he makes the trip to Ajax, Watkins meticulously scans the program. He looks over each race to plan out where he wants to be to take pictures. He also figures out which horses he wants to place a wager on.
“What I do – especially when I’m at Ajax – is look at the program to see who is running where,” he noted. “Basically, I’m handicapping the races, but also adding photography to the mix. I try to figure out who is going to be up front, what jockeys give the best expressions – where I think the horses will be throughout the race. It’s the whole combination of the horse and the jockey.
“I put that all together and then plan where I’m going to stand. Do I want to be closer to the finish line to capture the winner, plus a couple horses in behind? Or do I want to plan to be near the starting gate if it seems it will be a close race for the first 100 yards? I like the dynamics when there are a lot of horses in the shot.”
Watkins also enjoys capturing the various facial expressions displayed by the Ajax riding colony during a race.
Two jockeys in particular have caught his attention.
“Chelsey Willick certainly stands out,” offered Watkins. “A lot of times she has this great expression on her face. I wouldn’t term it yelling, but it’s more of her encouraging the horse. Brian Bell always seems to have a great grin on his face as well.”
So, too, does the man behind the camera.
How could he not? In racing parlance, it’s Watkins’ winning exactor: the chance to combine two of his favourite hobbies in one place.
“I hope people take away what I do when I look at the pictures – love of the action, the interaction between human and horse, and the beauty of competition.”
By Chris Lomon
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To see more of John Watkins’ photos, including his horse racing gallery, visit
John Watkins Photo
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