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• WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME A JOCKEY? My dad was a jockey in the late 50's and early 60's and I wanted to be like my dad. I really enjoyed being around the horses and the race track. I was small which really help, but so were both my parents.

• HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU RODE YOUR FIRST RACE AND ON WHO? I was seventeen in my first semester of my senior year in high school. I rode a horse by the name of Vanmeholme at old Bowie Race Track. It was really cool because my dad borrowed a pony and held on to the horse while we warmed up so he wouldn't run off with me before the race He didn't run very well, but at least I didn't fall off.

• WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST WIN? Without a doubt, the biggest and most exciting was the Preakness Stakes in 1983 on Deputed Testamony.

• WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER MOST ABOUT THAT RACE? I remember everything like is yesterday. The most exciting thing I remember was rounding the far turn into the stretch along the rail and wondering whether I was going to get through the hole before Chris McCarron saw me. But the funniest was thinking to myself as I crossed the finish line ''Thank God I didn't screw it up!''

• HAVE YOU HAD ANY SERIOUS INJURIES? No, I've not had any serious injuries, mostly just bumps and bruises. But I did damage my hearing enough that I was at risk of losing it permanently. There was also a possibility of losing my equilibrium. With strong recommendations from several doctors, I figured it was time to find another career.

• WHAT RACE TRACK DID YOU ENJOY RIDING AT MOST AND WHY? I really liked riding at Keeneland Race Track in Kentucky. The atmosphere there is incredible. Lots of fast women and pretty horses. Closer to home I liked riding at Laurel Park because it is a 1 1/8 mile track, with much bigger turns, giving more room to place your horse in a position to win.

• WHAT GOALS DID YOU NOT ACCOMPLISH DURING YOUR CAREER? Like most jockeys, I would have loved to win the Kentucky Derby. Fortunately I did get to ride the Derby in 1989. The horse, Windsplitter, was a top horse in Maryland, but Derby level was a little much for him. I think what really made it special for me was that my grandparents who lived in the Louisville, Kentucky area were able to come and watch me ride. My grandmother passed away not long after that. Beyond that, I really wanted to ride a Saratoga Summer Meet. I was never able to get my weight down enough to be competitive at Saratoga.

• WHAT ADVISE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNG RIDER, THAT WOULD HELP THEM TO SUCCEED? Find a jockey that has been successful year after year and watch them. Ask them a lot of questions. As a young Jockey, you really need to find a mentor, it's extremely important, mine was Vincent (Jimbo) Braccaille.

• WHAT DO YOU DO NOW TO MAKE A LIVING? I have been a real estate investor for years. I have a good understanding of how it works, so it was easiest for me move into that field quickly. I now have a company called The ATACgroup with a partner and very good friend. We also run a real estate auction company called Express Real Estate Auction Services . I'm the Director of Sales. It's a lot of fun.

• WHAT DO YOU THINK RACING CAN DO TO MAKE ITSELF MORE APPEALING TO FANS? The number one thing racing should do is to utilize jockeys more. Horses can't talk and trainers are generally (unfortunately) in the background. In our society, athletes are a huge draw, racing should use them to it's advantage. Many of these guys can bring a wealth of knowledge to what's going on out on the track and can articulate it in a way that nobody else can.