Longtime Louisiana Trainer Eddie Johnston Dies

Longtime Louisiana trainer Eddie Johnston died Aug. 28 following a battle with cancer. He was 74. 

Close friend and fellow horse trainer Sturges Ducoing remembered Johnston as a "true friend, very loyal, and totally, totally a family man. He lived for his family—his wife, his kids, and his grandkids—did everything that he could possibly could for them."

Johnston got his start on the racetrack hotwalking for his uncle, Alex Johnston. He began training in 1981, according to Equibase statistics, and remained a trainer throughout his life. Through Aug. 31, Johnston had won 558 races from 2,988 starts and his horses over the years have collected almost $13 million in earnings. His top horses included Louisiana's 2015 champion 3-year-old filly Pacific Pink  and Louisiana's 2003 champion older horse Zarb's Luck.

Louisiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association president Benard Chatters said that Johnston had served as a Louisiana HBPA board member and a longtime mainstay trainer in the state.

"Definite loss for the racehorse community," Chatters said. "In the political things he was always a big help. He was a good horseman too."

In addition to working as a horse trainer, Johnston also worked selling supplies to hotels, restaurants, casinos, racetracks, Ducoing said. Ducoing added that Johnston was known to keep a condition book in his briefcase. 

"He never wanted to sit still," said Ducoing, who had rented an apartment with Johnston during meets at Evangeline Downs. "We're in the apartment … and I'm sitting on the sofa watching something on TV—golf, football, something—and he's 'C'mon let's go to the show, let's go hit golf balls, let's go play golf, let's go…' He was never one to sit around and do nothing. He always wanted to be active and he always was."

Johnston is survived by his wife Jeanne, sons Eddie and Scott, and grandchildren Scott and Katie.