Eric Messiah. (Coglianese Photo)
Musician/Valet: “It’s Not Really a Job. It’s a Lifestyle.”
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – When Eric Messiah moved from Antigua to New York as a 15-year-old, he was homesick.
“It was kind of weird because I had no connection to back home,” Messiah said.
His feeling of loneliness didn’t last long.
“I could see Belmont [Park] from my mother’s house,” he recalled. “First time I saw Belmont racetrack I asked my mother, ‘What’s that big building over there?’ “
When Messiah’s mother told him it was a racetrack, “First chance I got, I got on my bike and rode over to Belmont,” Messiah said.
From hotwalker to exercise rider for Tom Skiffington, Gary Sciacca and Ralph Nicks, to valet, Messiah has made a career on the racetrack…and as a steelpan musician.
“My first love of music came from listening to steel bands,” Messiah said. “I started playing steelpan when I was 11, 12 years old. No matter where I go, I try to find people who play pan.”
For Messiah, playing pan and working at the track is something he wouldn’t give up.
“We work hard but we enjoy each other’s company,” he said. “It’s not really a job. It’s lifestyle. It’s like a family here, a whole bunch of brothers.”
