By Orville Clarke, Gleaner WriterSINCE ITS inception in 1980, the Jamaica Racing Commission's Jockey's Training School programme has produced a number of good riders, including five who between them have won eight championship titles.
Critics of the programme still point to its shortcomings, however, as only seven batches, or about 100 riders, have graduated from the programme in the 22 years of its existence.
In the years prior to the programme, quality jockeys such as George HoSang, Winston Grifffiths, Andrew Ramgeet, Emilio Rodriquez, Charles Hussey and Hubert Bartley, not to mention Winston Ellis and Trevor McKenzie in the 60s, came through the stable system.
Towards the end of the 70s, the then chairman of the Jamaica Ra-cing Commission, Dennis Lalor, had a vision. He felt there were far too many jockeys unable to make a decent living in the existing system and set out to change it.
The Jockeys' School was born in 1980, and it was headed by Margaret Parchment - an Englishwoman with sound equine experience who was like a mother to the boys and is now a trainer.
The eight graduates (including Daniel Gazader and Headley Betancourt) from the very first batch in 1981 failed to set Caymanas Park on fire - and neither did the second in 1983, despite the emergence of a promising young apprentice in Gary Santos.
It wasn't until 1986 that the programme really took off. Among the graduates were Trevor Simpson, Joe Buchanan and Percy Williams - all of whom went on to become champions. Also coming out of that programme was Rod DaCosta, who has carved out a fairly successful riding career and once rode five winners on a programme in February, 1993.
Today, Simpson is the island's top rider. Last year he rode a record 171 winners to break the long standing single season record of the legendary George HoSang which stood for 28 years. Simpson also leads the current standings despite being in the middle of an eight-day suspension.
The regular three-year span of the programme was broken in the late 80s and the next batch came on stream five years later in November, 1991.
Among the batch of 13 was a young lady, Azel Cowie, who on Saturday, January 25, 1992 created history when she became the first Jamaica woman to ride a winner at an official race meet. She won aboard the 12-1 shot HEARTEASE for veteran trainer, Eileen Cliggott.
Cowie proceeded to make a good impression in the saddle but after the first year, her rides dried up.
Cowie aside, only two apprentices from that batch are still active in the saddle today. They are Clive Lynch, currently one of the top riders and the useful Paul Ramsay.
Five more years elapsed before another set of young riders was trained at the Jockeys' School in 1996, and outside of the batch that produced Simpson and Buchanan, this one was the best.
In his first full season in the saddle, Wesley "Callaloo" Henry won the jockeys' championship in 1997, and three years later, Shane Ellis, son of former three-time champion Winston Ellis, followed suit. That batch also produced Richard Mitchell, Leo Miller, Anthony Baker, Andrew Thomas and Devon A. Thomas, all very much active in the saddle today.
The graduating class of 1999 looked promising during the first two years with Ramon Parish, Kenyatta Davis, Devon S. Thomas and Larris Allen looking likely to be numbered among the top jockeys riding today. However, the top two from that batch - Parish and Davis-- have failed to make a lasting impression.
If the early returns are anything to go by, the current batch of 21 could take its place alonside those of 86 and 96 insofar as quality is concerned.
In just over five months of riding, Paul "Country" Francis, Oneil Mullings and Dane Nelson have shown the necessary application to make the grade. With the likes of Phillip Clunis, Andrew Nunes and Phillip Parchment not far behind, their progress will be watched keenly in the months ahead.
