By Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterMARGARET Parchment, the only female trainer still active at Caymanas Park, bemoans the diminishing role of professional women in racing.
She recalls that there was a time 10 years ago when four women were training horses on a regular basis at the Park. Led by the legendary Eileen Cliggott, the others were Emma Chen, the Panamanian Gloria Castillo and herself.
Indeed, Parchment describes Cliggott, her mentor, as a true pioneer.
Mrs. Cliggott not only set the stage for others of her sex, including the late Bev Rhoden and Pauline Dwyer, but for many years in the 80s was the leading all-time trainer in Jamaica.
She was in fact the first to saddle 800 winners before giving way to Billy Williams, then Kenneth Mattis and of course 13-time champion Philip Feanny.
Due to failing health, Cliggott (an Englishwoman) was unable to continue and retired during the past year at age 84.
Chen, on the other hand, apparently backed away in frustration after enjoying fair success, while Castillo packed up and left the island some years ago, even though she was no stranger to saddling winners.
That leaves Parchment as the sole flag bearer and with nobody new stepping up to replenish the ranks, she is not happy with the situation.
"I would like to see more of us in the role of trainers, jockeys and grooms. However, most of the women who have experience with horses in Jamaica are associated with equestrian sports like show jumping and polo. Of course, they love horses but they don't seem to love horse racing.
"The truth is that training can be a rough life. You have to be committed seven days a week and part of the night.
TIME CONSUMING , FRUSTRATING
"It's very time consuming and at times frustrating. That's why in Jamaica it's a male dominated profession," she explains.
After coming here from England in 1968, Parchment quickly made a name for herself in local show jumping circles. But her profound love of horses took her a step further, firstly to the Jamaica Racing Commission's Jockeys Training School as its first supervisor/riding instructor when its doors opened in 1981, then ultimately to training.
She obtained her licence in 1990 and despite having only horses of moderate ability at her disposal, keeps soldiering on with only a hatful of winners to show for her efforts in recent years.
Winning horses among her eight-strong string are ANNIE'S ONE BUCK, PHOENIX RISING, BUCKS ORCHID and NAVAHO TRAIL. She also trains VIENTO, JUST A BUCK, SPEED HOWARD and an unraced Law of The Sea 2-y-o filly. Most are owned jointly by Parchment and her constant companion, Vin Lumsden, who assists her with running a small farm, Crazy Horse, in Bushy Park, St. Catherine.
"I just need some good horses", she emphasises. "What I have is mostly problem horses but I do the best I can with them."
One of her charges, VIENTO just failed to create a 99-1 upset on October 11, failing by a neck to catch another outsider, BRINGMEJOY, over the circular nine course. VIENTO was ridden by veteran Joe Woodit who along with former champion apprentice Gary Santos is used frequently by the trainer.
"I am happy with them", she says of Santos and Woodit. "They give me justice, they have the interest and they know the horses."
"Santos was one of my best apprentices at the Jockeys' School before he graduated in 1983 and did pretty well afterwards", she recalls. "These days he's an underrated jockey but I think a lot more use could be made of him by other trainers".
On the subject of the Jockeys School, Parchment had this to say:
"It was a good experience but in the end I had mixed feelings. Some of the things I would have liked to see done were not done and this would have made the school more meaningful. An exchange programme for example.
THE WHIP
"The majority of the young apprentices don't know how to use the whip these days. The school is not what it used to be", she moaned. "It needs somebody like George HoSang on a regular basis."
Parchment noted that after Azel Cowie made the breakthrough by becoming the first Jamaican woman to win a race at Caymanas Park in 1992, it is a sad reflection on the sport that no other woman has followed in her footsteps.
Parchment sees herself as an advocate for better working conditions for racing personnel at Caymanas Park. In light of this she is a staunch supporter of the Jamaica Racehorse Trainers Association which, by its actions, has not endeared itself to the promoting company, Caymanas Track Limited.
"Everything you want is a hassle and the only way to get things done is to pull together", she said.
Despite the problems, the 65-year-old Parchment, whose son Wayne also followed her into the training ranks before moving to Florida, said she will continue in racing as long as possible, pledging:
"I shall die with mi boots on."
