By Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterFORMER MEMBER of Parliament, Vin Edwards, was elected president of the Jamaica Racehorse Trainers Association (JRTA) yesterday when he defeated Bernard Vincent by an overwhelming margin at the biennial general meeting held in the Trainers' Room at Caymanas Park.
The post became vacant when long-time president Lee Clarke said he would not be seeking re-election due to other commitments. Clarke is the Deputy Mayor of Kingston.
Edwards, Clarke's deputy for the past eight years, came into the race as a howling favourite and in the end was elevated to the top post, beating his opponent 102-34. If that wasn't enough, Edwards' slate of candidates for the remaining posts all won by unanimous acclaim.
They are Gresford Smith (1st vice-president), Dalton Lawrence (2nd vice-president), Frank Parham (3rd vice-president), Randolph Scott retaining his post as secretary and Michael Hall returning to the post of treasurer. Elected to the Executive were Lee Clarke, John McKenzie, Welsh Soutar and Raymond Townsend.
Of the 154 trainers and assistant trainers eligible to vote, as many as 136 cast their ballots.
SMOOTH AND TRANSPARENT
This being the second attempt by the JRTA to hold the election in recent weeks the first having to be aborted on February 15 everyone was satisfied that the procedure agreed on by both parties was smooth and transparent, even the bottle in which the votes were placed was transparent.
The election was presided over by an appointed mediator, Lloyd Chin from Linstead, and votes counted in the presence of all, including two scrutineers from opposing camps seated at the head table.
Vincent, who had voiced concerns before and after the aborted attempt on February 15, conceded that the process was fair.
He congratulated the new president, at the same time insisting that the JRTA "return to the Constitutional rules and regulations for the provision of an Annual General Meeting every year and election of officers every two years".
This procedure he said had fallen down in recent years.
Amid shouts of "landslide", "one to nine" and "loose horse" from his supporters in the packed room, Edwards, a former People National Party (PNP) MP for Western St. Mary (1977-1980) and ex-Parish Councillor of the Boscobel Division, said he was overwhelmed by the mandate which he described as one of the biggest ever.
"I pledge myself to do everything for the development and preservation of the ordinary trainers in racing", he promised.
"Our experience today is even better than the nation's electoral system", added Edwards, who further stated that his first objective as president was full involvement of the JRTA in the divestment process as there were concerns on the part of its members as to how it will affect trainers in particular.
In addition, he said the JRTA will be calling on the Jamaica Racing Commission to review some of the outdated rules of racing.
Leroy Brown, president of the Jockeys Association of Jamaica, said he welcomed the victory of Edwards, as he has worked alongside him over the years and has found him to be a man who has the right ideas to many of the problems in racing.
"He will make a difference and I am looking forward to working with him," he declared. Similar sentiments were also echoed by outgoing president Lee Clarke, who was on hand to give support to his former deputy.
