Stud farm party: Just horsing around
published: Friday | March 11, 2005
- CONTRIBUTED
Clovis Metcalfe (centre), Marlene Williams (left), and Annique Dawkins enjoy the fellowship at this year's HAM Stud Farm party.
Barbara Ellington, Senior Gleaner Writer
FROM MID-FEBRUARY to June every year, about five prized stallions on the HAM Stud Farm in St. Catherine get to have sexual intercourse with two mares daily and if one stallion's bloodline is particularly in demand, he could enjoy this privilege with as many as 100 mares during the season.
And to mark the start of the season, Clovis Metcalfe and his partners, Phillip Feanny and Howard Hamilton, throw one of the biggest parties ever. The guest list includes the who's who in the world of horse racing, their clients, prospective owners, their friends and families.
The music of the Merritones, some good Jamaican Sunday favourite dishes and all the drinks one could consume, combined with fellowship and great conversation, set the tone for a wonderfully relaxing afternoon and night.
Mr. Metcalfe told The Gleaner that the party now in its fifth year, is also used to say thanks to the horse owners who support the farm year after year.
"They allow us to keep and care for their horses as well as provide stud services for them," he explained.
TIMING
Timing is important to activities on the 15-year-old HAM Stud Farm. Since a mare's gestation time is 11 months, she must conceive at a certain time so that foals are not born before December of the conception year.
"Horses become classified as one-year-olds (yearling), every January, so we breed them with the hope of a foal in January," he said. There are currently five stallions on the farm and if all things are equal, each stallion can be in good condition for up to 26 years.
It is important to note:
If the stallion is not productive, clients don't use him. Service fee is between $30,000.00 and $40,000.00 each time. Yearlings are sold at auction annually in November for between $500,000.00 and $2 million. HAM Stud Farm can accommodate up to 200 horses. It costs the owner about $250,000.00 for keep and care, grooming, food and veterinary services annually. So, on party day, some solid deals could have been sealed by 6:15 p.m. when all the eager bodies hit the corral-styled dance floor where they gyrate to the soca and oldies, till sweat courses down their faces. This is one heck of a party and it's no wonder invitations are so well sought after.
Seen horsing around were: Bruce Golding, Bobby Pickersgill, Peter Lawson owner of some fine horseflesh, Daryl Vaz, Howard Mitchell, Rudolph Muir, Moses Peart, Herbie Lewis, Jimmy Chin, Steve Hanna, Joseph Duany, whose birthday celebration was the second half of the reason for this year's party; Jack Delisser, Howard McKenzie, Derick Smith, Owen Palmer, Errol Greene, Marjorie Burrowes, Richard Lewis, Herbert and Madge Lewis, Paul Wright, Pansy Bisnott, Alva Anderson, William Chin-See, Kenny Benjamin, Derrick Latibeaudiere, Howard Hamilton, Millicent Lynch, Dr. Verna Brooks-Mckenzie, Laurie and Ruth Hussey and their children, Malik and Sheena Azan, Desmond Bond, Keith Binns and Claudette O'Meally and scores more.
