Cousley

The late trainer and 'Hall of Fame' jockey Neville Cousley, who passed away on the evening of Friday, January 4 will be laid to rest on Sunday.

Funeral service will take place at the Arlene Gardens Gospel Assembly, 112 Molynes Road, starting at 1:30 p.m. Interment follows at Dovecot Memorial Park.

A two-time champion jockey, Cousley collapsed and died at his Cambridge Street residence in Franklyn Town, Kingston 16 after a short illness. He was 71.

As a top flight jockey in the 1960s and 1970s, Cousley won back-to-back championships in 1962 and 1963.

Popularly called 'Shortman', Cousley rode a total of 362 winners in a long and distinguished career which started at Knutsford Park in the late 1950s.

His final winner - SLIDE MONGOOSE (which he trained) - came on July 18, 1981.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Thoroughbred Racing in 1994 for his exploits as a jockey.

Despite being asthmatic, he was still active as a trainer up to the time of his death, saddling 74 winners.

The last of these was GOLCONDA (which he owned) with Clive Lynch up on March 10 last year.

Other winning horses trained by Cousley include HEART OF STONE, FITZROY, THE FIRM, STRAIGHTTO-THEHEART, FANTASTIC BLUE, POWER AND GLORY, BOLD REBEL, ANWAR, WELL FULL, NANCY'S BEAU, SHAKIRA, STACCATO, LAUGHING TIME, GREENING, DYNAMIC QUEEN, EXEMPLARY and HONEY WIT.

The 2006 Derby winning trainer, Eraldo 'Lance' Fullerton (Ranson Man), a close friend of Cousley for nearly 30 years, described him as "humble, kind and decent", adding that he would be sadly missed.

Reacting to his death, Vin Edwards, president of the Jamaica Racehorse Trainers' Association, extended condolences to his family.

Cousely is survived by two children, five grandchildren, other relatives and friends.

- O.C.