When did you start your career as a trainer?

Well, I started out as an assistant trainer to Gerry Skelton in the mid-1960s and received my trainer’s licence in either 1972 or 1973.

Which horse was your first winner?

I believe it was William Tell in either 1973 or 1974.

Which was your longest odds winner?

That was Castagna at odds of 50-1, going 1100 metres.

Which is the best horse that you have trained?

I will say definitely The Admiral. This is a horse that ran from five furlongs (1000 metres) to a mile (1600 metres), but he never remained sound for any great length of time. He did, however run 59 seconds for five furlongs round, 1:12.0 for six furlongs and 1:38.0 for a mile. His racing days were cut short as he had a hoof problem, and at the time we had no farriers in Jamaica who knew how to deal with that type of problem so we had to bring down a farrier who dealt with it. The hoof held up for three months and then went bad again. Without Had that problem his potential would have been enormous. He is now in retirement enjoying himself on the farm at Orange Valley Estate in Trelawny.

Which was the best horse you have seen race at Caymanas Park?

The best horse that I have seen race was Birnamwood, not at Caymanas Park, winning A-1 with 10 stone 7 lbs going a mile and a half, and the best sprinter I have seen race was Live trained by Gerry Skelton. This was at Caymanas Park, while Birnamwood raced at Old Harbour. Birnamwood, a local-bred horse, consistently won A-1 races against very good imported horses and when he went to stud he was a pretty good stallion. The only stallion to better him at stud was Zaluecus, and Zaluecus was probably the best stallion that ever came to Jamaica. I have seen Birnamwood sire horses here of the calibre of Jackson. The mare was even put to Zaluecus but they never got another Jackson and Zaluecus got the top mares at Orange Valley. So if Birnamwood had got the top mares, who knows what he might have done for the local breeding industry then?

Live was a horse that Mrs Cliggott trained and Skelton got his while in A-2 and took him straight to A-1 with 140 lbs soon after leaving Mrs Cliggott. This is a horse who ran one minute going five furlongs when the track was deep. This was a very strong performance, but his racing life was cut short as he died from colic. But if he had lived, his potential would have been tremendous.

Who influenced your career the most?

Oh, definitely Gerry Skelton. He was a man with a wealth of experience. Just to be around him and observe how he prepared his horses was a tremendous fillip for an enthusiastic mind getting into the business of horse management. He would bandage 20 horses every morning by himself. The only grooms who would be allowed to bandage horses at for Skelton were Fitz Crawford and Charles Morrissey who were both part of the stable staff. There were good reasons for Skelton to get the job done personally as the bandages were crepe and if they were not done well the horses would get a tendon injury. Gerry would tell you he was going to win a race, and as a youth you would second guess him, but when the race was won you would be convinced not to doubt his knowledge of his trade.