Margaret Parchment is at present Jamaica’s only female trainer of horses.

Parchment has been around horses all her life, having been engaged in show jumping and cross country sports in her native England.

But having arrived in St Elizabeth, Jamaica, around the mid-1970s and found that horse racing was dormant here, she then joined another Englishwoman, Eileen Cliggott, at her stables as her assistant in 1977 for a couple of years and then became a licensed trainer.

“Horses are my life and I would like to see things improve in racing, especially for the horses. More so, I would like to see some better races put on for horses to go a distance of ground. There was a time when it was compulsory that a 10-furlong race was put on each month, generally for horses that are bred for that distance.

“We are breeding horses to stay a distance of ground, and all that we can see is everybody battling along with races over six and seven furlongs. These types of races only serve to mash up the horses, so that by the time they may be ready to race, they are damaged, many of them irreparably,” Parchment complained.

“Such a move is counterproductive in an industry in which scarce capital is concentrated. Breeding is key, and if you are not going to train horses to get a distance of ground, then what is the purpose of bringing in stock to the country that is capable of getting a mile and a quarter for Derbys and so forth, but there are no races for them?

“The situation now leaves the owners and trainers in a state of flux; they get anxious and are rushing them (the horses) – which means many a promising talent may never reach its potential. I earnestly would like to see some changes in this area.

“With the new management in place, I don’t know, we may see some changes in this area. We are now waiting anxiously to see what will happen when that (divestment) comes about. I am looking for the place to be improved in looks and in other areas of operation,” a hopeful Parchment said.

When asked how successful she had become as a trainer, this was Parchment’s reply: “Success is something that can be measured only on one’s focus. I have a number of home-bred that I bred from moderate broodmares. For me, that is a success, but maybe not for persons who want to win a lot of races, money and what not, and never mind how this was achieved. That’s not me. My success comes from the satisfaction of raising your own horses and winning some races with them. They may not be Derby winners, but every win is a success to me, so I could not tell you how many races I’ve won. I have no idea as I don’t bother about that sort of thing. I enjoy my racing; I enjoy seeing other horses. I just love horses. For me, the success at my age is that I am able to continue to do what I am doing and to enjoy the little successes when they come my way. Generally, I think that is what life is about. It’s not the big money. Everybody needs money because you have to pay bills, but it’s not the only thing for me.”