Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) steward Antoine Nembhard says jockeys are migrating north for richer pickings in the racing game and also for a the lack of riding opportunities in Jamaica.

It’s a drain that is not a worrying trend for stakeholder in the sport as the country has fluid pipeline producing top-quality reinsmen.

Nembhard indicated that with jockeys not able to get regular mounts, they, therefore, often look at option to multiply their income.

“One of the biggest motivators would be earnings. They [jockeys] are able to earn substantially more while riding overseas than what they would earn here in Jamaica, plus because of the vast number of tracks available, they have a greater potential to get employment,” Nembhard told the Jamaica Observer.

“If they [jockeys] are reconciled in Jamaica, the chances of them being engaged for riding purposes are slimmer because there are so many more people here in one place riding for the same jobs.

“So when you get into the United States, where there are many different tracks available, certainly there is more opportunity for them as we have a set number of horses that are in the population and you have a set number of races that we can run each year,” Nembhard further explained.

Nembhard said that with the intensive training of jockeys, what this enabled them to do was to go into any riding jurisdiction and be able to be competitive at the highest level.

“For us, we encouraged it [for riders to pick contracts overseas] because we wanted to make sure that we trained them to the highest standards and make them available to the international market to come out in brand Jamaica.

“We want them to accept that. Look, Jamaica is producing high-calibre riders that can go literally to any jurisdiction in the world and compete at the highest level. We also have no gender barriers because we trained both men and women,” he said.

“Firstly, the riders are enrolled in our Jamaica Jockeys’ School programme, and this programme is one that is commissioned, organised and run by the JRC, and they get the combination of riding skills and there is a classroom setting that speaks to general knowledge about horses, horsemanship, and anatomy of the horses, and there is a medical component that gets them to how to care for and preserve an animal. School is for six months and upon completion of the school, they are now going to be recognised as riding apprentices.” Nembhard added.

Currently, there are top Jamaican jockeys who are plying their trades on the international racing circuit, among them Trevor Simpson, a five-time Jamaican champion rider with 1,495 winners locally and 500 winners internationally; four-time Jamaican champion Dane Nelson with 1,217 winners locally and 326 internationally; and Andrew Ramgeet, a three-time champion in Jamaica with 1,149 winners and 1,772 winners internationally.

There are also the likes of Robert Halledeen, who this year took up a riding contract at Thistle Down, who has 380 winners locally and so far has ridden 17 winners internationally; and Larris Allen, who has 259 local wins and 427 winners internationally.

In the past, you had the likes of former champion jockeys Shane Ellis, who has so far won 1,318 on local soil and over 100 winners overseas; Charles Hussey, with 1,239 winners locally and 476 internationally; and George HoSang, with 642 winners on local soil and 1,395 winners on the international stage.

Nelson, who is currently riding at the Century Mile racetrack in Edmonton, Canada, said that he welcomes every opportunity he gets to ride on the international riding circuit.

“Yea, the money is great as you have your family to take care of, but for me it is all about the experience and the opportunity to build my brand. It’s good to ride overseas because you can always learn more, improve your skills, and visit a variety of racetracks.

“It’s a new world up here and the fundamentals that you learn from back home will always play an important role in your success overseas. And riding overseas gives you the opportunity to learn and get better at what you do,” Nelson told the Observer.

Nembhard said that with riders in every corner of the globe, especially in North America and Europe, this bodes well for Brand Jamaica.

“We do have some riders promoting Brand Jamaica and are representing quite successfully the Jamaican brand and how do you know that they are actually achieving success? [You know this by] the reports that we received from these jurisdictions.

“The riders who go out there and do tend to become successful. You don’t hear them getting involved in any controversy, and they often remain there for a very long time. So sometimes when you don’t see a certain rider in Jamaica, it is because he is plying his trade and making a living and so the opportunities are endless,” he ended.