That almost child-like sense of wonder and enthusiasm.

It’s the hallmark of a deep love for and interest in a particular topic, and when Clovis Metcalfe talks about horses and horse racing, one can hear it immediately and distinctly, with a sense of righteous (read humble) pride mixed in.

It’s a sense that is virtually innate for Metcalfe, and it came to the fore during his childhood days. The young Metcalfe would accompany his father, by train, to a racetrack near Old Harbour known as Little Marlie (unknown to many Jamaicans, the popularity of horse racing in Jamaica was such that up to the mid-1900s there were several racetracks across the island).

There, he was greatly impressed by the spectacle of the sport: the colours, the flurry of activity, and the horses themselves. Thus initiated, that bond was strengthened throughout his high school days at St George’s College, where on breaks he would allow himself to be enthralled by listening to the great racing commentators of yesteryear.

Even in his fledgling ventures into what would be his other great career, banking, Metcalfe continued his fealty to horse racing, making regular weekend trips, this time to Caymanas Park (opened in 1959).

“In those days,” he recalled, “the bank would actually open on Saturdays, but soon as it closed, myself and several of my colleagues, we would be heading out to the track.”

It was, in fact, one of his bank customers — the proprietors of a betting shop called Maurice’s (they soon became friends) — who started conversations with Metcalfe about actually becoming horse owners. That eventually led to a partnership with the likes of Billy Williams and Maxie Morrison, among others, and shortly after, with the now deceased Joe Duany, known far and wide as “Fudgie”, for whom I’m Satisfied was a popular Jamaican Triple Crown winner.

With the establishment of HAM Stables, in partnership with Howard Hamilton and trainer Phillip Feanny, Metcalfe enjoyed some of his greatest moments in the sport, including having horses win the Triple Crown, the Gold Cup, and the Superstakes. He speaks in glowing terms of the legendary trainer, 14-time champion Feanny, and his ability to spot future greats.

Metcalfe’s humility may preclude him from mentioning, but as of 2022 his name has resounded at the track in a significant way. The Clovis Metcalfe Trophy, an Open Allowance race, is now an annual fixture, courtesy of racing promoters Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment (SVREL), which has wisely deciding to “give Metcalfe his flowers”, as the saying goes, whilst he is alive and well to receive them.

Metcalfe’s love for the sport and concern for its development continue even as he transitioned into administration, initially as a board member of the former Caymanas Track Limited and then to his current posts as chair of both the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Commission (BGLC) and the Jamaica Racing Commission.

Having regulatory oversight of both horse racing and the betting activity, which is its lifeblood, gives Metcalfe a well-informed perspective on this extremely valuable sector of the nation’s economic and social life. It provides particular insight indeed, as more than 30,000 people are either directly or indirectly involved in horse racing — from grooms and farriers to veterinary staff, jockeys, trainers, owners, and more.

The BGLC also regulates another 30,000 gaming machines and terminals across the island.

It’s a diverse, demanding portfolio and it calls for a specific set of values. The BGLC team bundles them in the acronym TRAIT: teamwork, respect, accountability, integrity, and transparency. For Metcalfe, however, these are more than corporate markers, they are his collective personal calling card.

“Functioning as we do, making recommendations to Government, providing for the smooth running of these very important contributor industries, and facing the public in several ways, integrity and transparency are critical aspects of how we operate, and I take that commitment personally,” he said.

One aspect of that commitment, especially in relation to the racing fraternity and the public at large, lies in giving back. Events like the BGLC Raceday, with its 19th renewal on Emancipation Day, Tuesday, August 1, provides the organisation with an opportunity to demonstrate its support for the industry, both tangibly in purses and socially in welcoming fans and punters to experience some of that same thrill that hooked the young Metcalfe in his formative years.

These days, the enjoyment is not to be had only at Caymanas or, indeed, only in Jamaica. With punters — largely Jamaican connections — in New York and Canada now receiving the signal, and with simulcasting to the myriad off-track locations across the island, Jamaican horse racing, and the betting that supports it, is growing by lengths.

Metcalfe is confident of the regulator’s ability to keep pace and to further strengthen its oversight capacity of the combined industries. This includes the ongoing process of negotiating partnerships with organisations such as HEART/NSTA Trust to provide certifications to jockeys and other service personnel.

Ultimately, the ongoing mission of the BGLC is to ensure a safe, integral, rules-based environment in which the public can experience the unmatched thrills of not only the sport of kings but the related thrills of wagering and gaming.

It’s easy to keep talking with him. That almost child-like sense of wonder and enthusiasm is refreshing — a unique attribute, indeed, of this horseman for all seasons.