Jamaican jockey Orlando “Chucky” Foster has emerged as a key player on the Canadian racing scene.

Foster, who has been plying his trade mostly at the Rocky Mountain Turf Club (RMTC) and Grand Prairie in Canada, has been doing well with some good performances.

The 2024 season proved to be a breakout year for Foster, as according to US-based website Equibase, he has ridden 31 winners, 28 second-place finishes, 26 thirds, from 127 mounts with earnings of CAN$164,326.

These results have earned him the championship title at Grand Prairie for the July 6 to August 25 race meet. Foster, who rode 16 winners for the meet, edged out fellow Jamaican Garfield Gordon and Blandford Stewart for the title.

Foster’s other winners were at Lethbridge-based RMTC, where he rode five winners to tie for second place with Simpson in the May 9 to June 29 meet and 10 winners to finish second behind Trevor Simpson (11 winners) in the September 1 to October 14 meet.

Foster’s success in Canada is a far cry from his experiences in Jamaica, where he had yet to win a championship title or reach the milestone of 100 wins. However, the talented jockey is grateful for the opportunity to showcase his skills in a new market.

“Winning the championship, I feel like a champion,” Foster exclaimed.

“Everyone is calling me ‘champs’ now. I mean, I never got that feeling before, to know what a champ feels like, but I am very happy and grateful for it. I must thank everyone for their support along the way.

“I have never won a championship here in Jamaica nor have I won a 100 races but I am close to that 100 though,” Foster said.

As Foster prepares to defend his title in the upcoming season, he remains committed to his craft, driven by a passion for racing and a determination to succeed.

“I’m going to defend my title,” Foster declared.

“The battle for the championship was always between Trevor Simpson and Larris Allen, but unfortunately for Allen, he wasn’t there last year, and I mean, I took the title over from Trevor. I’m very pleased. It was a good season for me. Every year I kept knocking at the door, and it finally opened for me.

“It was a good season for me. Every year I kept knocking at the door and it finally opened for me. I just couldn’t get the right horses to ride. I rode freelance that year because it’s not like you have an agent over there; your agent is yourself over at my racetrack. I try to get the best horses in every race,” he explained.

Foster’s journey to success in Canada began when his friend Ruja Lahoe presented him with the opportunity to ride in the Great White North. Seizing the chance, Foster made the most of his time in Canada, working tirelessly to establish himself as a top jockey.

Since he began riding in Canada in 2019, Foster has ridden 92 winners, 116 seconds, 134 thirds from 620 mounts with earnings of CAN$508,385. He won his first race on June 9, 2019 aboard Major Moment at RMTC.

“I haven’t ridden in Jamaica for three years now,” Foster revealed in an interview with the Jamaica Observer’s The Supreme Racing Guide.

“I was in Canada riding and my career has been going pretty good. I mean, always having dedication to my work and always working and never stopping working,” he added.

With his sights set on continued success in Canada, Foster remains open to the possibility of returning to ride at Caymanas Park in Jamaica.

However, for now, his focus is firmly fixed on defending his championship title and cementing his reputation as one of the top jockeys in the Canadian racing scene.

“When the time is right, I might saddle up here but the time isn’t right now,” he said.