The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders’ Association of Jamaica (TOBA) has rescheduled its annual Mixed Sale to Sunday, December 7, due to the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

The sale was initially set for November 23 but was postponed following the devastating impact of the Category 5 hurricane.

TOBA directors explained that the new date was chosen to provide consignors with additional time to recondition horses that may have been affected by the storm. December 7 was selected over November 30 to ensure that the animals could be properly prepared for sale, while also aligning the event with the US$300,000 Mouttet Mile, which will be run the day before.

The hurricane’s toll on the breeding sector has been severe. At least two major farms sustained extensive damage. Orange Valley Estates Limited in Trelawny, operated by TOBA director Alec Henderson and his wife Jacqui, was battered by the storm.

The YS Farm in St Elizabeth, managed by Dawn Browne, also bore the brunt of Melissa’s fury, as the western half of the island absorbed the full force of the hurricane.

Melissa has been described as the most powerful hurricane ever to make landfall in Jamaica.

Lot #104 (Two-year-old by filly by Soul Warrior – Lady Belridge) sold for $2.1 million in 2022. (Photo: Ruddy Allen)