McKay Security grooms seminar gets stamp of approval

President of the Grooms Association of Jamaica, Fabian White, hailed yesterday's one-day Grooms Seminar as a major success and said it would certainly help the grooms to better understand their role in the racing industry.

The seminar, which saw 35 grooms taking part, was put on by the McKay Security Company and was held at the Courtleigh Hotel in Kingston. It serves to improve grooms' professionalism and register their status as stable assistants and grooms working in the racing industry.

White, who has been working in the industry for over 30-years, said that the grooms were grateful for the seminar.

"Me and my grooms feel very happy about this because over the years, the trainers and jockeys, they go under schooling and we go under nothing, and it is good that we are getting this sort of education," said White.

"We are happy for something like this where you have a seminar ... talk to us about the right and wrongs because you never know it all," he said.

A JOY TO THE GROOMS

White added: "We have Mr (Vin) Edwards and other people talking about the horses and the hygiene and dress code, and so this seminar that is staged by Jason McKay brings joy to me and the grooms."

Brando Hayden, chief operating officer of Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited, said that the seminar is a major step in improving the lives of the grooms at Caymanas Park.

"I think it is good, and I think that McKay has had a long tradition with racing in respect of the betterment of the grooms, and this is the latest in a long line, and I think they should be rewarded for that," said Hayden.

"It is better for the industry if the grooms are better educated about their responsibilities and what they need to do," Hayden said.

Jason McKay, chief executive officer of McKay Security, underlined the importance of the seminar and said that it helped the grooms to better understand their roles in the racing industry.

"The problem was highlighted about a year ago, and we started to identify persons in the community who we would like to bring on as grooms, and we brought on about 35 of them and had them through a training process over the last two years, and now, we are in the final process of that," said McKay.

"At this point, they are now licensed stable lads and they have gone through this one-day seminar in addition to what they have done before to create a process to how you get grooms," McKay said.