Caymanas Park mourns Chris Armond

IN A show of respect to the late Chris Armond, Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), yesterday raised a black flag to half mast in the infield at Caymanas Park in Gregory Park, St Catherine.

Armond, whose booming voice as a commentator excited horse-racing enthusiasts at Caymanas Park for decades, and who served later as an administrator in Jamaica, died on Wednesday of a heart attack at the University of the West Indies Hospital at age 66.

He retired in December 2020 as director of racing at SVREL. At the time of his passing, Armond was chair of the In-and-out-Running and Observation Committee of the Jamaica Racing Commission.

Lorna Gooden, general manager of SVREL, said during yesterday’s flag-raising ceremony that Armond has made a phenomenal contribution to the racing industry and he will sadly be missed by all.

“We couldn’t allow the opportunity to pass without giving our respect to the family and the memory of Chris Armond,” said Gooden. “He has passed and our hearts go out to his family at this time and we recognise him for the contribution that he has made to Caymanas Park,” she said.

“He dedicated 49 years of his life to the industry both here, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, and we know that he will be missed, and we are going to miss him,” Gooden said.

Brian ‘Spuddy’ Rickman, racing commentator at Caymanas Park, said he has known Armond for more than 40 years and that he was the one who inspired him to become a racehorse commentator.

“I can’t forget him because he was the one who gave me my break in life and I will always be grateful for that,” said Rickman.

“We were good friends for over 40 years, we used to tour together and everything and, back in the bad old days, we were drinking buddies,” he said.

TOUGH LOSS

Rickman added: “It is a tough loss for his family and everybody. Chris was Mr Racing because, even on his sick bed, he used to call me and ask me things down here and correct mistakes that he had seen on streaming or anything like that, and so he never gave it up.”

Laurence Heffes, president of the Jamaica Racehorse Owners Association, said Armond made a huge impact on the racing industry with his exquisite commentary.

“Chris has done superhuman service, because he put Caymanas Park on the map with his commentary,” said Haffes.

“It was scintillating, people were so excited to listen to him and he brought a lot of people into racing just based on his commentary skills,” he said.

“He was just a phenomenal gentleman, a phenomenal commentator and a phenomenal part of the racing, and he will be missed,” Heffes said.