Early Beginnings

From as early as 1905 the Jockey Club, a private members’ club had responsibility for organizing and controlling horse racing in Jamaica. The rules of racing were formulated by the Jockey Club and race meetings were supervised by Stewards of the Club.

Government Involvement

Government’s involvement came in 1965 with the legalization of bookmaking on horseracing under the Betting, Gamming & Lotteries Act. In that Law (Part III Sec. 16) provision was made for monies received from the levy on bookmaking to be applied to any or all of the following as prescribed by the Minister of Finance:

• The improvement of breeds of horses.
• The advancement or encouragement of veterinary science or veterinary education.
• The improvement of horse racing.

Growth and Expansion

With the growth and expansion of racing came the need for stricter controls, rules governing complaints by aggrieved persons against other industry personnel, as well as appeals against decisions made by Stewards of the Jockey Club. These concerns were brought to the attention of the Minister of Finance in 1970, who contracted a team of Canadian experts on horse racing to investigate the concerns and make recommendations to the Government on how a growing industry could be structured to ensure integrity and confidence in the system.

Establishment of the Racing Commission

Among the recommendations made by the expert group was the establishment of a strong Racing Commission to govern, direct, control and regulate horse racing in Jamaica. The Hon. Edward Seaga in the latter part of 1971 announced that he had appointed Sir John Mordecai to be the Chairman designate of the Racing Commission.

The 1972 Act

The Jamaica Racing Commission was formally established in December 1972, marking a shift from private control by the Jockey Club to a statutory regulatory body. The 1972 Act transferred racing control to the Commission, ensuring integrity and confidence in the system.