Horse Racing Tradition Passed On Through Generations in Belize River Valley
Horses, whether thoroughbred, half or quarter breeds, are the most important part of horse racing culture in Belize. The sport was introduced to Belize in the 1920s. Much of what happens at the three major horse races that are held annually has not changed over the last century. Racing, betting and celebrating the attainment of coveted titles are long standing traditions. Horseracing in Belize is not a million dollar sport as in other parts of the world, but the horses being bred for this activity receive around-the-clock care. It is this love for horses that fuels the time-honored tradition. On tonight’s episode of Kolcha Tuesday, News Five’s Paul Lopez travelled to Burrell Boom Village.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Horse Racing begins here at a horse stable where prized horses are trained and cared for. Today we are at Charlesworth Stables in Burrell Boom Village. This stable is owned by Herman Charlesworth. He began working with horses more than two decades ago.
Herman Charlesworth
Herman Charlesworth, Owner, Charlesworth Stables
“We sell horses, we train, we breed, we offer stallion services everything and horseback riding as well. We are working on expanding that in the coming years.”
Paul Lopez
“Let’s talk a bit about the culture of horse racing culture in Belize and how long standing is this culture?”
Herman Charlesworth
“I believe before I was born. I always hear stories about the real older heads about how big it was and they bring up names I have never heard some funny names. But, horse racing has been a big deal in the River Valley and arguably Belize District in a whole.”
As the love for horses was passed down to Charlesworth, he is now passing down the same to Kenrick Bradley, a nineteen-year-old from Burrell Boom who spends his days training and caring for race horses. This morning, Bradley took First Song, a two-year-old race horse, out on a routine training exercise in preparation for an upcoming race.
Kenrick Bradley
Kenrick Bradley, Employee, Charlesworth Stable
“I grew up in that life. From my granddad use to train horses and after that we start training and thing like that.”
Paul Lopez
“Tell me a bit about training and what type of training you do. I see earlier you mih the ride?”
Kenrick Bradley
“Yes sir, I mih the canter dah one deh. The younger one we just usually walk them and trot them. That older one we walk ah, trot ah and canter ah.”
Paul Lopez
“Would you say this is hard work.”
Kenrick Bradley
“No sir, easy work for me”
Paul Lopez
“Why?”
Kenrick Bradley
“Because I love the work sir, I love the work.”
Rushanne Flowers, a twenty-six-year-old trainer from Burrell Boom, would skip school as a child to go train horses. Today, he is taking Outlaw on a walk to the nearby river for a swim. This is also a part of the routine for these horses. In fact, it is one of Flowers’ go-to methods for preparing a horse to race.
Rushanne Flowers
Rushanne Flowers, Race Horse Trainer
“I grow up in a family where all my uncles deal with horses. From I small I then come around animals deh around horses. Then my dad trained horses so I adopted from that and I fall in love and one of my friends had some raise horses and I started to go around and from that day I fell in love with horses and kept going.”
Paul Lopez
“You told me you would miss school to raise horses?”
Rushanne Flowers
“Miss school, I do carry clothes in my bag and come off half way on the school bus and change and guh dah horse track. When my mah think I deh dah school I deh dah race track. Horse dah everyday job to me because if you leave them in a stable by deh self deh nuh wah get nothing done. You have to feed them, tek deh out every day, bathe deh, brush deh down everyday mek deh look good, because you want your horse look good when you go to the race. I learn a lot of things, how to do a horse main, like cut, but I don’t use scissors, I use my own hand to pull it. That way it looks better. I learn how to put on the shoes, and you need to change the shoes sometimes because after a while their huff grow and if their huff too long they will stumble. So you have to have their foot a certain distance and things so when they run they have good balance.”
A trainer will spend anywhere between fifteen hundred to three thousand dollars for a half-bred like First Song. For a thoroughbred like Royal Song, the father of First Song, the price may start at ten thousand dollars. But, regardless of the price paid or the amount of wins gained, no horse here is treated any different than the other. They are all trained, washed, feed and loved equally, because they all matter. This is an understanding deeply embedded in the hearts and minds of folks like Herman, Rushanne and Kenrick. The joy of the work comes from socializing with others of like mind at the annual horse races across the country.
Herman Charlesworth
“You get to meet a lot of people; you get to meet a lot of horse lovers like yourselves. You get to see a lot of horses and just the excitement of the race. I mean like Easter Monday which is one of the biggest race meet there is upwards of five thousand people in attendance. We are working hard to take it to another level and to bring in some international blood, because around the world horse racing is a multimillion dollar business and I don’t see why it can’t reach that level in Belize.”
Rushanne Flowers
“When you have horse racing that is everything. You will see a lot of pretty horse. You meet a lot of new friends. Food because a lot of village people carry food to sell. It is exciting when you hear horse racing. Everybody happy and want see horse the run, everybody want bet cause that is one of the next thing.”
Paul Lopez
“Now you are twenty-six-years-old you have been doing this since you around, how long do you see yourself horsing around?”
Rushanne Flowers
“Til I dead, this is my life. Half ah my life dah with horse, once I deh round horse I feel good. So, this dah one culture I could never give up.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
