Veteran horse racing administrator Christopher Armond passes on

Former Arima Race Club (ARC) CEO and veteran regional horse racing administrator Christopher Armond died on Wednesday. He was 67.

Armond was a popular Caribbean racing commentator turned administrator, who served on several national executives including TT, Barbados and his homeland Jamaica.

He was dubbed Jamaica’s “face and voice of local racing at Caymanas Park in Jamaica for decades”.

After over 30 years employed at the famous racing venue, Armond left Jamaica in 1998 to become Arima Race Club CEO for three years. He then moved to Barbados in 2001 to serve in the same capacity there at Barbados Turf Club. He stayed there for seven years.

He later returned to Jamaica and then served another term in Trinidad. Armond was also technical adviser of the TT Racing Authority.

Veteran local trainer John O’Brien said the regional racing fraternity lost an all-round industry icon.

“He was a pioneer in West Indian thoroughbred racing. He will be greatly missed. He was responsible for building much interest of the sport in the West Indies. He was also the CEO of Jamaica when we used to carry horses there for the Superstakes,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien declared that Armond was one of the main influencers in getting him to carry his horses from TT to Jamaica to compete during the 90s.

“We were actually very close friends. He was the only who actually encouraged me to bring horses to Jamaica to race in the Superstakes back then. We ended up winning the event in 1997,” O’Brien added.

According to multiple media sources in Jamaica, Armond was awarded the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) Golden Microphone Award in 1984, for his commentary. He also commentated in Detroit, Michigan and other Caribbean territories.

O’Brien added, “He was intimately involved in the administration of Caribbean racing. I’ve known him for many years as I got my trainer’s licence in 1991 and was also involved in racing long before that.”