Orville Clarke, Freelance WriterFrom head of The Gleaner photographic department to racehorse trainer at Caymanas Park marked a significant step in the life of 76-year-old Ivanhoe 'Skit' Williams, but even at this stage he says retirement is not on the cards.
Williams has been training horses for 34 years, having made a dream start to his career when saddling his first winner from his first runner, KEYSTONE PRIDE, at Caymanas Park in 1973. Prior to that, he enjoyed some success as an owner of horses conditioned by former champion trainer, Arthur Sharpe.
But long before his racing career unfolded, 'Skit' Williams made a name for himself in a different field - photography.
A self-taught photographer, Williams who attended St. George's College in the late '40s, worked for the Gleaner Company which was then located on Harbour Street in the heart of downtown Kingston.
In the early '50s, he was appointed head of the photo department. Some of those who worked under his supervision were a youthful Junior Dowie, who is still active at The Gleaner today; Herbie Gordon Benjamin, Winston Sill and Aston Rhoden.
Good memories
Williams said he thoroughly enjoyed his 14-year stint at The Gleaner, fondly recalling some of the big assignments, such as the Kendal train crash in 1957 which resulted in over 200 deaths; the 300-year Jubilee celebrations in 1955 and the Test series between the West Indies and England at Sabina Park in the late '50s featuring the great English fast bowlers, Freddie Trueman and Brian Statham.
An award-winning photographer and recipient of the Musgrave medal, Williams took a prized photo of the legendary Hollywood actress, Marilyn Munroe and her then husband the celebrated playwriter, Arthur Miller on their visit to Jamaica in the mid-'50s. According to 'Skit', the picture was autographed by Ms. Munroe and, years later, was auctioned off in America for a tidy sum.
Of all the horses he has trained, Williams singles out GOLDEN PEGASUS as his favourite.
The speedy but tough little gelding, who retired in the mid-90s at age 13, won a total of 23 races between 'F' and 'E' classes, finished second 43 times and was owned and trained by Williams throughout his long and colourful career.
"I have been lobbying without success for the powers that be to name a trophy race after this outstanding bottom level campaigner," said Williams. "But I don't intend to stop, seeing that the horse whose record he broke, Long Shot, has a race run annually in his honour for quite a number of years.
"The chestnut gelding was one of the most popular campaigners in the lower classes and gave me immense pleasure. On his retirement in the '90s, he became a successful show jumper, winning a contest in St. Ann with trainer Gary Subratie aboard," he recalls.
139 winners saddled
Over the years, Williams has saddled 139 winners, among them such good horses as BUMBLE BEE, HIGHWAYMAN and DICK TURPIN who won the Lady Huggins Stakes, beating the Billy Williams-trained favourite SHYLOCK, along with other winning horses such as NICODEMUS, BRUT, ROYAL SEA, ALLEGRO, RAJMIR, MISSION ACCOMPLISH, ZACKATTACK, and WINLOC SUPERSTAR.
But none of these has provided him with the level of satisfaction as GOLDEN PEGASUS.
Today, Williams controls a small string of horses. Among them are the lightly raced three-year-old colts, GOLD ROOSTER and ACCLAMATION, as well as PETITE DIVA, who not only provided the trainer with his last win in September of last year but finished second at long odds to BENZ-RALLY as recent as Saturday.
There are many aspects to the life of I.B.Williams, a man who loved sports and the movies while growing up in central Kingston. He lost his father in the Gaiety (cinema) fire in 1948 but despite this, discovered racing through his mother who took him to Knutsford Park on a number of occasions. He excelled in the sciences while at St. George's College, then on leaving school worked as chief technician in the botany department of the UWI.
Photography, however, was his true calling but he always loved racing.
In later years, 'Skit' did a stint as manager of Sun Valley farms and today is a director of Signtex Limited, an outdoor advertising company owned by Joseph 'Fudgie' Duany of MIRACLE MAN fame.
