Here’s a photo of Jamaican Jockeys, resting between races, taken from a series I shot in Jamaica, at Caymanas Park in Kingston. Caymanas Park is Jamaica’s only horse racing track and racing started there in 1959, but there is a history of horse racing in Jamaica which goes back to the early 19th century and by 1967 several smaller tracks could be found dotted all around the island.

The 1970s and 80s were lean years for the racing industry but following a string of changes, Caymanas Park race track has become more popular than ever, attracting crowds of up to 12,500-the core of its success coming from the use of off-track betting, which you can find all over Jamaica.

I started photographing at Caymanas Park in the1980’s. I was not so interested in the actual racing itself, which is much the same as anywhere else. It was the characters at the track which made the atmosphere special for me – the young boys who collect empty bottles for a few Jamaican dollars, the punters, the couples, the owners, the trainers and especially the jockeys, featured here.

Of the many characters and stories at Caymanas park race track, the man known as shady, must rank as one of the most colourful and cheeky. He gives winning tips on every horse in the race to different people and collects money from the jubilant winner! If you would like to see more from this series, go to Reportage.org