Racing mourns trainer Camejo

The sport of horseracing is mouring the death of well-known trainer Dr Acton Camejo. Dr Camejo, who has been involved in the Sport of Kings for over 30 years, died at the Gulf View Medical Hospital, San Fernando, on Tuesday. He was 73.

The quiet and soft-spoken trainer had been suffering for some time with a kidney ailment, for which he was admitted to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital in late February. Dr Camejo was discharged over the Carnival weekend, but complained of feeling unwell and was readmitted on Carnival Tuesday. Because of the doctors’ impasse at the nation’s hospitals at the time, Dr Camejo was forced to seek attention from a private neurologist, who recommended he be sent to the Gulf View Medical Centre, where he underwent surgery last week for acute renal failure. His position worsened on Monday before he passed away the following day.

Camejo read for his doctorate in sociology and was a lecturer at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine from 1967-1991. After retirement he accepted a post of consultant and was a resident lecturer at the Institute of Social and Economic Research at UWI. His consultancy services saw him travelling extensively throughout the Caribbean. Dr Camejo was first granted a trainer’s licence under the Trinidad Turf Club rules in 1971. The first horse listed under his name was Authority, which was owned by Edgar Smith. He also conditioned horses for Aldwyn Roberts (Lord Kitchener), whose Flotation saw him being in winners’ row on the final day’s racing at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain. The last winner to have come under his care at our centralised racing facilities at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, was Lady Rossie, who banked the spoils in a juvenile maiden event on October, 2, 2002.

David Logrenard, racing secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Racing Authority, remembered  Camejo as a strong willed person. “He was a man of integrity, who fought for the rights of trainers when he served as president of the Racehorse Trainers Association. He was approachable and was well respected throughout the industry,” said Logrenard. Camejo leaves to mourn his wife Joyce, daughters, Paula, Ava and Gail, and sons Gary and Gregory. Funeral services will be held for Dr Camejo at St. Mary’s Anglican Chruch, Tacarigua, tomorrow. Burial will be at the Tunapuna Cemetery.