– older brother shares loss of jockey Kishawn Pereira
Orvin Sansai
The sun may rise over Better Hope, East Coast Demerara, but for the Pereira family, the light has dimmed.
The sudden and tragic passing of 19-year-old jockey Kishawn Pereira has left loved ones bereft and an entire community mourning a promising young life cut short.
Orvin Sansair, Kishawn’s sibling, recalled the simple joys of their childhood, where they would swim together, play cricket, and dream of the future side by side. He shared these sentimental reflections during an interview with this publication.
“The basic thing that he used to do is, when he came home from school, he used to go and ride horses. I used to ask him if he was sure this was what he wanted, and he said yes.”
Kishawn’s passion for horse racing grew from those early days, evolving from a cautious beginner to a confident jockey, earning victories and respect along the way. “I see him winning races and winning races. I kept supporting him. Every race he rode, I would check it out, post it up, and support him in whichever way,” Sansair recalled.
Kishawn Pereira
The news of his death came as a shocking blow. “Yesterday [Sunday] I got a call from a cousin who said, ‘Orvin, [did you hear] what happened to your brother?’ I said, ‘No’, because I was going out on the seawall for a time. I asked him to tell me about it. He said that my brother died. I was shocked. I said, ‘No, I can’t believe this’.”
Even their mother was unaware of the tragedy, and Sansair had to confirm the heart-breaking reality through multiple calls. “When I saw her, she started crying… I was really shocked. Really shocked,” he said, tears welling up again.
Despite his youth, Kishawn had earned respect in the racing community for his dedication and kind heart. “He was kind. I loved him, brother. He never disrespected any of us or anyone else. If you ever needed something, he would give it to you – anything,” Sansair says, struggling to hold back tears.
Kishawn had left school before completing his CXC exams to pursue a career in horse racing. He devoted himself to training, feeding, and riding horses, turning a childhood passion into a livelihood. While the exact prize money from his victories may not have mattered to him, the love for the sport and the joy it brought him were clear to everyone who knew him.
The Pereira family now faces a future without their beloved Kishawn, a young man whose life, though short, was full of determination, kindness, and ambition. In quiet moments, memories of laughter, races, and shared childhood adventures serve as a bittersweet reminder of a life that touched so many.
Kishawn Pereira’s passing is a stark reminder of life’s fragility, leaving a community and a family to grieve the loss of a spirited young man whose journey was tragically cut short.
Pereira was riding Blinding Light in the H Class race over seven furlongs when the horse reportedly slipped, throwing him to the ground, with another horse, American Traveller, at its heels.
American Traveller, ridden by jockey Bharrat Ramnarine, could not be pulled away in time, and Pereira’s fall proved fatal.
The incident occurred between the third- and fourth-furlong poles during the penultimate race of the day, which had nine horses at the start.
By the fifth furlong pole, three riders, including Pereira, had fallen, with Pereira’s fall bearing the tragic fate of being fatal.
