Long Shot may not have been a champion horse, but he was known for his endurance. His remarkable ability to finish races – setting a record of 202 by 1969 – earned him fame in Jamaica. His legacy lives on through the Long Shot Trophy, awarded annually at Kingston’s Caymanas Park race track. However, it is his 203rd race that is most memorable. One afternoon in 1969, as Long Shot was close to the finish line, he collapsed and died just before completing the race.

A year before that, The Pioneers – Sidney Crooks and Jackie Robinson – recorded a song in tribute to the beloved horse. Titled “Long Shot (Bus Me Bet),” the track describes the “whipping and lashing” the horse endured, which kept him racing until he could no longer continue. This theme wasn’t unusual, as racing is widely followed in Jamaica, and many musicians have referenced the sport in their music. Long Shot’s death clearly inspired a follow-up song.

“Long Shot Kick de Bucket” was written by Crooks, Robinson, and new Pioneer member George Agard (also known as Desmond Dekker’s half-brother) on a piano at the back of producer Leslie Kong’s studio. The song, released in the UK on the Trojan label, recounts the tragic race: “It was Starbright, Combat, Corazon / Long Shot on the rear / Combat fell, Long Shot fell / all we money gone a-hell.”

After the single hit the British charts, The Pioneers relocated to London, where they played a key role in popularizing reggae in the UK, a position they held until Bob Marley’s arrival in 1973. “Long Shot Kick de Bucket” can be heard on "This is Reggae Music", Trojan’s comprehensive four-disc compilation of the golden era of Jamaican music.

Tracklist:

Side A:

1. Long Shot (Kick De Bucket)

2. Caranapo

3. Black Bud

4. Long Up Your Mouth

5. Bring Him Home

6. Mother Ritty

Side B:

7. Poor Rameses

8. Samfie Man

9. Belly Gut

10. Lucky Side

11. Trouble Dey A Bush

12. Boss Festival

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