"He is gorgeous isn't he? Simply beautiful! Nice boy; stand up; good. His name is Louis Luminary," declares Sharon Ferreira. "Oh and you must see Fairydancer, she's a beauty, well-behaved and lovely!" the 50-year-old asserts. I look on in amazement as she introduces me to the horses on her horse farm, Hummingbird Stables and Training Centre located just across the road from the Santa Rosa race track in Arima. I can't believe that her raving references are made to horses and not people. Her eyes light up and she smiles brightly, "I love animals and horse racing is in my blood!" The horse trainer/breeder's passion about her hobby cum profession is infectious as I feel like I am on the race track, Sunday morning, watching a race as she gives me insights into her life story. "From the age of twelve I used to go to horse racing with my grandfather. I loved to watch the races. Nothing enthralled me more than the energetic galloping on the track. As I got older I loved to feel the excitement when bets were placed," she says touching the mane of Louis Luminary, who seems to give her an approving full toothed smile. Then out of nowhere an orange cat appears and cuddles onto her jeans. "Hi Garfield, say hello to our visitors," Ferreira says to a growling Garfield who isn't too happy by his mistress's shift in attention. "He is my assistant, he chases away mice. I have always loved animals. At this farm we breed thoroughbred horses for sale and provide resting, rehab and training for racehorses. But in addition to the horses I have 13 cats, a couple of dogs and birds too," she informs. She invites us to her office as she leaves the company of Louis Luminary. Garfield closely follows her footsteps though and as photographer Micheal Bruce and I enter her office decorated with over 100 framed photos of her, of horses and of her with horses, and two other cats greet us. "This is Tiger, she is fat, she loves to just laze around but she loves the limelight. And that is Chloe, she is a bit shy!" I realise that Ferreira is an authority on animal temperament as within seconds Tiger jumps onto the table and poses for a photo, purring and beckoning Bruce's lens and true to form, Chloe dashes away to hide under a bed in a corner of the office.

"I really learned how to ride a horse when I was in boarding school (Codrington High School) in Barbados but the first time I actually rode was…" She stops mid-sentence and starts to laugh. "Should I really reveal this story? It's very comical and it concerns a pig."

"Please do continue," I urge her as my curiosity is heightened at the mention of a pig. "When I was seven years old my grandparents had a farm on Tumpuna Road, Arima and they had this plump pig called Toby. He was the first animal my sister and I ever rode. After that I graduated to a donkey," she muses. The former flight attendant then confesses that while she knew a lot about racing, breeding horses was new to her and every day has become a learning experience.

"Breeding is a different ball game altogether. I have learned so much about breeding horses, caring for them and preparing them for the big race. It's a demanding field, I must admit. I manage ten workers, all male, and I can do anything — can even drive the tractor.

"I have to master all the necessary skills because it's part of my job. When the mares are giving birth I have to be here on the farm. Sometimes I sleep over on that very same bed over there and at times they call me and I have to leave my home in Port-of-Spain at 4 a.m. in the morning and come down to the farm." The benefits are far greater than the hard work, she admits. "There is no other feeling like seeing your horse race on the track in your colours shining brightly and if it wins, oh dear, it's a splendid feeling!" I gaze on one of the walls of the office and I see a couple of shots with jockeys wearing turquoise and pink (Humming Bird Stables colours) and I can't miss the smiling blonde woman standing next to them. Ferreira and her prized horses, most of them born and bred at her farm. Her office is like an equestrian museum. One photo stands out amongst the rest, though. It's an old picture of her when she was much younger standing next to a horse. "That's Irish Honour and me, he was the first horse my grandfather ever gave to me, I was about 20years old in this picture," she exudes.

"Do you need a special touch to handle a horse?" I ask. "You have to be able to read their body language. Horses are like people. They have their own personality and are moody. If you grow them up with love, most of the time they will remain calm and people will treat them right when they buy them," she states. Lifting up the sleeve of her shirt she shows me a scar on her left shoulder- "You see this scar? It's from a horse that was born here, she always had a bad temperament and one day when she was sick and I was attending to her she bit me. Another time when I was riding I had a bad fall and I fractured my coccyx bone. Dealing with horses is serious business but I still love what I do." She then comments on how badly retired race horses are treated. It's the reason why she is actively involved with the Racing fraternity to develop legislature to curb the mistreatment of retired horses. "Retired horses should have a retirement home; I am suggesting that in my talks with the racing fraternity," she suggests. After the office tour, the proud horse aficionado takes us to the stables where she sports her newborn colt, the first offspring of Louis Luminary and second breeding of Fairydancer. "Take them out and let them run in the field," she signals to one of her workers. Respectfully, he obeys and very soon a calm Fairydancer struts out of the stable into the pasture with a shy colt. "Come here girl, nice. You know that you my favourite. Yes sweetie, you're so shy, come here boy!" she tells mother and son. "You want to touch her?" she then queries. I am hesitant (as a child I nearly got my hand bitten off by a donkey from Toco) but with her guidance I caress the mane of Fairydancer. "They are my babies, I love them dearly," she sighs. Speaking of babies, I take the cue to inquire about her own. "I don't have any children. I got married (to former mayor of San Fernando, Gerard Ferreira) about 10 years ago and children were one of the things that just never happened but I am okay with it, I have my animals," she announces cheerily. With this statement two dogs emerge from the bushes and Ferreira makes mention of a cockatoo she has and how pretty he is. I am convinced now that I am on the set of the popular movie, Animal Farm. The most I can conclude as I wrap up Ferreira's interview is that they are all so gorgeous, simply beautiful indeed, the horses, the dogs, the birds and even the star struck cat, Tiger!