Fun day to replace Sunday’s horse racing event amid public ban
President of the BVI Horse Owners’ Association Lesmore Smith said a fun day will be happening in place of the planned horse racing event that was scheduled to happen this coming Sunday.
Sunday’s horse racing event was cancelled because of a public ban on using the Ellis Thomas Downs.
As the government undergoes negotiations with the Thomas family about using the facilities, the fun day will be held to raise funds to help assist with feeding the racehorses. While speaking on JTV News recently, Smith said the event will take place on land owned by the government.
“The Horse Owners’ Association going to have the bar. We’re going to have other people with the food concession but we’re going to have the bars. That’s where we’re going to be able to make a few dollars to be able to send to Puerto Rico and buy like a shipment of food to be able to disperse to the horse owners to help them dissect the costs,” Smith said.
“We don’t know how long this is going to take. We don’t know how long the negotiations going to go ahead. But in the meantime, the guys can’t sit there pushing the money out of their pockets because they were dependent on the purses [of the horse races]. Those are the things that help to feed the horses. And then if that’s not coming, then you’re leaving the strain on the people who just bought the horses. So, it could be pretty straining economically just trying to keep our culture and sport alive,” the president added.
In addition to the food and drinks that will be on sale, the fun day will be also have a swimsuit competition along with pools and waterslides and a live DJ. Admission to the event is free.
Smith, in the meantime, said he had a conversation with Mrs Thomas Griffin — the legal heir to the Ellis Thomas Downs — and based on the conversation, she made it clear they could not use the land space.
“I was asking since the horses were still here if we could still go [ahead with the races on Sunday] but she said, well, unfortunately, with a regretted heart, she can’t help us. So I, right away, sent a message out to the horse chat that we are in and made it known to the horse owners that … we won’t be able to have the races on that day,” he added.
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Ok, please help me understand this.
The Horse owner’s Association, who by their very status have to be wealthy players, are having a fun day to get revenues so they can feed their racehorses?
On top of that, Government is happy to take Toad Hall in Virgin Gorda, but turns around for the Thomas Family and handling with kid gloves? I know the deals are not the same but there is a pattern of complete incompetence that is very apparent!
I don’t blame the Thomas family for wanting their ‘pound of flesh’ they have valuable land. But this is not a public problem where the taxpayer must foot the bill! Surely?
Government should not be involved in any of this whatsoever. The public purse should not be used to pay for the use of a track where the very Association that handles these horses has to have a fund raiser to pay to feed their animals.
Lastly, for the Horse Owner’s Association to actually say this while they have sizeable winnings for the champion horse begs a million other questions!
I swear to God this place is getting worse and worse since the COI, not any better. None of you can see that the Government’s tit is empty, yet you keep sucking!
Funday in rain??!!
The same horse owners who dumoed their animals after Irma??
If you have a horse to race and you cant afford to feed it then you are too poor and need another hobbie.
Lastly Mr Ellis Thomas bought the land to make money from the horse racing. The Government donated the stands but the lamd and the monies raised from it are his. The horae owners have to pay the track for them to race.
Exactly – let the horse owners crowdfund their own hobby and prize fund.
Meantime – perhaps someone could check the welfare of those animals, as they need to fundraise to simply feed them…!
I want to know whether our Government officials are fiscally responsible and continue to pay for this when the world is in a worldwide recession and they have little cash in the couffers. I will not vote for any VIP or NDP or any of them if I hear that money was continued to be paid for this. Let the Thomas Family charge ppl at the gate.
I would not pretend to understand the costs of maintaining a horse. I wish them all the best. However don’t we have anyplace else in the BVI , government owned where can construct a horse track? Why are we negotiating? Build one on Crown land
Some of these complaining are probably on Social Welfare and don’t want the horses to mess with their welfare money. Some want handouts from government fir their electricity because they want to live a big life with a/c pumping in every room, the latest iPhone or samsung galaxy, but envy the horse owners trying to help themselves keeping their horses in good care. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
To me it is getting better because all the people who was doing smuggling and under hand collections are being caught,it seems to me you accept your previous premier,if you like to cheat people you would agree to this news,,the government doesn’t have money to fix the school but they have the money to pay taxi to drop off students and they have 38,000 to pay the fast runner for bvi..tola going backwards because of their advertising and spending..
Rainday
Horese will have to go hungry!
If you sign a lease to rent a person’s house and you not pay that lease, what should the landlord do to you! You have to vacate the landlord premises that goes for everything else. It’s a shame that the government owes the Ellis downs Family for years and don’t want to pay. In life we have to learn how to play fair, if the government, agreed to pay the Thomas’s family every year for a contract they decided to sign, they should stick to that contract. If there is a glitch in the contract then, that should be negotiated before signing of contract. Lastly what we sow is what we will reap. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.