London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

'Keeping hope & culture alive' - Lesmore Smith says 6 horses to compete @ Sunday races!

Six horses will be competing for bragging rights in what has been called the first official horse races to be held in the [British] Virgin Islands since the Coronavirus crisis struck the territory in March, 2020.

The traditional Boxing Day Horse Races will occur on Sunday, December 27, 2020, beginning at 2:30 pm at Ellis Thomas Downs in Sea Cows Bay and it will be held under the theme, “Keeping hope and culture and faith for 2021 in the BVI alive.”

There will be three races, all roughly a mile long, with two horses competing in each, according to President of the BVI Horse Owners Association, Mr Lesmore Smith.

“We are asking the public to come out, remember social distancing, wear your masks... support us and have a good fun day,” he said.

No purse


As it relates to the purses, Smith said, for the very first time, the races will not have a set prize.

He explained, “In reality, we don’t have purses per se, we are just running to try to keep hope and culture alive, but there are no purses to say we have a purse structure. Whatever little bit we make at the gate, we will just share it among ourselves.”

“So we are asking the public to come out, the more that come out to support us and the horses are always better so we could get a little extra to feed the horses and keep hope alive.”

Smith stated that the entry fee has been reduced from $12 and $15 for adults to $10 adults and for children, $5.

Asked the reason behind the reduction of the entry fee, he said it was due to the effect of the pandemic on everyone.

“Finances are pretty tough,” he pointed out, adding that this was also the same reason why the association did not seek sponsorship even from the government.

“We want the little bit that is left in the country to be able to help the needy, and in education that we are hoping that we could get the schools open back up in January. So we want the government to use it to do those stuff instead of having to spend it into horse racing at this juncture.”

He, however, said they are welcoming donations.

STT won’t be participating - Mr Smith


In the meantime, horses from the neighbouring St. Thomas in the USVI won’t be participating this year also because of the pandemic.

Mr Smith said they were also affected by getting jockeys into the territory for the races, so they have opted to use the trainers to do the job.

“We are just trying to do a little something to entertain and be somewhere to go that would encourage sports comradery. It shows the BVI’s level of resilience; it shows that we never quit as a people. It is a sport that has lived in the BVI for decades and being a part of such sport, we don’t want it to just disappear and go away,” he reasoned.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×