Lesmore Smith elected new Horse Owners’ Association President for 2012
Smith, the owner of Good Prospecting the 2011 United States Virgin Islands Governor’s Cup winner, ran unopposed as other persons in attendance who were nominated declined to seek the post, according to sources at the meeting.
Besides Smith, Roy Barry was elected as Vice President, Kishma Baronville as Committee Secretary, Karen Smith-Aaron as Treasurer and Dwight Cline as Public Relations Officer. Karl Thomas, a veteran Horse Owner and former president, was nominated and elected as the new Racing Secretary. Roy Garraway has been elected as Security Coordinator. The other Committee member will be Rodney Simmons.
Tensions Between Old & New Committee
The election which was held last evening Tuesday December 13, 2011 at the Valarie O. Thomas Committee Centre in Sea Cows Bay, the home of the Downs, saw a very heated meeting with open verbal clashes between some old and incoming committee members.
According to a source who was at the meeting, Mr. Smith, who is the current Vice President under the current Committee headed by Dereck “Aruba” Marshall, was allegedly accused of “undermining the current committee to gain power”, and allegedly “that is why none of the current members accepted any nomination to serve for 2012” the same source told this news site.
All the members except Karl Thomas ran unopposed as the source told Virgin Islands News Online that a “paper was circulated with the names” as there was allegedly “no nomination process”.
However, speaking today in an exclusive interview with Virgin Islands News Online, the President elect Lesmore Smith, has rejected the allegations. Smith told this news site that he did “put a team together who he thought could work together and the team was never challenged last night”.Mr. Smith said his list of new committee members “were circulated amongst the horse owners before the election last night and he had support”.
The President Elect said, “my only goal is to see the sports move forward and the statements of undermining for power is baseless.” The results are not expected to be challenged, and the new committee is expected to take office next year.
The current committee headed by outgoing President Marshall will run their last race on December 26, 2011, Boxing Day, before the new committee takes over on January 1, 2012.
Meanwhile, there are unconfirmed reports that discussions are ongoing by the new Orlando Smith Administration to transfer the racetrack to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports.
Currently, the racetrack is split between two Ministries, the Premier’s Office and the Ministry of Communications and Works.
The Virgin Islands Horse Owners' Association is granted permission to manage the races at the Downs, which includes the race cards, dates of races, the purses, gates, electing its own committee to represent the interest of horse owners and lobby government and all activities on race day.
The facility-Ellis Thomas Downs is owned by the Government of the Virgin Islands, and is located in Sea Cows Bay on the western side of the main Island of Tortola.
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