In an official statement the Government of the Virgin Islands informed stakeholders that until further notice, lands at the Ellis Thomas Downs are no longer accessible to the public, which halts any Horse Racing events from taking place at the recreational facility. The statement read, “The public is advised effective immediately and until further notice the portion of land at the Ellis Thomas Downs which is owned by Thomas family may not be utilised in any way by the Government, its agents and/or assigns. This includes the Horseowners’ Association, and any person connected thereto. The parcels of land are Parcels 170, 171 and 246, Block 2736B, Sea Cow’s Bay Registration Section.”
The statement continued, “We have taken immediate steps to comply with the directive issued. As a result, we have notified the Horseowners’ Association of this important information. We are aware that races are scheduled to take place at the Ellis Thomas Downs on 18 September 2022. Regrettably, Government is not in a position to say whether the current issues will be resolved prior to that date.”
RACES HALTED; Horse owners association notified
The statement also said, “Accordingly, we have advised Mr. Lesmore Smith of the Horseowners’ Association that it may be prudent to take urgent steps to cancel those races in order to mitigate the inconvenience to all relevant stakeholders. We want the public to remain assured that Government is committed to working assiduously with the Thomas Family to rectify this situation as soon as possible.”
In a message to the public, President of the BVI Horse Owners Association informed supporters and horse owners of the situation.
Smith said, “I have received a correspondence from the ministry of education and culture about the use of the Ellis Thomas Downs. With immediate effect, we can no longer used the track until further noticed! Please follow all instructions to avoid and legal proceedings/ procedures against us or the BVI Government. I’m asking for full cooperation in this matter!”