INTERNATIONAL HORSE RACING SLATED FOR VIEUX FORT, SAINT LUCIA IN 2017!!!
December 13, 2016
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HARRIS AT LARGE!
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INTERNATIONAL HORSE RACING SLATED FOR VIEUX FORT, SAINT LUCIA IN 2017!!!
 The Festival of Lights is usually celebrated in the evening of December 12 and precedes National Day- December 13. The year 2016 should have   special significance to St. Lucians in general and Vieux Fortians in particular. Saint Lucia is named after its patron Saint, St. Lucy, and December 13th is annually celebrated as National Day. Observed the night before the holiday is the National Festival of Lights and Renewal in honour of St. Lucy of Syracuse who is also the saint of light. As part of the celebrations, decorative lights, mostly represented with a Christmas theme, are lit in Castries, the capital city. In time, this activity should take place in every community around the island.
The Pearl of the Caribbean project being promoted by Desert Star Holdings Limited is scheduled to commence its US$2.6 Billion investment in St. Lucia early 2017. If all goes as planned, major infrastructural works will commence and the horse racing track will be a reality, welcoming international horse racing fans and owners of horses to our shores in the last quarter of 2017. We expect to see our regional people involved as well, as the sport of horse racing is very popular in Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados and Guyana.
A new day dawns for Vieux Fort which has been dubbed the New Frontier for decades. It is expected to light up all of St. Lucia and the Caribbean. St. Lucia is about to host the mother of all projects in the region. Can you imagine the transformation that will take place in the South. Castries, Gros Islet and Soufriere have all gone ahead and established their mark in the tourism sector. Now is Vieux Fort’s turn. Truly, the best has been left for last. Many decades ago, Vieux Fort was made ready to receive the boost that is being talked about today. The international airport, the electricity and telecommunications infrastructure, the roads and other infrastructural facilities were all put in place. Some may say it took too long, but nothing ever happens before its time. When the time is right the bridegroom will appear. There are lots of issues still to be officially placed in the public domain regarding this mega project but in time, we will all know the real facts.
Horse racing has some pleasant memories for me. I watched the final race at the Durban Park Race Track, Georgetown, Guyana many years ago when I was in my early twenties, and ended up winning in an upset that gave me enough money on that beautiful Sunday afternoon to attend a concert with my cousin at Queen’s College, featuring the top artistes in Guyana at that time. The late, great MC Pancho Carew was in his glory. Then there was my frequent visits to the Horse Racing Betting Shops where I won with a 5/8 combination that paid a few hundred dollars. I had fun with my friends for the rest of the day.
I also had an interest in Goat Racing. I had the opportunity to attend a few races at the Bourda Cricket Ground in Georgetown where the boys from Lodge dominated the sport. Several years later, I used my little knowledge of the sport and began a crusade to introduce commercial goat racing in the Caribbean. I made at least two trips to Tobago at my own expense. I wrote several newspaper articles, highlighting the benefits of Goat Racing. While I was writing on the subject, an Irish gentleman spotted my articles and made a proposal to promote the sport internationally. I talked to many persons including politicians about the project but was unsuccessful. Finally, I shelved the idea. Hopefully, now that the sport of the Gods will be established in St. Lucia with an international appeal, maybe it is the right time to begin a conversation once again to introduce commercial Goat Racing for the little guys. Here are a few benefits that will accrue from a Goat Racing project. 1. Self Employment – rearing of goats, 2. Training for persons involved in all aspects of the sport, 3. A tourism attraction, 4. Production of Goat Meat and Goat Cheese, 5. Sales of Goat meal and racing gear, 6. Pride in ownership, 7. Sponsorhips, etc. Most importantly the little man having a stake in the economic and cultural activities of the Nation.
I wrote this article on National Day and I feel that I am in the right place at the right time. This opportunity is taken to invite you to own a piece of the rock. Take massive and immediate action. Land in Vieux Fort is between EC$15.00/US$5.52 and EC$20.00/US$7.36 per square foot. I am ready to predict it will be doubled in five years.
There are lots of troubling signs in the world today but I implore you to look on the bright side – there is money to be made. Read my book www.knowledgesharinginstitute.org There is a chapter on Real Estate.
This week’s recommended website is www.stlucia.org The site of the St. Lucia Tourist Board.
 Remember always to Keep the Faith, knowing that God is in Charge – Dream Big and Expect Miracles!
Edward Harris
Biblicist, Author/Publisher, Business Consultant, Real Estate Agent/Broker, Networker, CSR/Small Business Advocate & Motivational Speaker Email: jobfreelife72@yahoo.com Website: www.stluciasimplybeautiful.com Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/edharrisbiz