By Neto Baptiste
Former executive member and horse race enthusiast, Hansen Richards, has been elected to run the affairs of the Antigua Turf Club (ATC) for the next two years.
Richards was elected unopposed as president when the body, on Monday, held its first electoral congress since 2018 at JR’s Sports Bar and Grill located on Friars Hill Road.
Speaking on the Good Morning Jojo sports show, Richards said his immediate focus will be restoration of the track and the return to racing.
“We will need to get the government fully on board to help with some resources in terms of equipment wise and so forth, and a little financial help as well. But, in terms of the first 100 days, we need to get the track graded, reshaped, re-railed. We have some sand we got already but we still need some more as well as some top soil, so we could mix it in and put on the track to resurface it,” he said.
“We are hoping that once we can get some things moving and horses can begin exercising that we can put on a little race just for the fans and then we as the executive are going to meet. We are going to establish a racing season and hopefully we will have corporate Antigua on board,” he added.
Richards takes the mantle from long serving head Neil Cochrane who had served since 2009. Cochrane opted not to seek re-election.
Richards believes he has what it takes to propel the sport forward.
“Having served on the executive from the period of 2013 to 2015, I feel that I have the energy and the will to take the sport and the organisation to a higher standard and better recognised throughout the Caribbean as well as internationally,” the president said.
The other members of the executive are Ann-Maria Lake (Vice President), Cher Yearwood (Secretary), Jane Jack (Treasurer) and Floor Members Dave Welsh, Nijah St. Rose, Carlos Samuel, Ted Lewis and George Dowdie.
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