Roadtown, Tortola - Premier Honourable Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE has expressed condolences on the passing of horse racing pioneer, Mr. Ellis Thomas, who died on Sunday, August 16.

Honourable O’Neal said the Territory has lost a great man who possessed an as yet unmatched love and commitment to the sport. “I am deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. Ellis Thomas. I extend my deepest sympathy to his family on behalf of myself, my family and the Government and people of the Virgin Islands” the Premier stated. 

 “As we mourn his passing, it is also important that we celebrate Mr. Thomas’ passion for the sport.  Now that he has passed to the great beyond, it is up to the horse racing enthusiasts to continue the tradition he helped to establish,” Honourable O’Neal added.

According to the Premier, Mr. Thomas demonstrated an early commitment to the development of the sport and he maintained that devotion for many years. “As the driving force behind the establishment of the Territory’s first racing facility in the 1950s, Mr. Thomas paved the way for the development of the sport,” he said.

“I am extremely heartened that we were able to honour him by re-naming the Little A Race Track to the Ellis Thomas Downs on April 19, 2009. It was an honour befitting of a man who devoted his entire life to the development of horseracing,” the Premier noted.

Addressing the hundreds gathered for the ceremony in Sea Cow’s Bay, the Premier said “the love of horse racing is deeply embedded in the blood of Virgin Islanders and for us to maintain this tradition, we need the younger generation to accept the baton from elders like Mr. Thomas.”

Government stands deeply committed to the preservation of horseracing as a cultural tradition in the Virgin Islands.