Barbados News Briefs

Been on vacation enjoying some Caribbean sun and fun in Turks & Caicos. Now its back to reality with catching up on lots of e-mail, and getting taxes done before the April 15th deadline. I'll be back to regular posting either before or by this weekend - meanwhile here's a little of what's happening in Barbados - Linda

Barbados Brothers Make Their Mark

Rico Walcott began riding when he was seven years old but got serious about becoming a jockey when he turned 15 in his native Barbados.

"There were horses in a pasture near where we lived and I learned how to ride initially on them," said Rico.

"I kept seeing how good Rickey (pictured here) was becoming as a jockey, though, and I got excited about maybe trying to follow him. I started as a jockey in Barbados two-and-a-half years ago and now I'm pretty focused on following in his footsteps."

Rickey is the leading rider at Stampede Park at the moment and the first to surpass the $100,000 earnings mark already this spring.

Read full article

Prince Harry Enjoying Barbados

Before Britain's Prince Harry heads off to Iraq for a six month tour, he and his girlfriend Chelsy Davis are having a great time in Barbados. The prince and his girlfriend are staying at a private villa at the Coral Reef Resort.

Reports from the British press say that Harry and Chelsy have been boozing it up with rum punch, lots of dancing and boat racing on the West coast. Over the weekend he and Chelsy flew to Antigua to watch England play Australia in the Cricket World Cup.

The young prince loves a good time, and the British press recently photographed him on a drunken night out at home. So the young prince is not doing anything more than he does at home, but I bet it's more fun in the Caribbean!

Air Jamaica's New Barbados Schedule is a Success!

Air Jamaica is reporting lots of business with its new schedule to Barbados, and the Eastern Caribbean.

Air Jamaica recently celebrated 10 years of service bringing visitors to the island of Barbados, and there are plans to add additional flights to Barbados.

Barbados All Decked Out
Indiatimes Cricket reports that Barbados is all decked out!

"Welcome to Barbados, the three Ws were born here." This was a hoarding put up right inside the Grantley Adams International Airport.

It was the best possible reminder to all tourists travelling for the first time to these parts. Of all the islands in the Caribbean, this is the richest in terms of cricketing tradition. More cricketing legends have come out of Barbados than from any of the other islands put together.

Read the full article

In other World Cup news . . .

Kensington Oval is the Best!

The directors of CWC has given Barbados Kensington Oval the highest score of the 12 Cricket World Cup venues for preparedness and readiness. Kensington Oval is the host the World Cup Final, which will be held on April 28, and also stage six Super Eight matches.

Slow Ticket Sales . . .
CWC organizers have priced tickets so high that cricket fans throughout the Caribbean and Barbados have not attended many matches. Along with high tickets prices, cricket fans complained bitterly about not being able to bring their traditional musical instruments (conch shells, shak shaks, horns, trumpets and drums) into the stadium unless they had advance permission.

But the organizers finally caved in to the reality that cricket fans in the Caribbean have their own lively cricket culture, and if you try to make that culture bend to your rules - it won't. So, the traditional musical instruments have been allowed, along with allowing fans to leave the grounds and re-enter.

Now to fill up the stand with locals, tickets are being offered at discount prices, and in some cases free tickets . . .

A plan which could include a drop in ticket prices for the Cricket World Cup matches in Barbados is being devised by officials to avoid the low turnout and other disappointments being reported in host countries so far. Read more at caribbeannetnews.com

And the Barbados Free Press comments on the "strategy" of selling the same tickets twice.