Carib Scope

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  • Simmonds retained by Royals

    Simmonds retained by Royals

    The Caribbean Premier League (CPL), one of the world’s most exciting regional Twenty20 cricket tournaments, is moving forward with preparations for its 2026 season by doubling down on its commitment to nurturing homegrown emerging talent. Ahead of the upcoming player draft, every CPL franchise has exercised their one allowed pre-draft retention, all of which went to young prospects in the league’s mandatory Breakout Player category.

    Leading the group of retained rising stars is 24-year-old left-arm fast bowler Ramon Simmonds, who will remain with the Barbados Royals. A native of Barbados, Simmonds has already earned four T20 international caps for the West Indies national team, marking him as one of the most promising young fast bowling talents in the Caribbean.

    The five other Breakout Players retained by their respective franchises include Joshua James, who will stay with the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons; Quentin Sampson, retained by the Guyana Amazon Warriors; Navin Bidaisee, who remains with the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots; Ackeem Auguste, held by the Saint Lucia Kings; and Nathan Edward, retained by the Trinbago Knight Riders.

    All six selected players earned their retention spots thanks to strong recent performances, proven on-field potential, and rapidly growing influence across regional domestic cricket circuits. Under the 2026 CPL competition rules, each franchise will ultimately include three Breakout Players in their final full season squad. To ensure these young prospects get meaningful high-level game time, the league has also introduced a mandate requiring every team to play at least one Breakout Player in every match of the upcoming season.

    This regulatory structure marks a clear, intentional step forward for the CPL’s long-running mission to cultivate emerging cricket talent across the Caribbean. By reserving the only allowed pre-draft retention exclusively for a Breakout Player, league organizers have guaranteed that young domestic prospects get priority attention and secure spots in squad plans ahead of the open draft. With all pre-draft business now complete, all six CPL franchises will fill their remaining vacant roster spots during the upcoming player selection event, which is shaping up to be one of the most competitive and highly anticipated drafts in the league’s history.

  • Obductierapport: overleden goudzoekers niet door kogels geraakt

    Obductierapport: overleden goudzoekers niet door kogels geraakt

    On May 7, Suriname police released key findings from an autopsy into the deaths of two illegal gold miners who died during a government task force operation at a Zijin Mining concession, confirming the pair were not killed by gunfire as previously speculated.

    During a public press briefing, Regional Commander Sharveen Koelfat of Central Suriname presented partial results of the autopsy report, which was finalized and delivered to law enforcement mid-briefing. The two miners died from severe head and brain trauma sustained after falling from a significant height, Koelfat confirmed. Quoting directly from the document, Koelfat noted the first victim suffered compression of the cerebellum and fractures to the left anterior and middle cranial base, all consistent with a high fall. The second victim also showed brain swelling and blunt force head trauma that traced back to the same fall event.

    Koelfat added that forensic pathologists conducted a full search for bullet fragments and entry wounds, and found no evidence of projectile damage on either body. He went on to clarify key protocols that govern the task force’s work at the mining concession, countering circulating misinformation about the operation. Task force members are not permitted to remove any gold or gold-bearing rock from the site, Koelfat explained; all potential ore is left at the location, and personnel are searched by the mining company’s own security team before leaving the concession area.

    He also outlined the task force’s rules of engagement for eviction operations: officers only fire their weapons in exceptional, emergency circumstances. In most cases, Koelfat noted, illegal miners immediately flee when the task force arrives, often choosing extremely dangerous escape routes to avoid detection. Common high-risk choices include scaling steep cliff faces, running across uneven, jagged rock terrain, or jumping into open water while carrying heavy backpacks loaded with stolen ore. The commander also highlighted that illegal miners regularly document their unauthorized activities on social media, sharing videos that show them firing weapons and chanting hostile slogans against police, including calls for “war on the police”.

    Koelfat added that illegal miners often have advance intelligence about operations inside the concession, including controlled blasting work that uses explosives to loosen gold-bearing ore. Information on these operations spreads rapidly as far as the capital Paramaribo, drawing groups of unauthorized prospectors to the site to collect ore after blasts, despite the well-documented life-threatening risks of their activity. To date, four illegal miners have died in incidents connected to unauthorized prospecting at the concession in a short span of time, police confirmed.

  • Odwin wins coveted award at SMU

    Odwin wins coveted award at SMU

    Barbados’ leading women’s golfer Emily Odwin has earned another prestigious milestone in her burgeoning athletic and academic career, taking home Southern Methodist University’s top individual honor for student-athletes.

    The 22-year-old senior was named Female Student-Athlete of the Year at SMU’s annual Mustang Awards held earlier this week, an award that celebrates exceptional excellence both on the competitive course and in the classroom. Designed to recognize standout team leaders who lift their peers and elevate the university’s athletic reputation, the honor puts a spotlight on Odwin’s consistent contributions to the SMU Mustangs women’s golf program over the past season. Beyond her win, she also earned nominations for two additional awards at the McFarlin Auditorium ceremony: the Student-Athlete Choice Award and the Perseverance Award.

    This collegiate season has stood out as one of Odwin’s most impressive to date. Across 31 competitive rounds, she posted a stellar average score of 71.82, a mark that secures her fifth place on the SMU women’s golf program’s all-time leaderboard. She also earned a coveted spot in the nationally recognized Augusta National Women’s Amateur, all while maintaining an impressive 3.76 cumulative grade point average. Currently the reigning Barbados Olympic Association Senior Female Athlete of the Year, Odwin was quick to share credit for her latest recognition, emphasizing the critical role her teammates and support staff have played in her success.

    “It’s really easy to succeed when you’re surrounded by great teammates and a dedicated support system,” Odwin said in comments after the awards ceremony. “At the end of the day, this isn’t just my award – it’s a collective achievement for our whole group.”

    Fresh off her award win, Odwin and the Mustangs are already preparing for their next big test: the Waco Regional of the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship, which tees off this coming Monday in Texas. The team, seeded fourth in the regional, will compete over three days at Waco’s Ridgewood Country Club, with a spot in the national championship tournament on the line. A win or high enough placement would send SMU to its third national championship appearance in the last four seasons, with the final tournament scheduled for May 22-27 in Carlsbad, California.

    Odwin made clear her focus remains fixed on the road ahead, not on past accolades. “The job’s not done,” she said. “We head to Regionals this weekend, and I’m so excited for what this team can do. I truly believe this group has what it takes to contend for a national championship – I wouldn’t have returned for my senior season after the fall if I didn’t believe that deep down. Right now, our goal is to get through Regionals, and we’re taking it one round at a time.”

    The award win comes on the heels of another strong performance for Odwin just weeks prior: in late April, she tied for seventh place at the U.S. Women’s Open Qualifying Tournament held in Corral de Tierra, California, cementing her status as one of the top young amateur golfers in the hemisphere.

  • Meet Gabi: The World’s First Robot Buddhist Monk

    Meet Gabi: The World’s First Robot Buddhist Monk

    In a groundbreaking intersection of artificial intelligence and religious tradition, a 4-foot-3-inch humanoid robot named Gabi has made global history as the world’s first machine to be formally ordained as a Buddhist monk. The unprecedented ordination ceremony took place Wednesday at Jogye Temple, located in the heart of Seoul, South Korea, just two weeks ahead of the widely celebrated Buddha’s Birthday on May 24.

    Dressed meticulously for the sacred occasion, Gabi was outfitted in traditional ceremonial grey and brown monastic robes, adorned with a wooden beaded rosary, and fitted with flesh-colored gloves to honor the solemnity of the ritual. When the key moment of the ordination arrived, the robot executed pre-programmed sacred gestures flawlessly: it folded its mechanical limbs into the traditional prayer position, performed a respectful bow to the senior monks officiating the service, and recited its monastic vows aloud before the gathered congregation.

    Witnesses to the event shared that when a leading monk posed the core ordination question — “Will you devote yourself to the holy Buddha?” — Gabi responded immediately and clearly, stating without hesitation, “Yes, I will devote myself.” Following the formal completion of the vows, Gabi was officially welcomed into the monastic community of Jogye Temple.

    Moving forward, the newly ordained robotic monk will take on ceremonial responsibilities during the upcoming Buddha’s Birthday festivities. Organizers confirmed that Gabi will lead community chanting processions and serve in an honorary monastic role throughout the multi-day celebration. The historic milestone has sparked widespread conversation about the evolving role of technology in religious and cultural spaces, as faith communities around the world explore how digital innovation can be integrated into traditional spiritual practices.

  • IICA and Central American Agricultural Council strengthen partnership to advance agriculture and food security in the region

    IICA and Central American Agricultural Council strengthen partnership to advance agriculture and food security in the region

    Top agricultural leaders from two key inter-American organizations have sealed a new collaborative agreement to advance a unified regional agenda focused on lifting up agricultural resilience and productivity across Mesoamerica. The deal was reached during working meetings hosted at the headquarters of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in Costa Rica, bringing together IICA Director General Muhammad Ibrahim and David Martínez, Executive Secretary of the Central American Agricultural Council (CAC).

    A public statement issued by IICA outlines that the joint agenda will center on three high-priority pillars critical to the region’s agricultural growth: expanding accessible agricultural insurance products, establishing regional guarantee funds, and refining targeted financing mechanisms to deliver much-needed support to small and large agricultural actors across the area. Beyond these core focus areas, the discussions also centered on deepening institutional collaboration around project design, streamlined resource allocation, and on-the-ground operational support for shared initiatives. As part of the growing partnership, Martínez formally extended an invitation for Ibrahim to take part in upcoming strategic CAC planning meetings scheduled for the coming weeks.

    To contextualize the partnership, the CAC operates as the official agricultural governing body under the Central American Integration System, tasked with developing and rolling out coordinated regional policies and cross-border projects spanning agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. Its membership includes the national agriculture ministers of eight regional economies: Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. At its core, the organization’s overarching mission is to advance regional food security and raise the global competitiveness of Central America’s agricultural sectors.

    One of the most urgent topics on the meeting’s agenda was preparing for the forecasted intense El Niño event projected to hit Central America later this year. Climatic forecasts warn that this event could bring extreme drought to the region’s vulnerable Dry Corridor, alongside sustained higher-than-average temperatures and significantly reduced rainfall across large swathes of agricultural land. During talks, both leaders prioritized developing data-driven decision-support tools built on peer-reviewed scientific evidence and actionable lessons drawn from past El Niño events to help farmers and policymakers adapt to coming climate shocks.

    Martínez’s official visit also served as an opportunity to reinforce long-term institutional ties between the two organizations, underscoring the critical value of coordinated regional collective action on a range of shared challenges. These cross-cutting issues include agricultural biosecurity, sustained food security, the complex links between agricultural disruption and human migration, and inclusive regional market development.

    For IICA, Central America has grown in strategic importance in recent years as a hub for project delivery, as well as technical and administrative support for national-level agricultural programs across the hemisphere. As such, IICA officials framed the deepened partnership with the CAC Executive Secretariat and other regional stakeholders as a core strategic priority for the institute’s work in the coming years, positioning the alliance to deliver tangible, long-term benefits for agricultural communities across Mesoamerica.

  • Service programme to become mandatory in secondary schools

    Service programme to become mandatory in secondary schools

    Barbados’ national secondary education system is rolling out an ambitious new Community Service Learning (CSL) initiative, crafted to redefine student engagement with local communities and expand learning beyond traditional classroom boundaries. Introduced as a core component of the Ministry of Education Transformation’s whole-child education framework, the programme will require compulsory participation from every student, spanning first form through sixth form. Its core goal is to shift learning focus from purely academic achievement to hands-on service development, leadership practice, and intentional cultivation of civic responsibility.

    Hannah Connell, the national coordinator of the new CSL initiative, shared details of the programme’s mission and rollout timeline in an interview with Barbados TODAY on Thursday. A former national hurdler who recently returned to Barbados after completing overseas study, Connell emphasized that the programme is far more than a standard volunteering requirement. It is structured to help young Barbadians forge a strong personal identity, clarify their sense of purpose, and gain tangible, real-world life experience that cannot be taught from a textbook.

    “For me, being part of this work is about embodying the same ethos of community investment that shaped so many of us,” Connell explained. “When people pour their time and energy into lifting you up, it changes your life forever. This programme gives students the chance to pass that impact forward to their own communities. Giving back gives you a profound sense of national pride, and it reminds you that you’re capable of more than just advancing your own goals—you have the power to lift up your community and help it grow.”

    The initiative traces its origins to advocacy from Minister of Education Transformation Chad Blackman, with planning kicking off earlier this year. Unlike many education reforms that focus solely on improving test scores, the CSL programme aligns with the Barbadian government’s broader push to expand learning beyond four walls of the classroom, prioritizing the holistic development of young people.

    Full implementation is proceeding in a phased, deliberate rollout across all secondary schools on the island to avoid disruption to existing school operations. Right now, the programme leadership team is holding working sessions with school administrations, training principals, identifying on-site school coordinators, developing standardized planning templates, and building out the sustained support systems required for long-term success. Connell stressed that while participation is mandatory for all students, the national ministry will provide ongoing support to every school to ensure rollout stays manageable and well-structured.

    Service activities will be tailored to each school’s unique strengths and community needs, Connell noted. Students have the flexibility to participate through existing school clubs or design new community-focused projects that align with their personal interests. The programme also rejects passive participation: instead of simply attending meetings or showing up for one-off events, students are expected to take active, ongoing roles in their community projects.

    A core long-term objective of the initiative is to prepare young people for life after graduation, Connell explained. By exposing students to hands-on professional and community experiences early on, the programme helps build the soft skills and real-world awareness that make graduates more competitive for employment and more prepared to navigate adult life. “When students leave school, they won’t just have textbook knowledge—they’ll have a voice, an understanding of how the world works, and the confidence to take on whatever opportunity comes next, whether that’s further education or full-time work,” she said.

    At its core, the CSL programme’s vision is to nurture well-rounded, civically engaged young people through intentional, meaningful community interaction. It balances academic priorities with investment in character growth, active citizenship, national pride, and practical life skills that will serve students long after they graduate. To expand the programme’s impact, Connell is calling on local community groups, churches, individual volunteers, and private citizens to partner with secondary schools to create safe, rewarding service opportunities for participating students. She added that the team will put tailored provisions in place to accommodate any group or individual that expresses interest in supporting the initiative, whether they want to contribute to existing projects or help develop new ones.

    Connell also addressed concerns from parents who may worry that the mandatory requirement will place extra stress on students or pull focus from academic coursework. “This programme was never designed to overwhelm students or take away from their academic work,” she reassured. “Its whole purpose is to build character, confidence, responsibility, and national pride, while giving students hands-on experience that prepares them for success across every area of their adult lives.”

  • NOTICE: All Saints Road Detour Set From 7 Tonight for Major Infrastructure Works

    NOTICE: All Saints Road Detour Set From 7 Tonight for Major Infrastructure Works

    Ahead of a key government infrastructure upgrade project, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Works has issued a public advisory alerting motorists and local commuters to upcoming overnight road works on a busy stretch of All Saints Road. The construction activity will be concentrated on the section of the road running from FADI Building Supplies through to Fresh and Eazy Supermarket, and is scheduled to kick off at 7:00 pm on Thursday, May 7, 2026, wrapping up by 7:00 am the following day.

    To keep traffic moving safely while work is underway, a temporary detour route will be enforced for the duration of the overnight construction. The detour splits directions based on travel: for motorists heading out of town, drivers will need to turn left at the Hazelroy’s intersection on All Saints Road before following the marked route outlined on the official project map. For those traveling into town, the detour requires a right turn at Fresh and Eazy Supermarket, after which commuters can follow the mapped path to their destination.

    Project organizers have put multiple support measures in place to minimize confusion and congestion. Trained flag persons will be posted at key points along the detour to direct traffic and answer quick questions from drivers. Commuters are also warned that specific segments of the temporary route are designated as one-way zones, with clear markings matching the official detour map, and permanent and temporary signage along the entire route will guide drivers in both travel directions.

    Local residents who live near the work zone will still be granted access to their properties, though officials have urged them to exercise extra caution when moving through the area. Heavy construction equipment will be operating in the immediate work zone during the overnight shift, creating potential hazards for anyone walking or driving close to the site. Crucially, officials confirmed that all businesses along the affected stretch of road, including FADI Building Supplies and Fresh and Eazy Supermarket, will remain open for regular operations throughout the construction period.

    This overnight work forms part of the broader All Saints Road Project, a major infrastructure initiative being delivered by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to improve road conditions, safety, and connectivity along the key thoroughfare. In closing, the ministry has asked all local stakeholders, including daily commuters, business operators, and residents, to adjust their travel plans in advance to account for potential unexpected delays. Anyone with questions about the detour or the upcoming works can contact the Project Implementation Management Unit directly by phone at 562-9173 for further information.

  • Saint Lucian groups invited to access funding for anti-plastic projects

    Saint Lucian groups invited to access funding for anti-plastic projects

    Across five Eastern Caribbean island nations, local groups now have access to dedicated financial support to turn their plastic waste reduction visions into tangible action, launching a new community-centered effort to address one of the region’s most pressing ecological threats.

    The Sustainable Small Grants Programme (SSGP) was developed as a core component of the broader “Closing the Caribbean Plastic Tap” initiative, designed from the ground up to elevate locally led solutions to systemic plastic pollution. Unlike top-down environmental interventions, the programme centers the expertise of groups that already work closely with local populations, prioritizing practical, scalable projects that deliver both ecological and economic benefits.

    Eligible participants span a wide range of local stakeholders across Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Vincent and the Grenadines. Eligible entities include micro, small, and medium-sized businesses, community-based organizations, registered non-profits, worker cooperatives, primary and secondary schools, local community associations, and even informal grassroots groups that can show a proven track record of meaningful community engagement. The programme’s core mandate is to support on-the-ground interventions that cut down on the volume of plastic leaking into the Caribbean’s oceans, forests, and coastal ecosystems.

    A diverse array of project types are eligible for funding, ranging from hyper-local initiatives to growing small enterprises. Groups can apply for support to launch or expand community-wide curbside recycling programs, organized plastic waste collection drives targeted at high-leakage coastal areas, community-based refill stations and reusable container sharing systems, adoption of compostable packaging alternatives for local businesses, upcycling workshops that turn waste plastic into new goods, school-led education and waste reduction campaigns, and small manufacturing ventures that convert post-consumer plastic into usable construction or consumer products.

    Beyond environmental gains, the SSGP also has a clear economic focus: it prioritizes projects that generate formal employment and new income streams for local residents while addressing gaps in regional waste management infrastructure. Allocating a total of up to 80,000 euros (equivalent to roughly 254,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars) per participating country, individual awards range from 30,000 euros to 80,000 euros, allowing both emerging initiatives and established projects to scale their impact.

    Organizers emphasize that all successful grant recipients will be required to track and report measurable environmental outcomes, ensuring transparency and accountability for public environmental funding. Applications for the programme are currently open, with the submission deadline set for 11:59 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time on May 31, 2026. Full eligibility guidelines, application forms, and additional programme details are available to interested groups on the official IUCN Engage platform.

  • BCU president hails Greaves’ record breaking performance at Pan Am Games

    BCU president hails Greaves’ record breaking performance at Pan Am Games

    Young Barbadian track cycling prospect Arielle Greaves has delivered a career-defining performance at the Pan American Junior Track Cycling Championships held in Mexico, shattering her own previous national junior record in the women’s flying 200 meters to earn high praise from the head of the Barbados Cycling Union (BCU).

    Competing on Wednesday, Greaves crossed the finish line with a blistering time of 11.319 seconds, beating the 11.800-second record she set last year at a competition in Peru by a significant margin. The outstanding result comes against a challenging backdrop for the rising star: Barbados currently has no operational velodrome for domestic training, forcing Greaves to relocate to Trinidad for consistent access to proper training facilities. This requires the teen athlete to make extraordinary personal sacrifices to advance her cycling career, a reality that makes her new record even more impressive, BCU president Omar Beckles emphasized in an interview with local outlet Barbados TODAY.

    Speaking on behalf of the BCU executive board, Beckles expressed immense pride in Greaves’ achievement. “If anyone’s been following her steady progress, they know how much commitment it takes for an athlete her age to relocate to another country just to get the training she needs,” Beckles said. “We are absolutely delighted to see her hard work, discipline and sacrifice pay off with this historic result. What she has accomplished already is tremendous.”

    Beckles noted that Greaves has now reached a competitive milestone that demands long-term strategic planning to nurture her talent. At the Pan American championships, she competed against the top junior riders from major cycling nations across the region, including Mexico and Colombia – the strongest field young riders can face outside of European junior competition. This result confirms she can hold her own against the best junior talent in the Americas, Beckles said, but added that there is still work to do to close the gap with the world’s elite. Greaves finished behind a Colombian rider who took gold in the event, and Beckles pointed out that this performance demonstrates even without access to home infrastructure, Greaves’ natural talent is undeniable. The next step will be creating opportunities for her to compete consistently against top global riders to continue refining her skills.

    Greaves’ breakthrough is part of a growing legacy of elite female cycling talent emerging from Barbados, following in the footsteps of senior rider Amber Joseph, who has represented the country with distinction at the international level for multiple years. Beckles noted that Joseph continues to deliver strong results at the senior level, and Greaves’ early success at a younger age points to even more room for growth as she develops.

    The lack of a domestic velodrome in Barbados stems from an ongoing infrastructure upgrade project: the old Randolph Field Velodrome at the former National Stadium site was demolished to clear space for a new, modern facility planned for Bushy Park. As of the latest update, no firm construction timeline has been confirmed, though Sports Minister Griffith has publicly outlined the government’s plans for the new venue. Beckles said the BCU understands that large infrastructure projects require time, and while the cycling community is eager for the new facility to open, the union is working closely with government stakeholders to move the project forward. He added that the government has remained committed to supporting Barbadian cyclists in the interim, ensuring athletes do not face disadvantages due to the lack of domestic training infrastructure.

  • Caribbean get stronger voice in global equestrian sport

    Caribbean get stronger voice in global equestrian sport

    The global equestrian landscape is set to gain a powerful new Caribbean perspective at its top decision-making tables, after Heidi Lalor, president of the Equestrian Federation of Jamaica (EFJ), secured a historic appointment to the prestigious International Equestrian Federation (FEI) Solidarity Committee. The confirmation of Lalor’s appointment came during the FEI General Assembly held in Hong Kong, where she won a seat representing Group IV — a regional bloc encompassing Canada, the United States, and the entire Caribbean. She takes her place on a diverse, globally representative panel that also includes delegates from Qatar, Bolivia, Cambodia, Kenya, Uzbekistan, Finland, and Guatemala. This milestone marks the first time a Jamaican representative has earned a seat on the influential committee, extending a regional legacy of Caribbean participation that previously included representatives from Haiti, the Cayman Islands, and the Bahamas. Lalor’s appointment comes on the heels of five years of strategic, results-driven leadership at the head of the EFJ. During her tenure, she has overseen transparent and effective management of international development grants, boosted community morale across the regional equestrian community, and expanded support for athlete training, coach education, and participation in FEI World Challenge competitions. Reflecting on her selection, Lalor attributes the achievement to both aligned priorities and a proven track record of delivering impact across the Caribbean. “I believe my selection is due to alignment with global initiatives that raise awareness and participation, such as the Racehorse Retraining Programme and the Eventing World Challenge, as well as my ability to deliver and positively promote the sport throughout the Caribbean,” she shared. “It’s a pleasure to represent the Caribbean after five years of committed National Federation leadership and positive results. We’ve seen increased motivation, volunteerism, sponsorship, and raised standards, along with the development of new officials under the Jamaican flag.” Lalor notes that her appointment is part of a broader, tangible upward trend for Caribbean equestrian sport on the global stage. She pointed to recent regional wins: Barbados now holds a seat at the FEI Board level, Trinidad and Tobago maintains consistent, high-quality performance across Olympic disciplines using horses bred and trained locally, and nations including the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, and the Bahamas are advancing their own FEI Solidarity-backed development projects. For Lalor, the appointment is also a deeply personal full-circle moment, rooted in decades of support from FEI development programs. Since 2003, she has benefited from FEI-funded coaching initiatives across the Caribbean, training in Trinidad and Tobago, the Cayman Islands, and her home country of Jamaica. “I’m a product of these initiatives,” she explained. “They provided coaching education for local federations that helped athletes and also established professional frameworks for federations to govern and support the sport effectively.” Now working directly alongside Ingmar De Vos — FEI President, Solidarity Chair, and newly appointed International Olympic Committee Board member — Lalor says her role will go far beyond formal representation to drive active, inclusive global development of the sport. “This position proves that doors are opening,” she said. “It allows me to support multiple countries, assist with funding allocation, and contribute to shaping the future of equestrian sport on a global scale.” Looking ahead, her priorities are clear: unify Caribbean equestrian nations to raise the region’s global profile, and expand access to the sport by creating more development opportunities on individual Caribbean islands. “My goal is to continue enhancing regional standards and creating more on-island access through professional courses provided by FEI Solidarity,” she said, noting that expanded certification for local coaches and officials will be a core pillar of long-term, sustainable growth. She also emphasized the foundational role of strong governance, noting that robust administrative frameworks build trust with international stakeholders and unlock sustained development support. “With governance in place, there is greater confidence and productive management, which allows for long-term development,” Lalor said. “I look forward to elevating the Caribbean’s presence with energy, inspiration, and a deep passion for sustainable growth.” Even as she celebrates this milestone, Lalor acknowledges the persistent challenges facing small island equestrian communities, most notably the gap between grassroots participation and elite international competition. “Bridging that gap is always a challenge on the islands,” she admitted, “but with vision, a strong foundation, and advocacy, initiatives like the FEI World Challenge Series can help close it.” Beyond infrastructure, funding, and governance, Lalor says her appointment carries a critical message for young Caribbean equestrians. “It is very important for young people to see this level of international representation,” she said. “One of my first goals as president in 2022 was to show that pathway, that there is a broader vision through Federation involvement.” Her advice to emerging equestrian leaders and athletes is simple but impactful: “Whether you are an Olympian, rider, or coach, support your National Federation. Show up, stay positive, and put in the work, support will follow.” Launched in 2012, the FEI Solidarity programme remains focused on its core mission: expanding global access to equestrian sport, growing grassroots participation, raising competitive and administrative standards, and strengthening connections across the global equestrian community.