Easter goat racing at Mt Pleasant

GOATS thundering along the tracks with jockeys sprinting after them will be the star attraction at the annual goat races at the Carnbee/Mt Pleasant Easter Monday Sports and Family Day at the Mt Pleasant recreation grounds.

There will also be an Easter bonnet parade featuring babes-in-arms up to under-12 boys and girls, as well as popular local novelty games like the egg and spoon and three-legged races.

Patrons will also witness some competitive track and field events featuring top Tobago athletes. And of course, there will be food – Tobago specialties from sweet han’ cooks using secret ingredients for dishes like crab and dumpling, pork and provision, stewed Tobago pigeon peas, souse, sweets and ever-popular boiled corn and other delights.

Members of the Carnbee/Mt Pleasant Community Council, organisers of the event, also have a stellar line-up of artistes for its after-sports activities including soca artiste Preedy, fresh from a successful 2019 Carnival season.

With Tobago known as the goat racing capital of the world, the community council, in hosting this 47th edition of the goat races, is proudly carrying on the tradition which dates back to 1925.

Goat racing is serious business in Tobago. The goats are specially bred for racing and run in A, B C1 and C2 categories, with their jockeys racing along to guide them along the well-prepared 75m or 100m tracks. For the 12 races, the goats – with names like Fire Man, Don’t Touch Me, Isotope, Sweet Pea, Acid Man, Rock and Come In, Just For Fun and Super Jet – train for months, up hills, on the beaches and swimming in the sea.

Jockeys put in some serious training too, though clearly not enough for the goats which are always faster than them!

While the majority of jockeys running barefooted along the tracks are men, visitors will also get a chance to see female jockeys in action. There will also be a visitors’ race too for those daring enough.

Of course, all that hard work comes with rewards, with winners in the goat races and all other events collecting prizes. The top goat and jockey receive the coveted Champ of Champions trophy.

The action gets going at the Mt Pleasant recreation ground from 12 pm.