Page 48 - Majestic Vol9

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His story is also one
of selflessness and
generosity because his
dream was not for him
alone. It encompassed
an entire nation.
When Two Innovators Come Together…
Winston was a man truly larger than life, and his work
ethic, sheer will power, endless determination and
passion are unmatched. Ask anyone who knew him and
they will tell you the same. But, this was not a dream he
could bring to life alone and he spent decades trying to
find the right person or team to help him.
A few years ago, Winston found the perfect person
in China Horse Club founder Teo Ah Khing, a man
who dreamt as big as Winston did, was very involved
and successful in racing around the world, and was an
architect. It may have taken him over 30 years, but
once he connected with Teo and his team, Winston’s
dream not only began to take shape, but multiplied to
be bigger than even Winston imagined.
The Americanised racetrack Winston dreamt of has
blossomed into a world-class racing facility with all
the bells and whistles, such as state-of-the-art turf and
dirt courses, a polo field, stables, a quarantine facility goal on a global scale. It will be a credit to not only
and a vet clinic. The Royal St Lucia Turf Club is the
centrepiece of an even more monumental project
known as the Pearl of the Caribbean, which will
include hotels, a casino, shopping, waterfront villas, a
marina and much more.
The USD5.8 billion project will develop a relatively
untouched portion of the island and will boost tourism
to a level well beyond what Winston first imagined.
Teo took Winston’s dream to the next level, but he did
not forget the man who started it. He treated Winston
as both a friend and a partner, and worked alongside
him every step of the way.
While Winston overcame his biggest obstacle when
he teamed up with Teo, it has not been smooth sailing
since. Together, they faced their fair share of bumps
in the roads, but as a team, they were even more of
a force to be reckoned with than they already were
individually.
46 MAjestic
Winston was the man on the ground when it came
to bringing the Royal St Lucia Turf Club and Pearl
of the Caribbean to life. He did a lot of the leg
work and served as a bridge between Teo’s team,
the government and the local people. Winston was
smart, had a way with words and many connections,
both locally and internationally. That, combined
with his perseverance, gave him an innate ability to
accomplish things most others couldn’t, making his
loss a devastating one for the project.
It Takes A Village…
While it only takes one man with a dream to change
the world, or in this case a country, it takes a village to
support and bring to life a dream as large as Winston’s,
especially with Teo’s expansion. This is even more
true now that Winston is no longer with us.
I’ve known Winston my entire life and, as far as I’m
concerned, he will always be my uncle. I am grateful
beyond words for the dedication Teo and his team
have shown to bringing Winston’s dream to life in his
absence and mirroring his perseverance despite the
challenges. I am also extremely grateful to Teo for
keeping myself and Winston’s immediate family both
informed and involved in the track’s progress.
I anxiously await the upcoming grand opening when
Winston’s dream will officially come to life. There
will still be plenty of work to be done after that point,
but it will mark the achievement of one man’s lifelong
Winston’s hard work and determination, but also that
of the team he and Teo assembled.
It will be Winston’s legacy and a long-lasting physical
reminder of everything he was and inspired others to
be. I have made it my mission to spread Winston’s story
through articles like this one, because I think everyone
deserves a role model like him and a reminder to never
give up on your dreams, no matter how long it takes.
His story is also one of self lessness and generosity
because his dream was not for him alone. It
encompassed an entire nation, as well as generations
of future St Lucians, who will benefit from the hard
work and determination of a man who never let
anyone tell him his dreams were too big.
I hope those who walk through the gates of the Royal
St Lucia Turf Club on opening day and every day after
know the story of Winston Trim and take a minute to
take in his accomplishments. Winston still inspires me
every day and I can’t wait to stand at the finish line
when the first horse crosses the wire on opening day of
his dream come true.