Patrons, horse owners and trainers as well as supporters of the Samoa Racing Club gathered on Saturday at the club house to mark the end of the 2022 Teuila Horse Race Meeting. 

Businessman and vice president of the Club’ Management Committee, Lesa Richard Keil, told the Samoa Observer on Saturday that the celebration was held to mark the Teuila festival closing which also coincided with Samoa’s 60th independence anniversary celebration. 

"Our next lot of races is on December 26th but the date will be confirmed," Mr. Keil said.

"Portion of the profits from the races go to the Mapuifagalele old people's home and we have been doing that for years.

"The club sort of died away but now we are trying to revive it. We need more members to join, more horse owners, more trainers, to come and participate.

"Racing goes back to more than a hundred years in Samoa and it has died off but now we are reviving it, we don't want to lose it.”

According to Mr. Keil, his family has a long history in owning and training horses, with four generations of the family involved.

"My father was Lesa Hans Keil and I am Lesa Richard Keil. Like my father and his father, we had trained and owned horses. 

“My grandson Richard Annandale is also a horse trainer, we only have six active members but there are a lot of members.”

Mr. Keil said prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the club took residents of the Mapuifagalele Home of the Elderly to the race course.

"I wish Samoa a happy 60th anniversary and all the best for the future," he said. 

Richard Annandal, Mr Keil’s grandson, said his grandfather's Lesa Richard Keil and Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale inspired him as a horse trainer.

“My grandfathers Lesa Richard Keil and Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale are both horsemen and so were their fathers. 

“I am the fourth generation of horsemen. I am happy to be carrying on the family traditions, and I love it.” 

The 26-year-old is the youngest trainer on the race course and is also the secretary of the Samoa Racing Club. 

He said his family has a four-horse stable but two got injured so they only had two that raced on Saturday. 

"I am training [the horses] on behalf of my family, the two horses' names are King Arthur and Kit Kat," he said. 

Membership in the Samoa Racing Club is also open, says Mr. Annandal, as he emphasised that it would be great if more young people joined the club.

"I want to inform people that if you are interested in training come down to the horse racing club, early in the mornings,” he said. 

“Learn from the experienced older men, you can join the club if you want. I would love to see more young people joining the club.

“As the youngest trainer, my hope is that I could help other young people find this a great sport to follow suit so that there are others by my side, carrying the next generation of horsemen for Samoa.” 

Mr Annandale, the son of Edward Annandale and Melina Keil Annandale, also talked about one of his big but quiet supporters, his father.

"My father Eddie is not someone who likes to be in the spotlight but he is always here with me in the mornings and doing training with me," he said.

The management committee of the Samoa Racing Club included Siegfried Levi, (chief steward) Lesa Richard Keil, Tuilaepa Peter Rasch (president), Vaotogo Tanuvasa, Tiufea Rudy Meredith (treasurer), Fata paul loibl, Tom Annandale and Leiataua Jnr. Keil. The judges for the event on Saturday were Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale, J Tuala, and Fata Paul Loibl.