Ward Takes Win In Stride

Four years ago, 17-year-old Alana Ward stepped into the Carnival Queen business for the first time representing the Ivan Kallicharan Carnival band.

Ward went on to place third in the National competition. The next year saw Ward as queen of the Barbarossa Band and she subsequently won the National competition with her then portrayal, “It’s All In The Game”. Now with Legends for the last two years, Ward won the National Carnival Queen competition for the second and third consecutive years with portrayals “Dance The Butterfly” and “Fire In The Sky” respectively. Ward, now 21, yesterday candidly stated that it was by sheer determination she was able to achieve that level of success. “When I want something, I have to get it. That started the first year I won the title. I was then told that in order for me to keep the challenge trophy, I would have to win the competition for three consecutive years so I set out to do just that”. When asked how it felt achieving her goal in winning the queen title for the third time straight, Ward, said: “I don’t think it really hit me as yet, but I’m taking it in slowly now that I am away from all the action. I think it’s now beginning to sink in”.

Curtis Eustace, National Carnival King 2003, said yesterday he  simply carried out the normal Ash Wednesday Eustace tradition started by his deceased father Tedder. He journeyed to the Valencia river for a ‘lime’ with family and friends for the most part of the day, then it was up to Mt. St. Benedict yesterday to give thanks and praises to the Father for his success. Eustace started playing king seven years ago for Barbarossa. That year he won the national title with “The Matador”.  His next couple titles came  from portrayals “Dis Is We Carnival” (1998) and “Rough Rider” (2000). Then with “Jabmolassie” (2002) and this year’s “D Sky is the Limit” Eustace 34, again copped the coveted crown.