I ,Kevin “Buddyvilla” Croft, would like to say this on behalf of my very good friend, former teammate and Rastafarian Brother, Trevor “Ras Bucket” Davis, who was just awarded with the Queen Badge of Honor for his contribution to the development of Athletics as a competitor and now a coach. I, Kevin Croft, and all who appreciate the honor placed on Ras Bucket would like to thank those who saw the justice in thanking Bucket for his outstanding effort. We thank you. To the Government of the day, a special thank you.
I met Ras Bucket in 1975. He was about 12 or 13. I saw him run in a race during the primary school sports day competition. He was the fastest child of the day. We became friends from that day. I was also a child athlete in the longer races. Our relationship grew close over the next few years as we grew older and better at our sport. By 1980, we were off to represent Anguilla together. I got to know him better. By then, I came to realize that he carried within him the belief that nobody was faster than him. What made that so special to me was that I, at the time, was also dominating my field as a distance runner and I was also carrying the same thoughts about myself.
Ras Bucket was an athlete whose love and determination were to win and to prove to the world that as aRasta man he could do it. Bucket was one of the fastest men on the planet, but was not given the opportunity when he was in his prime to demonstrate that to the world. In spite of the situation, he endured a career which lasted until 1997, 22 years. Trevor Davis was a champion who thought like a champion and I am proud of his accomplishment. I watched Bucket being tossed aside like a rejected stone that the builder didn’t want.
Notwithstanding that, what is so important about his accomplishment is the fact that he did all of this as a Rasta at a time when Rasta was an outcast. I experienced the same thing, that’s why as a retired champion, and also a Rasta, this is our biggest win. I want to thank those again and again for the acknowledgement of Bucket because he made Anguilla stand out as a country that possessed world class talent. Thanks for acknowledging him while he is alive. God bless Bucket and God bless Anguilla forever.
Kevin Croft
