“Went to bed at midnight and was up at 3:30am to get the horses loaded,” the chap who had parked his horse trailer next to us said. He’d heard us griping about early rising to make the First Class at the Horse of the Year show in Kyalami.
You have to get to the stables, pull all the show horses out and lunge them before loading. Although you’ve washed them from head to hoof and even plaited their manes the day before, they probably slept on a pile of manure or got sawdust and tef hay caught in their tails. And at dawn, you and your grooms must bandage tails and wrap legs to prevent injury.
Then there’s the loading. If you’re lucky and they’re well-trained, it’s quick and stress-free. But just one horse has to misbehave and you’ll miss the First Class. Regardless of the high cost of entry fees and all your preparation, the gate will be closed in your face. Horse of the Year is probably the most important show in Gauteng. It used to be a one-day local show, while the big one was the Rand Easter Show. That moved from Empire Road out to the new showgrounds near Gold Reef City, but eventually entries dwindled as the petrol price rose.
Many horse owners live in Midrand and the showgrounds of the former Transvaal Society, now the Gauteng Society (GHS), are nearby. show grew to the extent that the distance people were prepared to travel to compete with the best wasn’t an issue anymore.
A show for champions
his year, a Warmblood stallion called Lautrec, an athletic, grey, A-Grade jumper, came all the way from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to take part in the stallion parade. He was transported via Zimbabwe, where he spent three weeks in quarantine, and came through two days before the show. He didn’t compete in the showing because he didn’t need to – anyone who is anyone in the horsey world recognises quality when they see it. He is one of seven imported and two local Warmblood stallions at the Branic Stud.
Going for gold
Horse of the Year is an interesting show, because in addition to a number of different breeds competing on different days, the ultimate goal is to make it to the “Supremes”. The champs of each breed compete against each other in the Supreme Championships: Working Hunter, Working Riding Horse, Gelding, Young Child’s Pony, Breed Horse and Ridden Horse. This part of the competition is probably the most important, because these are the horses whose stud fees and foal prices are affected by their placings.
This year, the Supreme Champion was a grey SA Boerperd stallion called Carel Hancke Singita, owned by Madre Koch. The Champion SA mare was also in the top five.
he Reserve Supreme Breed Champion was a part-bred Arab mare, Rifaa Winter Legend. She won both the open showing and the Anglo and part-bred Arabian classes. This well-turned out bay mare also came in for the Ridden Supremes. Legend is owned by Ginny Fine and ridden by Brian Noach, the GHS showing committee chairperson. She’s not just a beauty but also an athlete – she won the South African Derby in 2005 and 2006 and was runner-up last year. I
heard that the part-bred and Anglo-Arab fraternity were quite surprised to meet her in the show ring!
n many classes there’s no prize money, but as the showhorse industry caters for some 320 000 horses and employs over 80 000 people, the spin-offs are an important source of income. Showing is part sport, part hobby, but some people must be making really good money. Why else rise at the crack of dawn to get the horses off to the show on time? – Dr Mac
Dr Mac is a veterinarian and part-time cowgirl who’s been involved with horses for 30-odd years as practitioner, breeder, rider and animal behaviourist. She enjoys communicating with horses and horse-people involved in breeding, showing, jumping, endurance, trail riding, ponyclub games, racing, western riding and other equine-related activities. Contact Dr Mac c/o [email protected]. |fw
