Equilife magazine december 2016

Equilife Living the Lifestyle

December 2016

Tanya Seymour Clinic • Seacliff Resort Zanzibar • Warmblood Day DISTRIBUTION FREE NATIONWIDE

From the Publisher......

The Equilife Team

Marketing and Advertising Jacqueline Wood jacqui@equilife.co.za

Design and Production Michele Wood design@equilife.co.za

Content Editor

Colleen Mulrooney

Photography

Jacqui S Photography jacqui@equilife.co.za

A magazine is born from the idea of ‘lets do something different, the industry really needs it’ and total insanity, and here we are at the end of 2016 on our eighth issues of Equilife ‘Living the Lifestyle.

Contributors Ashleigh Hughes Portrait Turf Diaries Brigitte Billings Dressage Newsletter Deborah Coles-Vincent Spotlight Colleen Mulrooney Portrait Hannah Botha Stable Views Judy Virtue Stephen Clarke Clinic Leandri van der Vyver Endurance Mandy Rapson Polocrosse Mia Boonzaier Wine Review Michelle Blaauw Vaulting Newsletter Shelly Moore Warmblood Day 2016 Sikhangele Mbambo A Grooms Insight

But what gives a magazine longevity is its content, this is something that makes every issue so refreshing, a big thank you to all our contributors you make it all happen, we have had amazing feedback on our articles. To our advertisers, who joined us on this road, without you this wouldn’t have been possible. Our next issue will be January/February, and Equilife will start on a high note, with a couple of amazing events being covered. The Equilife Team wishes you all a wonderful Festive Season; we look forward to you all joining us again in 2017. Rememver to Keep ‘Living the Lifestyle

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reproduced without the publishers permission. Equilife reserves the right to reject any advertising or editorial material which may not suit the standard of the publication without reason given. Opinions expressed in advertisements and articles do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or Publisher. Equilife (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for any material submitted for Publication.

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Contents 13. Dressage ~ Stephen Clarke Clinic FEI 5* Dressage Judge, Stephen Clarke first came to Johannesburg in 2005 to judge at the Transvaal Dressage Championships. Since then, Stephen, widely regarded as the most respected and popular dressage judge in the world, has been Chairman of the Ground Jury at the London Olympics, on the Ground Jury at Rio and continues to judge at all major Championships around the world, as well as running clinics for judges, coaches and riders. 22 13

15. Turf Diaries ~ Johan’s Big Four What is it that makes certain trainers rise straight to the top of their profession, and stay there? What do they have, that so many others don’t? Is it luck? Where one special horse ‘puts them on the map’?

20. Maple Ridge Equestrian Farm FEI World Cup Qualifier Final Leg

26 . Portrait ~ Camilla and Sam make History in Rio . In May this year, in the lead up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the FEI launched the game changing “Two Hearts” campaign. and how two hearts beat as one in the drive to win.”

30. Endurance ~ Twelve days of Christmas So I figured, for this December edition, to combine my reluctant love of Christmas shopping with the wish list of an endurance rider. So here are 12 items on any endurance rider’s shopping list at any time: 30

LIMITED STABLING AVAILABLE AT R4300.00 PER MONTH The traditional horse riding areas north of Johannesburg have all but disappeared. Space becomes an increasingly rare luxury as time moves on. You need only look around you. Only 3% of the 520 hectare farm will ever be developed. After all, you can’t have country runs without the country. At Monaghan Farm, we will always have outrides on horseback, mountain biking trails, hiking and picnicking along our 7km river frontage...MODERN FARM LIVING

Contact: Natasha Hyams • 082 723 9822 • Stables@monaghanfarm.co.za Ashanti Road, Lanseria 1748. 5 www.monaghanfarm.co.za

Content 42. Gaited Traveller ~ Seacliff Resort Zanzibar Situated on the West coast of the infamous Zanzibar Island. Thirty minutes’ drive from the airport and twenty minutes from Stone town and the ferry Port. Seacliff Resort is unique in its settings, architecture and ambiance. From the onset, the owner was determined to set a new bench level with the building of the resort. 42

45. Breeders ~ Warmblood Day 2016 Langley Equestrian Centre and Foresyte Stud hosted the 3rd annual KZN Warmblood day on Sunday 6 November, and despite the very cold and rainy weather, the event enjoyed fabulous support from exhibitors and spectators. 45

Content Trending ~ Carol Hayward Fell

Gaited Traveller ~ Seacliff Resort Zanzibar

The Sketch Pad ~ Adawment

Breeders ~ Warmblood Day 2016

Wine Review ~ Flagstone Dark Horse

Dressage ~ Stephen Clarke Clinic

Turf Diaries ~ Johan’s Big Four

Stable Views~ Using oils in Equine Diets

Showjumping ~ Selleira Equipe WCQ

Dressage Newsletter ~ Making Advances

Behind the Bit

Portrait ~ Camilla and Sam make History in Rio

Endurance ~ Twelve days of xmas

Spotlight ~ Tanya Seymour Clinic

A Grooms Insight ~ Impromptu Interview

Vaulting Newsletter ~ Gauteng end on a A high note

Polocrosse ~ The Power of Simple

Hillary Hoofpick

Book your place in our Christmas and New Year Issues Contact us adverts@equilife.co.za Camilla Kruger and Sam the Man +27 82 698 3965

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Trending TRENDING

Expressive Elegent Whimsical

“The Cat sat on the Mat”

Carol Hayward Fell is a well-known exhibiting Ceramic artist and an enthusiastic art teacher who loves interacting with people and specialises in teaching adults to draw and paint. Carol has a Fine Arts Degree and HED (Teaching Diploma), from UKZN. She has been working in clay since 1971 and teaching art for over 30 years. She teaches painting and drawing to adults from her home studio, CAROLART STUDIO in Durban North. From 1978 - 1984 she was a Ceramics lecturer at Natal Technikon (now DUT). has work in most of South Africa’s leading public art museums and corporate art collections. In 2006 after making mainly pots for 30 years, she started making expressive ceramic sculptures of horses and zebras. Her highly individual horses are instantly recognisable with their long necks and fine surface detail and have earned Carol several awards. In 2014 she received the top Premier Award for the Best on Show, at Corobrik National Ceramics Biennale Exhibition in Cape Town for her entry: “White Horse with Vervet Monkeys.

Carol is an established ceramic artist who works in clay, currently making ceramic sculptures of horses, which are exhibited through-out South Africa. As a top award-winning ceramic artist, she “Birds of a Feather”

Her horse sculptures are continually evolving, often including an element of humour or whimsy, especially those including other animals, which often sit on the horses’ backs. In her latest works (seen here), on the 2016 Corobrik National Ceramic Biennale, she had allowed the horses’ tails to grow to become “carpet-tails” and has placed the animals sitting on the finely detailed patterned carpets. The Pretoria Art Museum and the William Humphreys Gallery in Kimberley both have her horse sculptures in their public collections, in addition to several of her earlier patterned vessels.

CarolArt Studio carolart@telkomsa.net www.carolhaywardfell.co.za

THE SKETCH PAD

The

Sketch Pad Aged wisdom records the power of adversity… Yet few of us ever embrace this power and emerge stronger, wiser and successful in ways we never would have imagined! Acknowledged for a highly successful career as a South African champion show jumper and multi disciplinary equestrienne would have been a fitting end to success for many. Not so for Dawn… At the peak of her career, an accident while competing in the Dunhill Derby ended Dawn’s competitive career. Her life passed quickly before her and the questions of what lay in her future were many. Yet Dawn quickly came to realize that whatever adversity, her passion and love of horses and Africa were an integeral part of her life. The creative talent that fed her style and prowess as a horsewoman and clothing designer had found new expression in the fine art of painting and jewellery design.

She has had exhibitions all over SA and was a sell out in England. Her works of art are shipped all over the world and proud owners of Adawnment pieces include Terry Hatcher and Elton John. In 2009 Dawns daughter twenty four year old Lauren Smorenburg, after completeing her Bachelor of Technology in Jewellery Design and Manufacture at The Cape Peninsula University Technology in Cape Town has joined the company. They share a passion for all things African and horsey. Lauren is an accomplished horse woman, competeing at the top level of show jumping in South Africa. She brings to the company her own style and love of carving and casting using the lost wax process.

In a moving tribute to the two great loves of her life: Africa and Horses, Dawn has created four ranges: Jeweled, Asfara, Equestrienne & Soft Furnishings.

Contact: Adawnment Cell: +27 82 571 2828 email: adawnment@iafrica.com

Deservedly, Dawns work is receiving growing acclaim, both internationally and in South Africa where she lives with her family and her beloved horses in the beautiful Constantia Valley, on the southern slopes of Table Mountain.

WINE REVIEW

Flagstone... Story - Telling Wines By Mia Boonzaier

From humble beginnings in tunnels under the V&A Waterfront, to being an award-winning wine producer, Flagstone Winery, part of the international company Accolade Wines, has never wavered from their winemaker-driven philosophy, and is proud of their colourful history and story-telling wines. Flagstone is a wine-maker driven business, rather than a marketing-led business. This makes them different from most wine businesses. It means the primary focus is to take care of the vineyards and make wines they believe are true to those vineyards, rather than what the latest trend is. Fortunately for them, their products sell themselves. Flagstone’s founder, Bruce Jack, knows all too well that winemaking is a labour of love rather than a formalised knowable equation. While this maverick approach has truly set Bruce apart within the wine industry, he shares his fearless ‘go-forit’ enthusiasm with our current head winemaker, Gerhard Swart. With Gerhard at the helm, Flagstone continues to reach new creative heights.

One of these is their Dark Horse Shiraz of which the 2013 vintage won Gold at this year’s prestigious Veritas Awards. This year at the Michelangelo International Wine Awards, the 2013 vintage walked away with a Silver medal, while the yet to be released 2014 vintage took home Gold. Both vintages also earned 4 stars in the Platter’s Wine Guides of 2016/2017.

More than most, the winemakers at Flagstone are totally committed to making honest, real wine that is reflective of its provenance, even if this means taking the hard path. The word “handcrafted” is overused in the world today, but if you were able to witness the production process, you would see how ancient winemaking techniques and good old fashioned patience are the norm. Each wine has its own unique background story with evocative tales ranging from myths of flying dragons to very old trees, still living amongst us, but forgotten by the modern world. Flagstone Wines believe that wine is a marriage between nature and human imagination and ambition. Mother Nature provides the grapes, but it is flashes of inspiration and creativity that transforms them into fabulous, captivating wines. Flagstone Wines have been sourcing their grapes from 5 core vineyards for the past 16 years. The natural environment in which the vines grow and bear fruit play a huge role in the style and quality of the resultant wine and Flagstone Wines clearly go to great lengths to study and learn everything they can about the environment. Flagstone Wines refer to this as their “Homeground Advantage”. It means they can make more complex wines at every price range. This is clearly shown by the amount of awards Flagstone Wines win.

WINE REVIEW was first made. When the wine was first produced, the winemaking team was incredibly proud, as it was a single-vineyard wine. Unfortunately, rules at the time prevented the winery from delineating a single vineyard designate on their bottles. They began going through the official channels to change the regulations regarding the South African Wine Industry Information and Standard’s traceability regulations. During this time, the team decided to use the word “block” on the wine’s label, so they could speak about their single-block wine in their marketing. Flagstone has a love for writing and stories, and when inspiration is not appearing, a few glasses of Writer’s Block calls upon the writing muse. Swart appreciates that every wine has its own unique challenges and rewards. Between all these story-bottle wines, Swart does not have a favourite one, he feels that naming a specific one is like deciding which of his two daughters is his favourite.

The nose of this deep plum-coloured wine is ripe with blackcurrants and mulberry, supported by subtle spicy undertones of cinnamon and cloves. Big and round on entry with smooth and silky tannins, expect flavours of ripe mulberry and rich dark chocolate that lingers on the palate together with flavours of sweet spice and toasted oak. The Dark Horse is our touch stone, our mantra, our moving target, our other name, our dreams reflected. Shiraz grows like it wants to fly away. And the cautious farmer will mutter that nothing good will come from such a wild thing. But find the soil and climate to balance this effervescent nature and you have the chance of making something beautiful.

It is not just the reputation of Flagstone and the awards that decorate them that makes you want to buy a bottle; the distinctive, eye-catching labels of each bottle tell a story. The name of each wine is not just to tell which wine is which; each name has a specific story attached to it. Their cult wine, “Dragon Tree”, is a Cabernet/ Sauvignon/Shiraz/Pinotage blend which the Flagstone team buys the most. The story behind the name of this wine is the story of the Dragon Tree given to the Port Captain of Cape Town by a passing ship over 100-years-ago. The tree used to grow above the original Flagstone barrel maturation cellar at the V&A waterfront before it was hit by lightning and died.

According to Swart, Pinotage is a distinctive wine because it is a South African grape. “Time Manner Place” is Flagstone’s Icon Pinotage. The name refers to picking the grapes at the perfect time, the manner in which the wine is made, and the place (terroir) where it is from. This particular Pinotage is an unique wine that would make any occasion special because of the process that it goes through. Of the wine that is made, only the top four barrels are chosen to make this wine. The wine only goes through to the bottling phase if and when Swart feels it is good enough.

“Writer’s Block”, Flagstone’s Pinotage, represents the struggle that the wine went through when it

These wines definitely taste as good as they look.

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DRESSAGE

Stephen Clarke Dressage Judges Clinic ~ October 2016

By Judy Vertue, Clinic Convenor, DSA Judges Committee

FEI 5* Dressage Judge, Stephen Clarke first came to Johannesburg in 2005 to judge at the Transvaal Dressage Championships. Since then, Stephen, widely regarded as the most respected and popular dressage judge in the world, has been Chairman of the Ground Jury at the London Olympics, on the Ground Jury at Rio and continues to judge at all major Championships around the world, as well as running clinics for judges, coaches and riders. Since 2013, he has also held the prestigious position of ‘Dressage Judge General’ at the FEI. He had always promised to come back to South Africa and through the sterling efforts of the DSA Judges Committee, this was made possible.

In October this year, 77 dressage judges from South Africa and neighbouring countries attended a three day Judges Seminar held at the prestigious Equidome in Beaulieu Country Estates. The ‘rave reviews’ on this seminar, only served to confirm how very fortunate we were to be able to benefit from the vast amount of knowledge that Stephen possesses and the logical, clear, calm and focussed way in which this knowledge was conveyed.

Theory

Scribe Penny van Asche, Stephen Clarke and Recorder, Sam Jackson

The first session on the Saturday afternoon was a Theory Session with videos with examples of various movements which could be ‘rewound’ and discussed, always a very popular means of training the eye. The first priority will always be the quality and purity of the paces. Stephen refused to be drawn into a discussion about ‘how many marks would you take off if ........’ His simple answer was ‘you have to use your judgement, based on your experience. Assess the ‘complete’ movement, with quality always remaining at the top of the mind. Don’t be policemen.’ If there are lots of ‘mistakes’ in the test, the rider’s score will be affected.

horses, including Warmblood, Anadalusian , Friesian and Lusitano, and both ‘adult’ and ‘young riders’ was very enthusiastically received. Stephen commented that very often horses that did not have great pedigrees but had good paces and were correctly trained, could gain very similar marks to imported horses bred especially for dressage. The case in point was Patrick Brown’s talented Medium horse, Wow’s Yellowood, whose breeding is unknown and who, incidentally was the winning SA Dressage Derby Horse of 2016! After each ‘grade’, generally featuring two riders, Stephen went through the tests with the judges and the rider was also present, together with their coach! Many of the lower level judges commented ‘ what an amazing opportunity to ‘have a go’ at judging at a higher level, with feedback from Stephen’ .

Practical Sunday morning featured a Practical Session with 12 riders, riding tests from Elementary through to Grand Prix, with an opportunity for judges to judge all tests. The selection of locally bred and imported

Sonica Engelbrecht and Umberto

Marisa Cetinich and Winters Buon Natale

DRESSAGE Lessons

Everyone was inspired – ‘Stephen has such an incredible eye’; ‘what a calm, wonderful, positive approach – he made a difference to everyone’. ‘Stephen’s lessons were a revelation’.

The Sunday afternoon session and the Monday morning session were devoted to lessons and open to all dressage enthusiasts. Says Stephen ‘Whether novice or Grand Prix, there is a set of ‘training rules’ that apply to all, most particularly the horse must always be in front of the aids.’ He insisted on ‘immediate’ reactions, working on many transitions not only between paces - trot/ walk/trot, trot/halt/trot -, but also within the paces – collected/medium/collected trot, and also within the movement, performing shoulder- in, in medium trot and back to collected. His sense of humour was always present. He encouraged the horse (without touching him) with a long whip – ‘I swish, horse reacts, you pat!’

An autographed copy of Stephen’s book ‘Dressage Dreams 10’ was raffled and won by a delighted Lynn Bremner, who rode her elementary horse, Bon Esprit, for Stephen and gained a score of over 70%.

Stephen was impressed with our Young Riders, Marisa Cetinich and Sonica Engelbrecht and all credit must go to Young Rider, Francesca Sanne, whose horse was injured between riding her Prix St Georges test and having a lesson the next day, and who rode her mother’s horse, Callaho for Sure, (who she had ridden only once before!) with confidence and style. But the horse that stole Stephen’s heart was the very expressive but sensitive Adelprag Stud horse, Adelprag Quicksilver by Quarterback, ridden by Chere Burger. Said Stephen ‘ a super-talented horse with natural rhythm’.

From L to R, Jessica Augustyn (Western Shoppe), Suzanne Horne and Cellehof Tadoo; Kerry Byerley (Kuda), Stephen Clarke, Rene Brinkman and Holeshot Rhapsody, Hannah Botha (Equus)

Sponsors Grateful thanks to our three main sponsors, Western Shoppe, Equus, and Kuda, plus many others who assisted us. We could not have done this without you! And special thanks to my awesome team – my Number 1 Assistant, Kathleen Mackay, together with Anastasia Lupini, Penny van Asche and Sam Jackson, who ensured everything ran like clockwork! As he departed on Monday evening, we said to Stephen ‘hope you have a chance to have a few days’ rest when you get home, it’s been really hot here and you must be quite tired’. ‘No chance’ said Stephen ‘I am off to judge a World Cup Qualifier in Lyons, France on Wednesday!’ Final comment from many delegates – please can we get him back in 2017!

Chere Burger and Adelprag Quicksilver

Stephen showed us some of his favourite exercises – developing engagement and a ‘pirouette ready’ canter by performing two half canter pirouettes in a four loop serpentine; starting one-time changes with an ‘in/out’ on crossing the centre line on a 20 m circle; correcting an ‘ambling walk’ by putting the horse on a small circle in a steep shoulder-in.‘Calmness comes from obedience; relaxation comes from throughness’, he said.

TURF DIARIES

Johan’s Big Four

New Predator (Aus) wins the Gr2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile. Photography: Courtesy JC Photographics

By Ashleigh Huges (Love Racing)

What is it that makes certain trainers rise straight to the top of their profession, and stay there? What do they have, that so many others don’t? Is it luck? Where one special horse ‘puts them on the map’? Perhaps some are talented horsemen, while others are hard workers? Is there a formula to this sort of success in training racehorses? As I chatted to Johan Janse van Vuuren, I realised that, every one of those things have contributed to his immense success, in just 3 and a half years of training under his own name. His most successful raceday to date, was having a “Quartet” of feature wins on the Charity Mile raceday on 5 November 2016 at Turffontein Racecourse. The day’s win streak started off with Girl On The Run winning the 1800m Gr3 Yellowwood Handicap, with Randall Simons in the irons. Barely 2 hours later he was back in the Winner’s Circle with She’s A Giver, who won the 1400m Gr3 HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco Starling Stakes very easily, by 3.75 lengths, giving jockey Gavin Lerena the second of his 4 wins on the day.

an extra special win for the jubilant Lerena family, as Gavin’s cousin, Kevin Lerena, who is the current South African Cruiserweight Boxing Champion, was the celebrity paired with New Predator. The Peermont Educational Trust Bursary Program was the beneficiary of the R100 000 first prize. It was a very emotional lead in for everyone, which due to a 2 hour rain delay, the owner of New Predator, Laurence Werners unfortunately missed, as he had had to catch a flight to London!

A very long rain delay, pushed the start of the main feature, the R1 Million Gr2 Peermont Emperor’s Palace Charity Mile, forward by nearly two hours. It’s a unique concept for a race – there are 16 runners, who race over 1600m. Each horse is assigned a charity, as well as a local celebrity and media house, who do a lot of publicity and promotions for the race, in the lead up to the day. All the charities are given a donation, but the one associated with the winner, gets the lion’s share. The Janse van Vuuren yard had the favourite in the race, the Australian import, New Predator, who was again ridden by Gavin Lerena.

The very next race on the card was the Gr3 Graham Beck Stakes, a 1400m for 3yo colts and geldings. Johan’s horse Doosra, again ridden by Gavin Lerena, managed to prevail over the Mike de Kock trained Heavenly Blue (Aus), in a thrilling heads up, heads down battle to the line. Both Johan and Gavin had 4 feature race winners apiece, and both have described the day as being close to their most successful day at the races.

New Predator (Aus) powered to victory in the Charity Mile, having had a dream run throughout the race, sitting second on the rail around the turn, and having a clear run in the home straight. It was

TURF DIARIES as he is very clued up. I also have Randall Simons who rides a lot of work at home for us. He is very professional, and I value the feedback he gives me. Hennie Greyling also does a lot of work riding for us. The vets are also an integral part of my team. I like to treat horse’s injuries proactively, trying to prevent injuries and problems, instead of waiting for them to happen, and then trying to fix them afterwards. My owners tell me that I really like the vets a lot, but I have learnt so much from them, and I rely on them a lot. These guys all do their bit, and none of my success would be possible without their dedication and hard work.” Who are your biggest clients, and what sort of relationship do you have with them? “I have two big clients in my yard, Laurence Werners and Jaap van der Vendal, and they have both supported me staunchly from day one. I have a very good professional relationship with both of them, and they are actually quite similar, in that they are very straight and to the point, much like myself. And so I get on with them both really well and we understand each other, which make things so much easier. They have actually become more than just clients though, as they have grown with me and my yard.”

Gavin Lerena on Doosra in the Winners Circle

Your 4-timer of feature wins on Charity Mile Raceday must be close to your most successful day at the races? How did it feel, as the day was unfolding, to realise that you had gotten everything so spot on for each horse? “I was actually quite relaxed on the day, as most of the preparations had gone very well. After our first win with Girl On The Run, I got slightly more confident. But then She’s A Giver won, and I got really confident with the other two colts, because I thought, on the day, New Predator and Doosra were my best two runners.”

Are you involved in selecting the horses that come into your yard from the sales? Do you do all the legwork yourself, or do you have a trusted advisor or bloodstock agent who helps you? You were always very keen on studying and researching bloodlines and pedigrees. ”I still do a lot of studying of pedigrees, and I still really enjoy it. I am a great believer in certain crosses with horses – certain sire lines will match better with certain female lines. So when the sales catalogues come out, I go through the book and earmark the pedigrees which I know my clients will also like, and then we go to the sales to assess those horses’ conformations to make our final choices. I have always been a massive fan of Fort Wood as a sire, and now also as a broodmare sire, and there are a lot of really good new sires which I think cross very well with the Fort Wood mares. I do most of the selections of horses myself at the sales. Sometimes a client may ask me to go and look at specific horse for them as well. But after seeing all the horses with the pedigrees we like, I sit down with my clients to decide which ones we like, and are going to bid for.”

And were there any challenges leading up to the day? “Everything went really smoothly in the last two weeks leading up to the raceday, and the only slight hiccup we had was when She’s A Giver had a slightly elevated temperature the night before – it’s was just 38.4C, so I called my vets to come and evaluate her. They said there wasn’t much we Siobhan could do,Record’s and weRathmor’s gave herCaprice some antibiotics, and reassessed her the next morning. She ate up well that night, and she responded to the treatment, and so we decided to take our chances and raced her” Those sort of successful days are a long time in planning, and a lot of team work is involved. Who are the key members of your team, and what are their roles?

How did you start out in the industry? What ignited your passion?

“Yes, I’ve got a lovely team of hard working guys working for me at the moment. My main Assistant Trainer in the yard is Clinton Naude, and he heads up the team. I also have Kingston, who is from Zimbabwe – he is excellent. He is in charge of his own yard, within my stable, and he is very capable. He would be able to train his own string really well, if he ever decided to take out his licence,

”I’ve been involved with horseracing for most of my life – as long as I can remember to be honest with you. My late Grandfather had a few share in racehorses, and his brother was also a few mares, which he bred from. I don’t think they were too successful at it though. I used to go racing, from

TURF DIARIES a young age, with my father and grandfather, and I used to study the Computaform a lot more than I ever studied anything at school! I could not wait to finish school every day, so that I could get down to the local tote to put my Place Accumulator on that day’s racing. I used to get a few Rand for our school lunches, but that was used to pay for the bets instead. We would study form during our first break, and then run the 3km down to the tote after school, to get there in time to place our bets.” You became a licenced Trainer in 2013, after having a 13 year tenure as an Assistant Trainer to former Champion Trainer, Geoff Woodruff. What are some of the most important things you’ve brought forward from there? “It was very easy working for Geoff. He was always very forthcoming his knowledge, and when he gave us instructions to do something, he was always happy to explain why we had to do it. One of the main things I learnt from Geoff, is that you have to be confident when you make decisions. If you feel something is right, you must go with your gut feel and do it. Don’t second guess yourself when it comes to difficult situations” Randall Simons (Left) Johan Janse van Vuuren (Right)

How many horses in your string currently? Are you taking a string down to Cape Town for the season?

Werner’s wife Tessa is a big believer of the balance of feng shui, and she has identified me as a ‘number 1’, which makes me a leader, and I have the strong personality that goes with it. She’s given me a couple of tips to use this to my advantage, which includes me wearing either water or metal colours at races, the blues or greys, as that is supposed to make me stronger”

“I currently have 120 horses in my string, but I would like to cut back slightly to between 100 and 110. I just feel that it’s a more manageable number for my team. No I am not taking a string down to Cape Town, but I have sent New Predator and She’s A Giver down to Brett Crawford, to look after for us, as he did so well with Brazuca last year for us”

Do you have any advice for any young people aspiring to become a trainer one day? “Horseracing is a very tough industry, and one thing I do know, if you are not committed, and if you aren’t prepared to put in the long hours, then it’s not really worth your while pursuing a career in racing. It consumes most of your life, most of your time, and it becomes a lifestyle more than a job. But hard work definitely pays off!”

Laurence Werners pats She’s a Giver

Racehorse trainers are famous for having superstitions or lucky charms, or certain things which they do on racedays, what are yours? “I am a fairly superstitious person, but there is nothing I specifically do on racedays. Laurence

STABLE VIEWS

Using oils in Equine Diets

Photograph courtesy of www.gold circle.co.za

By Hannah Botha - MSC Equine Science (Royal Agricultural College UK) Many horse owners frequently reach for a cup of oil to add to their horses diet but with shelf upon shelf of different oils, which is the best choice and why should you use it? One of the main reasons for using oil is to increase the energy supplied within a horse’s diet to aid with weight gain or to provide added energy without the fiz. “Oils allow for extra energy to be supplied without increasing the cereal grain inclusion of the diet. Too much grain in the diet increases the risk of digestive disorders and may be unsuitable for sensitive horses or those that become hot. Because oils provide about 2 ½ to 3 times more digestible energy than an equal weight of cereal grain, a high energy diet can be obtained by using oils without sacrificing any fibrous material critical for digestive health and the prevention of digestive disturbances.

and decreasing concentrates as much as possible while maintaining a healthy weight, is the most ideal way to feed.

So which oil is best? In terms of supplying energy, all oils are 100% fat, so there is no difference in the number of calories/energy each provides, so from that point you could choose any. However there are large variations in the amount of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids that exist within oils used in equine diets. These essential fatty acids (EFA) are polyunsaturated fats needed for various metabolic processes. The body does not produce EFA, and thus they must be provided through the diet. Omega 6 and Omega 3 have the greatest biological activity in the body, which is why more focus is placed on these two.

(Table taken from http://www.baileyshorsefeeds co.uk/feedingexplained/browsearticles:376.htm)

Which should I choose and How much should I feed? If you are adding oil for extra energy then its likely you’ll need to feed in larger amounts so choosing an oil that is more palatable like Linseed rather than fish oil may be ideal. If your using for joint or coat support then Omega 3 containing oils will be better. Should your horse get no concentrates then Omega 6 oil may help to keep the balance and if your horse receives large amuonts of concentrates then maybe look at Omega 3 oil.

Claimed benefits of Omega-3 oils include: • Promoting stronger and faster growing feet

useful for horses and ponies prone to laminitis and those with slow growing feet or those difficult to keep shod. • Boosting the immune system. • Coat shine • Aids the respiratory system. • keeping joints supple and mobile • Can help calm the temperament of excitable horses. . • Correct development of nervous system, brain muscles and skeleton. • Having anti-allergic properties. Oils containing higher levels of Omega 3 are found in the natural diet of horses (forage). Omega 6, however are generally found in larger amounts within cereal grains. Therefore horses fed large grain meals, may have more Omega 6 oils in their diet then Omega 3 and horses fed no grains may have more Omega 3 than Omega 6 so, as with all nutrients, balance is the key. At this stage an exact ratio has not been established in horses, but given that Omega 3 are more present in the horses ‘Natural diet’’, its stands to reason that Omega 6 should be present at a lower level or at least 1:1. In order to keep a good balance increasing forage

In terms of how much your horses requires depends on your reason for feeding: For Adding coat shine - 80-120ml per day. Requiring extra energy -150-400ml. Up to 100ml per 100kg of body weight per day can be fed but this will largely depend on the horse and how well he has adapted to oil supplementation. The average horse however will normally need no more than 250ml per day. How do I introduce? As with all new feed additions, horses should be slowly introduced to the added oil. Start with a small amount 20-60ml increasing by 20-40ml each week until the desired level is found. This may sound slow but it allows the horses digestive system to adapt to the fat, which will reduce the likelihood of soft manure, a typical, though usually transient, effect of using oil. Research has shown that complete oil adaption takes around 12 weeks so therefore keep in mind that it will take a while before you will notice all the positive benefits of using oils. The full article is available on http://www.equusfeeds.co.za/ using-oils-in-equine-diets/

Selleria Equipe FEI World Cup Final 2016 Winner Nicole Horwood and Mark White Nissan Capital Don Cumarco

SHOWJUMPING Lisa Williams and Discovery Campbell

Barry Taylor and Nissan Catwalk 22

Anne-Marie Eslinger and Alzu Oregon

Jeanne Engela and Investec Chanel van der Zeshoek Nicola Sime-Riley and Fulvicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Connoisseur

SHOWJUMPING CSW Photography

Selleria Equipe World Cup Qualifier 1.40m

Winner Heather Robertson and Charmeur M -Winner

Jenna Barrow and Sam

Dominey Alexander and Armageddon

Johnathan Clarke and Hummer

Oscar Ncube and Topbet Hatsy

SHOWJUMPING

Selleria Equipe World Cup Qualifer 1.40m Selleira Equipe FEI World Cup Final Sponsors We would like to thank all the sponsors below for making The Maple Ridge Equestrian Farm Selleria Equipe FEI World Cup Qualifer Final leg 2016 a great success. Shows like this would not be possible without the generosity of sponsors to our sport Main Sponsors: Maple Ridge Equestrian Farm~ prize money R50 000.00 Selleira Equipe ~ Saddle R60 000.00 Sponsors: Dunkeled Equstrian Estate • Engen Oaktree PR • Equestrian House • Equipage Insurance • Martin Collins • Royal Feeds • Septic Tank Cleaner • Stride Products • URETEK

DRESSAGE NEWSLETTER

Making advances It’s all about balance By Brigitte Billings

Speak to an Advanced rider about what to expect at this level and most will tell you it’s about balance. Not only will you have learned to ride your horse easily through a multitude of ‘gear-changes’, particularly in the trot, but he will be able to work with equal balance on both reins. Judges will be looking for a horse who happily works in an uphill frame and displays fluent, correct paces. They will also expect to see horse and rider working in harmony – contrary to some opinions, harsh hands and overbent, unhappy horses are not rewarded by good judges.

Perhaps the most stringent test of this will be the tempi-changes – usually there are a maximum of three changes – one every four strides. The placement of these on the diagonal is crucial and they should be evenly placed with the middle change occurring over X. Without the ability to collect and ‘sit’ in the canter, your horse will not be able to accomplish these, particularly with the degree of straightness expected by the judges.

Interestingly, in the description of the term ‘submission’ used in your tests, the words ‘attention and confidence’ are applied. While some might feel that submission has a negative connotation, in dressage the aim is to create an equine partner who is relaxed and calm. Your extensive competition career will have exposed both of you to a variety of situations and as a result, your horse should look to you as a trusted leader.

Correct balance and strength will also come into play in another of the tough moves in this level – the working canter half-pirouette, which judges will expect to see ridden in three to five steps. This forms a basis for the full pirouette in later grades, which some riders believe to be more difficult than the piaffe and passage. In fact, the taxing nature of most of the work ridden from this grade necessitates that horses may only compete in one test per day.

Some riders choose to expose their horses to additional stimuli, often including hacking and other schooling into their training routines. The challenge is to ensure that your horse remains sound, since you will have invested so much time and energy into your combined career that it would be catastrophic to be faced with an injury. For this reason, many competitors avoid unnecessary strain or potential risk to their horses, who by this stage have become incredibly valuable – don’t be surprised if you find yourself fending off offers!

Clearly defined By this stage, judges will expect transitions to be clearly defined, not only between gaits (walk, trot, canter) but within them (collected walk, extended walk, etc). These transitions will be pushed to the maximum in tests which may require you to ride from an extended canter into a flying change to a working canter to a halt then into a rein back before immediately riding a collected canter. Established movements will start to become more technically challenging, for instance, canter half passes start to lead to canter zig-zags, either off the long side and back or from quarter line to quarter line.

Next month we’ll look at the ‘Tours’. Want to try it out? Recreational membership is free! Visit www.dressagesa.com for contact information.

Not only a test of strength and balance, this is also a true test of schooling – communication between horse and rider is paramount and your horse should be so finely tuned to your aids that he’s literally able to interpret a shift in weight as a request for a new movement. Although in the higher grades the big flashy moving horses are inclined to score better marks, the ultimate goal of dressage remains the impeccable schooling of the horse. The tests There are four Advanced tests – 1, 2, 3, and a Freestyle. By now you will be entirely comfortable riding in a double bridle and enjoying the classical style of your elegant tails in the show ring.

BEHIND THE BIT

Behind the Bit

Retiring the older horse – how to make the right call

with deep shavings, with intermittent paddock time, fed in a routine, rugged against the cold, inoculated, shod and groomed regularly, sudden transportation off to a basic farm environment can be a massive physical and physiological blow. Many horses, especially thoroughbreds, don’t cope with living out especially when they are older and unused to it. Many deteriorate and die quickly – and this is a terrible lesson for a horse lover who thought they were doing the best thing.

One of the inevitable issues faced by horse lovers is the one of deciding when to retire our horses. If anyone reading this believes that when a horse stops performing at shows it has outlived its usefulness I suggest you stop right now and go and count your rosettes! However if your horse has been a long term friend and companion and it feels nice to think of him/or her enjoying a peaceful retirement – read on. There is something truly heart-breaking when hearing of a pony or horse in their late teens being shipped off to a dealer. Especially if they have performed at the top of their discipline, endlessly compensating for human error, trying their hearts out to please and providing hours of fun and accomplishment. How does anyone watch that horse box go down the driveway?? I find it particularly hard if it’s a family pony that has carried two or three children into juniors over a decade or longer, even harder when the owners clearly have the money to fund a proper retirement and have his and hers Porsche Cayenne’s. However I also recognise that it is not so simple for those of us who can’t afford to keep more than one horse.

If you want to retire your horse at home remember that the care required can be as much as for a horse in work. Even those that can be kept out will still need visiting twice a day and will appreciate being groomed and handled. Also, retired horses isolated in small paddocks with limited grazing will not be happy for long – how often have you driven past a property to see a horse standing miserably in a small sand patch with no shade? Although a retired horse or pony can make a brilliant companion for a youngster, they can also face problems turned out as part of a mixed bunch if they become the lowest in the pecking order. 3 If I can only afford to look after one horse, am I prepared to give up riding to keep my horse in retirement?

Many welfare organisations receive calls from horse owners hoping they will take and retire their horses, but what they are really asking those organisations to do is take their horses and put them down because they don’t want to do it themselves.

Think long and hard about this one. Even if you are not a competitive rider – just a happy hacker – it is hard to give up that daily time in the saddle. For many people it is the best part of their day.

So what should an owner think about when considering this difficult question. Below are three basic questions you can ask yourself.

Basically if you answered no to any of the above questions AND you really love your horse it is more responsible to have your horse put down, than to pass him on to another person who may not have your horse’s welfare in mind. We have all heard of numerous cases where horses have been given away as companions to very reliablesounding people only for the horse to be sold on or slaughtered days later. Far better to make the difficult decision and be secure in the knowledge that your horse is not suffering at the hands of another.

1 Can I afford to provide proper care over the long term? It can cost as much to look after a retired horse as one in work, as they still need the farrier, adequate feed and shelter, and, when necessary, veterinary treatment and rugs. Much like people, older horses can actually require MORE veterinary care not less. Certain conditions, such as arthritis, are common in older equines. They often need MORE food not less as their metabolisms are less efficient and lack of work can result in muscle wastage and rapidly deteriorating condition.

Always remember to try and do what’s right for your horse, not what makes you feel good. A friend once told me that horses understand that we control their lives and one of their greatest fears is that we put them down “too soon” or “too late”. Whilst our timing can never be perfect we must accept our responsibility, so when considering retirement for your beloved equine ask yourself the tough questions and you should come to the right answer.

2 Can I keep him in an environment where he will be happy and healthy? Not all horses can cope with being turned out all year round, so any idea of packing your horse off to a “friend with a farm in the Free State” needs careful thought. If your horse has spent a lifetime in a stable

PORTRAIT

Camilla And Sam Make History At Rio

By Ashleigh Hughes In May this year, in the lead up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the FEI launched the game changing “Two Hearts” campaign. It was an initiative to shine a new spotlight of all equestrian sports, to celebrate “the remarkable relationship between equestrian athletes and their horses, and how two hearts beat as one in the drive to win.” However, at 17h15 on Monday 8 August, the hearts of every horse rider, enthusiast and fan in the entire Southern part of Africa, beat as one, as we watched Camilla Kruger and Biarritz II, power round the 4 star cross country course at the Rio Olympics. They produced a sensational clear round (albeit with a few time penalties), as we all sat glued to our televisions, cheering her on vociferously, all the while with tears in our eyes.

in Rio this year, in spite of their homeland going through tough economic times, and political turmoil – the worst nearly two decades. Camilla admits to breaking down in tears during the Opening Ceremony, and being completely overwhelmed at representing her motherland’ “That was a very, very special moment. Walking out there with those crowds and Brazil behind us it was electric. It was the most powerful and inspiring moment I have ever felt!”

But why was it so special? There are actually quite a few remarkable reasons really. Possibly the most significant, is that the 30 year old Camilla, is the very first Zimbabwean, to ever represent her country at an equestrian event, at an Olympic Games. She was just one of 24 athletes to represent Zimbabwe

Another startling fact, is that the Rio Olympics was her very first 4 star Event! Between March 2015 and March 2016, she was the highest ranked rider for Eventing, in the Africa and Middle East zone, and there was only one Oylmpic ticket for this

PORTRAIT entire region. Camilla and her beloved Biarritz II managed to hold their ranking by the cut off date, and that guaranteed them their Olympic berth. That was not really the plan initially, as she and her coach Darell Scaife, had set their sights on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. But having qualified for Rio, they decided that they could not miss the opportunity, and they booked their flights to Rio de Janeiro. She describes Scaife as, “my talented and valuable chef d’equipe, trainer and mentor”, and pins most of her success on him. Biarritz II is a 10yo Dutch bred, Dutch Warmblood, who is owned by the Shamwari Syndicate – “shamwari” means friend in the Zimbabwean language Shona. He is by Vancouver, out of Ninousch, who is by Epilot, and he is affectionately called “Sam The Man”, by everyone who knows him. Camilla and Biarritz are based in Sussex in the UK, as competing directly from Southern Africa, is exceptionally difficult. The biggest stumbling block for all competitors in the area, is the movement moratorium on all horses from the region, due to African Horse Sickness. The current route out of the region, is an arduous quarantine of 147 days in both Cape Town, and on the tiny Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. The Mauritian facilities are more than adequate and very comfortable for the horses, but there is very little place to exercise and keep horses fit. It’s far from ideal for regular overseas competition, and so being based in Europe makes more sense for our riders.

with only 3 competitors finishing under the alloted time. After the Dressage Phase, Camilla and Sam were ranked at 61, and had a dressage score of 59.40. Even though they went clear over the fences in the country, they incurred 40.40 penalties for going over the time. This immensely impressive round still shot them up in the rankings, and went into the Show Jumping Phase in 33rd position, with 99.80 penalties in total. She unfortunately had two poles down, in the show jumping, and finished up in 35th position overall. All in all, it was an outstanding result for the pair, considering everything. A huge contingent of friends and family, from both Zimbabwe and the UK, went to Rio to support her. Camilla spent her formative years in Zimbabwe, and she still proudly calls it her home. Her eventing colours are red and green, and the Zimbawean flag is boldly emblazoned on her helmets, numnahs, and on the pocket of her Zimabawean-green-lined dressage tailcoat. Her internationally recognised achievements at the Rio Olympics put her in line for the Zimbabwe International Women’s Awards (ZIWA), Sportswoman Of The Year, which she duly was awarded in a rather glamourous ceremony in Leicester in the UK, on 30 October 2016. She visits home at least once a year, and her family all still live in Harare, mostly over December, for the holidays.

Camilla did not wear a watch during her cross country round, which is virtually unheard of at that level of Eventing. “It was a real Sam course” Camilla said in a press conference. “But then I saw riders that I really look up to having problems, I thought ‘You’ve got nothing to prove right now. Just get the horse home. Take the alternate routes. Be safe. Be Clear.’” And that’s exactly what she did!

Who could forget Camilla’s massive beaming smile as she sailed round the course without incident? (One could swear that Sam was smiling too!) The Rio cross country course has been described as the toughest we’ve seen in the last 16 years, with there being just a 40.6% clear jumping rate. The time allowed, however, was the biggest challenge,

PORTRAIT

Camilla is also a big fan of ex-racehorses, and she currently has several under her care, which she is schooling up in their new second careers as racehorses. She grew up on a farm in Zimbabwe, and her earliest memories of riding, involve exracehorses, and in spite of competing at the very highest levels on purpose bred Warmbloods, she still sees the value in a horse “off the track”. It is always a huge bonus to have such a big name rider promoting the cause of the Off Track Thoroughbred in post racing careers. Perhaps one day, she will be taking one of them to the Olympics?

Possibly the most poignant image for many Zimabwean and South African riders and horse lovers, was of Camilla and her grandmother in emotional embrace, shortly after she had completed her round, with the Zimbawean flag displayed prominently on her helmet cover. She had overcome all the odds quite admirably, and it was more than just Camilla and Sam’s two hearts out there, that day, you can be certain of that!

James Suraji

Is there enough revenue to sustain a family, one wonders. Oh yes, James is living comfortably with his four children. Life used to be better when the big planes used to land daily from all over the world bringing tourists with them to see the beautiful Zimbabwe scenery. Now he relies mostly on orders that he gets from local clients, Nigel Phillips being one of them.

By Sikhangele Mbambo James Suraji is a very talented artist who although his roots are in Mozambique, was born and bred in Zimbabwe. The widower has 4 children, Leon 22, Lewis 20, Leona 13 and the youngest Laura is 11 years of age. Although he stays in the beautiful Sunningdale suburb, his workshop is smack right in the middle of the busy Mbare ghetto.

Is painting one of his talents and he laughs at me and says that he cannot paint to save his life, neither can he draw and it bothers him a bit when he is trying to design a project but it has never hindered him in any way.

He came to our notice recently after he did a trio of action sculptures inspired by the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, one of which was of the illustrious Camilla Kruger on her horse, Sam the Man (aka Biarritz) who represented her country. The other two were of Kirsty Coventry and the Zimbabwe Girls’ Soccer.

James has repeatedly invited the Equilife team to fly out to Zimbabwe and view his work, one can tell that he is proud of his handiwork which really looks breathtaking just from the pictures. Yours truly can hardly wait to see the rest of his awesome collection.

ENDURANCE

Twelve Days of Christmas The Endurance Edition By Leandri van der Vyver During the past few weeks my social media feed was quite well populated with posts of utter disgust at the retail symphonic explosion of Christmas decorations.

have). During endurance rides it is essential to monitor your horse’s speed – no matter what level you ride at. In the novices phases the horse may not exceed a speed of 16kmph and should you do so the ride master will politely eliminate you. On the other extreme competitive riders need to carefully pace their horses to make sure there is enough fuel left in the tank for the final leg. A good rider will instinctively know what speed they are at, but after 80 kilometres in the blazing sun, dust or howling wind even the internal speedometer is known to malfunction. There are a vast number of sport watches out there to choose from, but pay attention to the following: the simpler the better. Many watches offer insane features that eat up battery life and complicate operations. It must clearly show speed and distance, and be easily operated on board an excited horse. The heart rate monitor feature has become trickier of late with the new clip on monitor not reading the horse’s heart rate as well as the old fashioned bands. Try asking the poor salesman “will this work on a horse?” and watch them squirm.

I also stomped my little foot in stubborn refusal to accept that yet another year has run out. Secretly, however, I had to admit to myself that maybe the early reminder is not a bad thing – I can get the shopping done before the masses descend the stores and my sense of humour goes on vacation. So I figured, for this December edition, to combine my reluctant love of Christmas shopping with the wish list of an endurance rider. So here are 12 items on any endurance rider’s shopping list at any time: 1. Sponges The heated (excuse the pun) “grooming” element after each leg during endurance races requires the speedy cool down and lowered heart rate of your horse, and for some reason the sponges required for the job always go missing. Generally the only sponge you can find is the size of your hand and eventually you are left with the option of either “borrowing” from the “bucket next door” or throwing buckets and helmets filled with water at your not-so-impressed horse. Diced-up old mattresses work well, and throw in a sweat scraper for good measure. Those are equally crafty at escaping your carefully labelled grooming bucket.

3. Lead ropes I might have exaggerated a little about sponges being the most elusive piece of equipment – lead ropes have earned that prize spot. They are the socks or hairpins of the endurance world. The big deal breaker in an endurance ride is the Vet Check. Here you have to present your horse to the vet wearing only a halter (the horse that is, the rider remains fully clothed. Endurance bridles have been

2. .GPS & Heart rate monitor So you need to impress and score some serious brownie points? Let me share with you a sure win way to part with your South African Rands and gain some territory (for whatever agenda you

ENDURANCE tights are for. You may have noticed endurance riders wear shinier jodhpurs than the average rider – and that is because it’s not jodhpurs at all. They descend on the local sports shops and try on all the fancy running tights to find one that work (read: my bum looks ok in it) and off they go. Do yourself a favour and try it – in summer it is fantastic, after you get over the initial shock of what feels like you are riding completely naked, you will not look back. Adding to the ensemble is a solid, not too fancy pair of running shoes. It’s a long day on AND off the saddle. You will run with your horse at some stage, maybe not this race, but it will come and then Jodhpur boots simply doesn’t cut it (and who can afford Ariat anyway). So on with the “tekkies” and stirrup cages (for safety as running shoes have no heel) and bring on some level of comfort.

adapted to quickly dismantle and become a halter for that exact purpose, but you still need a lead rope. For some reason, no matter what I do, when I get to my grooming station my lead rope has magically disappeared. What do you do? The clock is ticking, so you grab to nearest lead rope you can find, promising you will return it immediately (yeah right) and so the cycle continues. It gets especially interesting at the end of the event when you have to box 10 horses with 6 lead ropes at your disposal. So yes, lead ropes, with trackers in them that shoot bolts of electricity if it’s not with a matching halter. Speaking of halters – you can throw in a rope halter whilst you are at it. 4. Epsom salts Take a venture over into the baking section of your local supermarket and buy the BIG box, two of them. One will be used by the rider to help with those sore muscles and aching everything. The other will be administered in a nice hot bucket to the weary hooves of our magical flying steeds. Equine pedicure at its best. A word of caution – if you are buying an endurance rider Christmas gifts, there is a strong chance your relationships is such that YOU will be the one sitting in the stable convincing a highly strung Arab horse to stand with its feet in a bucket at 9pm at night. 5. Cling wrap, cotton wool, brown paper and the latest leg poultice

7. Buff

While we in the supermarket and talking pedicures, we might as well complete the postrace-leg-treatment job. Not only are these consumables annoyingly expensive for what they will be used for, but should you add a “bonus” gift card of The holder of this card is entitled to one free poulticing of his/her horse’s legs you will win at Christmas. Anybody that has tried to apply that maddening clay will have their patience and dexterity tested. I did discover that HBA makes a divine mixture that applies like a thick moisturiser and doesn’t splinter of the legs in “blobs of evil clay” should you just think of touching it again or breathe too loudly.

This little piece of magical cloth is worth its weight in gold. Most outdoor enthusiasts have had their lives changed by the invention of this diverse piece of head gear. In endurance it’s useful for the early morning cold, to provide some protection in the first few kilometres until the sun comes up and you overheat. Then comes the dust, it keeps the dust and direct sun off your face on those dry and windy days. Furthermore you can take them off and dunk them in a water trough on route and put it back on to cool yourself and or wipe your horse’s face, act as a bandage or any of the multitude of uses. My husband just cringed as he realised I wipe my horse’s face with a buff I wear again – I have no idea why he is surprised?

6. Running tights and shoes The endurance rider will be better off working in some running or other exercise into their own training to help maintain focus and stamina for the long day in the saddle, but this is not what the

8. Head lamp The action at a race starts way before the sun is out Ingrid Owen – so you need a good head lamp to Sportography get you

ENDURANCE that gem! The horse equivalent to this is good old milking cream, it soothes over most grazes and can get many an ailment through the race. Just be careful as it does pick up sand so could in some instances, make the chaffing worse for the horse. 11. Cool camping anything The early start times and the pre-vet checks makes it pretty much impossible to arrive at a race the morning of the ride – so camping is the reality for most people. Treat yourself and explore all the contraptions and rigged outfits the seasoned riders have assembled over the years to make the weekend’s ride as hassle free as possible. In that light any useful camping anything will always be a much appreciated gift to the endurance rider. Be it a nice camping chair to rest in, a portable charger for phones, GPS watches or a nifty little stove to whip up that morning cup of coffee – you are bound to find something that works!

through your morning routine. One with different intensity settings is preferable as your horse will not appreciate a blinding light in its face whilst you try saddling. Some riders prefer riding with a lamp for the first leg when it is still dark, but others prefer to let the horses get on with the “seeing in the dark” whilst they get on with the praying. It always amazes me when I return to a piece of track we rode in the dark and I think to myself “I cantered through THAT?” Ignorance is bliss, but I do need to see if I’m saddling the correct horse!

12. Time at a race Lastly, the item that costs the least but probably worth the most, is your complaint free time at an event. To ride a race knowing there is a dedicated person in your corner filling up your horse’s hay net and water bucket, someone looking after your lead rope and damn sponges, mixing your energy drinks and making you coffee – nothing adds more value to your experience than having that partner in crime. My husband on more than one occasion said that even though sleeping in horse boxes is not his idea of fun (he used another word, similar to horse manure), he does enjoy the fact that he can actually play a critical role in my sport and “not just be another spectator.” So go on and make their race. Just go prepared for the primitive existence and potential verbal abuse. “We love you, really.”

9. Arnica Ice There is a reason they have actually got a horse on the label. More realistically a cripple endurance rider will complete the picture. This gel is a great rub to help the aching muscles – it must just be used with caution as too much at the wrong time can lead to the horse’s muscles actually responding in the opposite manner. Trial and error before your race – but an essential item for the first aid kit! 10. Sudocrem and Melksalf Thought you were done with the Sudocrem as a baby? Oh no, you are bound to chafe, blister or experience some discomfort at some stage – then nothing works like that magic white ointment. Thank you cycling community for exposing me to

Horsin About Showing Accessories

Custom made numnahs,browbands, hair bows, ties jacket pins and horse themed gift items.

Contact: Maxine Grobler 079 5212052 maxine@webmail.co.za

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SPOTLIGHT

Tanya Seymour Clinic with Highborn Equestrian By Deborah Coles-Vincent Highborn Equestrian proudly hosted a clinic with Olympic Dressage Rider Tanya Seymour on Thursday 17th & Friday 18th November 2016 at their premises in Summerveld. Tanya represented South Africa at the 2014 World Equestrian Games, and this year became the first South African dressage rider to compete at an Olympic games in Rio 2016.

Tanya Seymour Rio Olympics

This belief shone through and during the clinic Tanya trained a mixture of riders and horses from young horses and new combinations, through to combinations competently working at Advanced levels. She proved herself to be a very approachable and flexible trainer in her methods and her deep understanding of the needs of the individual.

Speaking about her Rio qualification experience Tanya said ..‘The last few months leading up to Rio haven’t left much time to be nervous. I had no idea how much behind the scenes work was involved in organising and paperwork but of course completely worth it. I can admit that now that we’re entering into the last week I’m starting to get excited. ‘When I’m finally on the plane and we land in Rio, it will hit that I will be part of the Olympics, a life-long dream.

Tanya worked with 7 horses per day, which included Andre’s 3 top horses, Zucca Dice, Why Sinclair and Christmas Nite.

Tanya was born in South Africa, but moved to Australia with her family in 2000. She has been based in Germany since 2007, where she is coached by Jonny Hilberath. She believes that riding should be light and harmonious, with the horse always happy and willing to perform. She credits her support team with maintaining her horses in the highest standard of care possible to ensure they can perform to their best ability.

Why Sinclair was purchased in Europe as a 3 year old and has been brought on carefully by Andre over the last 7 years and now established at Prix St George. Christmas Nite is owned by Lucy Nouwens and is an American Saddlebred. Christmas is a perfect example of how the Saddlebred can adapt to other disciplines as they have a trainable nature and are naturally athletic, he is established at Advanced.

Why Sinclair

Zucca Dice

Zucca is our ‘Wonder Horse’, he was acquired in Belgium where he had previously fallen into the wrong hands and was at his lowest ebb when Andre took him over. Andre spent many many months nursing him emotionally and physically

“I believe in training in a way that the horses are able to understand what I want without being forced into anything. Riding should be light and harmonious and the horse needs to be happy and willing to perform.”

SPOTLIGHT his security and balance, and following a number of exercises the horse showed some real talent, certainly one to watch. Zucca Dice Christmas Nite

back to health. He was extremely thin and very frightened but has now the most incredible bond with Andre. Zucca has proven to be the most generous, honest, gentle horse, but he has also proven to have the most incredible and world class talent. He is aimed at the 2018 World Games for South Africa and then on towards Tokyo 2020. This combination is a real fairy story, and an incredible journey to watch unfold.

Highborn will be hosting a range of clinics, shows and other featured training days throughout the 2016/2017 calendar, bringing together a comprehensive selection of expertise and talent. Regular events will be held offering training in both Dressage and Showjumping with the aim to develop and promote equestrianism in the area, and discover and nurture new talent.

Other riders on the clinic were Natasha Rothman with Natalie Mandy’s warmblood Gelding Santa. Santa is working at Medium level, training towards Advanced. Also in attendance was Courtney Kahn on her warmblood pony stallion. This pony showed exceptional talent and some impressive ‘airs above the ground’ !! Very well ridden by Courtney! Tanya was able to help her channel the pony’s mind and achieve some very good work.

We are planning to bring Tanya back to the area every 1-2 months, and will be expanding the training days to accommodate more clients.

Also in attendance was Sonja and George Morphis’s lovely gelding ‘Livingstone’. Livingstone is a warmblood gelding purchased a few months ago for their daughter Natasha. Natasha is slowing getting used to the young horse, and rode him in the second part of the day two lesson. Kayd Oliver who works for Andre and Ronnie at Highborn rode the horse for the other sessions. Tanya worked on

Our resident trainers Andre La Conte and Ronnie Lawrence are also available for training for all levels and abilities. Find us on Facebook@highborn Showjumping & Dressage Or contact us on 076 2238337

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A GROOMS INSIGHT

Impromptu Interview

By Sikhangele Mbambo Talk about catching someone completely off-guard… When Leona van der Merwe popped into Midfeeds to buy food to take to Shongweni, yours truly literally jumped on her asking to interview one of her grooms. As it turns out one of her grooms was on the way in with the Blouberg truck and suddenly there was a groom, Patson Nsingo, ready to be interviewed, right there and then. Describe a typical day in your life as a groom.

Patson, 29, is from Gwanda, Zimbabwe. He arrived in South Africa as an illegal immigrant, landed in Pretoria (Ga-rankuwa) and got work as a security guard for a company called Reikutseba Security Services for 4 years.

My day starts at 5:30 am when I go to my horses to give them their morning feed and check that they are all alright. I check their temperature and then I feed the Epol Rider pellets and balancer. 5:45, I leave them to feed and go and get my own breakfast. I am back at 7:00 to tack up the first horse for Chris to ride and while that horse is out, I clean its stable and put fresh water. I repeat this routine till all the horses are done. As the horses come in, I hose them down and put them under the solarium, it dries them quicker and then I put cooling clay on their legs. After they are all worked, I put fly rugs and masks on them and take them to the paddocks and I go for my lunch. At 1:30 they go to the walker, I take the 2 stallions first and the rest of the horse at 2:00pm. When they get back it is time for grooming, as I groom I check that they do not have ticks or injuries. If there is any cause for concern, I report to Mike Phiri, the manager or to Chris himself. At 16:30 I check the temperatures again and give them grass and fresh water, and I put Lucerne outside all the stables for later feeding. Suppertime is at 17:00, this is also the time I give the horses their supplements – HA Mobility, garlic, Stress mix, Salt, Muscle build, oil – as per each horse’s need.

What happened after 4 years? I started a painting business, and I did that for aanother 4 years. How did you get into grooming? In 2010, I went back to Zimbabwe for a short holiday, on my way back,. My money took me only as far as Blouberg, so I decided to look for a temporary job to raise money to continue with my journey and get back to work. Luckily, I found a job at Blouberg Ryskool as a general hand. Four days on the job, Chris van der Merwe came to me and asked if I would be interested in trying out as a groom and here I am. Did you receive any training? Yes, I was attached to one of the more experience grooms, Johannes for 3 months. He taught me all the basics and supervised me in my initial grooming. He was then Chris’ personal groom and after I was done with training, he left and went to work on the crocodile farm.

Which one is your favourite horse? Domino Van Der Boswinning, very good manners, responds well to commands and jumps beautifully.

How many horses do you look after? 6 horses, they are all jumping horses

A GROOMS INSIGHT Do you have any riding experience?

What is your best memory?

No.

Chris won the Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cup at Maple Ridge.

Would you like to take your knowledge as a groom further?

How would you improve the lives of grooms, if you could?

Knowledge is power, I would like to study more. I have so many questions. I made friends with one of Barry Taylorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s groom, Livit, and he is such a wealth of information. He has taught me quite a lot, and if I do not understand something, I wait for the next time that we meet at a show and ask him.

Grooms need more respect from their employers, if you respect your groom they will do so much more for you in return. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? I want to drive the big Blouberg truck to shows and be the best groom I can be for Chris. After shows, Chris is very tired but instead of going out to celebrate, he still has to drive the horse truck.

Do you think horses understand verbal communication? Definitely, a horse that is stressed will calm down if you talk calmly and soothingly to it. How do you handle a difficult horse? One of my horses, the stallions, is sometimes very naughty and rears. When he does that, I give him more lead rope, I do not fight him. I lunge him a lot to harness his energy and I am always careful around him. How would you describe a good groom? He should have good body language, inspire trust in his horses. He must also be able to think quickly as horses are unpredictable at times. He must also be patient and able to communicate. What has been the best venue for you? I love going to Shongweni, they have a beautiful soccer pitch there and the place is beautiful. I have been to Burlington, Revil and Kyalami. They are all nice places but Shongweni is my favorite place to go, Burlington is a lovely venue but we cannot keep our horses there.

creations

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VAULTING NEWSLETTER

Gauteng Vaulting Ends on a High Note

Thanks to Mark White Nissan and the Kyalami Equidome Photography: Courtesy Melanie Roos Photography

The beautiful sport of Equestrian Vaulting ended last week on a high note with the generous support of Mark White Nissan. In this small equestrian discipline, athletes perform gymnastic routines on the back of a lunged walk or cantering horse. The relationship between horse to lunger to vaulter is paramount and the performance rather alluring whilst choreographed to theme and music. The sport is fighting hard to become a new Olympic discipline given its huge spectator appeal, although one of the last remaining hurdles being not enough countries currently compete. In South Africa, great inroads have been made in bringing this sport to the disadvantaged with several Vaulting programs underway in Diepsloot and Soweto.

In July, Mark White Nissan kindly pledged sponsorship for the Gauteng Vaulting Championships and subsequently followed up with the sponsorship of the final Gauteng 2016 show that was held last weekend at the stunning venue, Equidome. Without such support the sport would not be able to thrive as it is currently, and we are proud to be hosting several competitors that have an opportunity to qualify for next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Junior World Championships in Austria.

VAULTING NEWSLETTER the Male athletes from the IVLA Shumbashaba development vaulters, again such a privilege to see young and aspiring young men coming through the ranks from Diepsloot. See the table below for all the Individual Results: The Gauteng Vaulting Committee would like to personally thank Mark White in particular, who attended and participated in the prize-giving, as well as Jonathan Harrison of the Kyalami Equidome who went out of his way to help with the Announcing for the full duration of the show. The Equidome venue, again, provided world class facilities and we appreciate the opportunity at holding shows there. We would also like to thank our other kind sponsors, Beńe Water, Midfeeds and Milanie Roos Photography. And lastly a thank you to the 3 National Vaulting Judges, two of whom flew in from Cape Town and Durban, as well as all the Show Officials, Grooms, Coaches, Lungers and last but not least, the moms and dads.

See you all in 2017.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE. The standard of vaulting was high and evidenced by the number of athletes competing at the more advanced levels for Juniors. Furthermore two Squads were down to compete, a pity the IVLA Squad withdrew, leaving the highest award going to the well-executed performance of the Riba Junior Squad on Riba’s Rebel Hill. The Canter Pairs class (known as Pas de Deux) was won by the very clean and creative routine of Erin Muller and Asea Pozniakow on Riba’s seasoned Riverdance. At the Individual level, top awards were received across

POLOCROSSE

The Power of Simple

By Mandy Rapson Too often we go to practices and only play chukkas and hardly ever practice our skills. I chatted to Bruce Maclarty, South Africa’s coach of 2015 and 2011 World Cup champions and he said, “we should rather be focusing on our horses and play lots of possession.” And if we were to end the article here, you would be able to walk away knowing enough. But here are some suggested by him;

practice

requirements

1. Fitness. This doesn’t just happen once a week on a Sunday. 2. Stick-work. Our SA game plan revolves around stick skills. Take time to do some stick skills prior to getting on the horse. 3. Stick and ball possession games before playing chukkas. 4. There are five stick and ball related skills that you can do on your horse that are non-negotiable if your players want to improve. They are so simple that most players take them for granted;

D. Free throws/ penalties require the ball to travel 10m and be collected. This needs to be done on both sides of the horse.

A & B. Lineouts require you to either catch the ball in the air or pick it up off the ground. Practice each position and make sure you implement what each position needs to focus on. Do this on both sides of the lineout so that your horse learns what to do as well.

E. Passing the ball between players while they are riding. Sounds basic but how many times does the lack of these skills let a player down, yet they are so simple and easy to practice.

C. 30 yards require a 10m pass usually passing to a player who starts 90degreesf rom the thrower.

POLOCROSSE Being a beginner polocrosse player who didn’t own my own horse, I had to get creative to improve my game. The theory that practicing 15 mins a day will improve your game really does work! And because you convince yourself that it’s only 15 minutes of your time, but you end up spending 30 mins, you’ve tricked yourself into doing double the amount of practice. I mean, who has half an hour a day to throw a ball against the wall? But I bet you can find 15 minutes! One would expect that simply throwing a ball against the wall would get a little monotonous and it did, so I stuck up the entire alphabet! This way I could keep my brain occupied. For example; - - -

The entire alphabet throwing underarm The entire alphabet throwing overarm Spell out an entire word using a different throwing style

to practice on horse-back, I wanted to maximize the time I did have. This is what I did; First at a walk; - 10 x on side bounces - 10 x off side bounces (no, this isn’t allowed in a game, but you’ll be surprised at how good your reflexes get at off side catches) - 10 x on side pop throws (this eventually graduates to a 30-yard bounce where the ball must travel 10 m) - 10 x off side pop throws lobbing it over your horse’s head - 10 x on side pick-ups - 10 x off side pick-ups.

In the beginning, it was quite hard for anyone to be able to figure out what word I was spelling as the target letter I was aiming at was rather dubious. In a short time, I became good enough that anything that didn’t hit the paper smack on didn’t count. To make it interesting I would pick themes, these would range from farm yard/beach/names/ Christmas. Challenge yourself to improve by making a rule, “touched it, should have caught it.” -

The trick though is to be hard on yourself, you are not allowed to move onto the next item until you have completed it 10 times successfully! If you get to #8 but you miss #9, sorry buddy, start again. Only once you have completed the entire drill, can you progress to doing it at a trot, and then graduate to a canter. When you get really good, your canter can increase in speed thereby increasing the difficulty and skill level required. This drill can be used quite nicely as a warm up for you and your horse, it helps you to start slowly, get your eye in, be focused and increase your heart rate just a little.

If you have a partner to practice with, you can make up whole sentences, each one spelling out the next word by hitting the letters. Too often my friend Robyn and I found ourselves bent over in hysterics only able to continue once we had regained composure. If there was a video camera I’m sure we would have “broke the net” with our Youtube hits. With a friend, throw the ball against the wall so it bounces back between you, then compete to snatch it before your friend does.

And finally, do stick tricks, make up all sorts of funky moves you can do with your stick, use your imagination, get inventive. Never underestimate the power of simple. Get the simple things right, and eventually the simple starts looking more and more impressive. One day you’ll manage a crazy catch or a flashy throw through the goals and people will tell you, “wow you made that look so easy.”, and in that moment will know the power of simple.

Then there are some drills you can do when you find yourself on your own with your horse. The key is to always give yourself a goal, set your targets. You might not make it the first time, but one day you will and it will feel great! Not having much time

HILLARY HOOFPICK

Hillary Hoofpick What not to do a day before a show

Start looking for your carefully written directions to the show. Wonder why the back window of the borrowed 4x4 is smashed and your diamante encrusted numnah is lying in the driveway. Try and hitch up the horsebox on your own, you have watched it being done countless times, it cant be that hard. Decide as you are running so late that you will change at the show into your breeches. Only take one pair of breeches. Convince yourself that your horse will love wearing its new ear veil even though it has more diamonds on it than Kim Kardashians engagement ring. Congratulate yourself on being so organised that you actually packed your tack the night before, you have planned your route to the show, you know your dressage test off by heart and you have those lovely new breeches to wear. After all, what can go wrong ???????????

Look at a map of where the show is being held and realise that it is halfway to Blikkiesdorp and you have no way of getting your horse there. Decide that you will tow your own horse to the show. Realise that you do not have a towing vehicle or a horse box. Start asking friends and family members if you can borrow their 4x4 and horsebox. Rush to the local tack shop to buy a new pair of breeches in the hope that they will make you look three sizes thinner. See a lovely diamante encrusted numnah and matching ear veil at the local tack shop and purchase it along with your too small breeches (that you have NOT tried on ). Start scanning the riding times of everyone in your class and panicking when you see who you are riding against.

What not to do the night before a show Drink two bottles of wine in order to calm your nerves. After the two bottles of wine you start texting everyone you know, inviting them to come to the show to watch you ride. Pack your saddle in the car, nothing like being prepared in advance. You still have not tried on your new breeches but of course they will fit, why shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t they. Plan where on your wall your giant first place rosette is going to go. Imagine what you will look like wearing a sash. Spoil yourself with a take away Extra Spicy Vindaloo Lamb Curry. Have another bottle of wine and fall asleep on the couch with your head at a strange angle and the cat across your feet.

&& m

mmdmdHorseJob

dmdVetJob dmdm

&m&& m&

mmmm&mm mmmmm

&& &&&& &&&

The morning of the show

mmmmm mmm

Wake up late, still on the couch. Try and straighten your neck but realise that perhaps that is not the biggest problem you have. Realise that the Vindaloo Lamb Curry was more likely Vindaloo Donkey Curry. Look for your emergency supply of Myprodol and Imodium but all you find is an old Panado that is just not going to touch sides this morning.

&&& &&m&&

mmm m&mmm

&&&&

www.equineservicessa.co.za

GAITED TRAVELLER

Seacliff Resort Zanzibar

Sunset rides, Panoramic views and exotic sented gardens...

Situated on the West coast of the infamous Zanzibar Island. Thirty minutes’ drive from the airport and twenty minutes from Stone town and the ferry Port. Seacliff Resort is unique in its settings, architecture and ambiance. From the onset, the owner was determined to set a new bench level with the building of the resort. To offer guests a variety of different activities not available at the other resorts. The location set among the coconut trees and immaculate lawns and gardens and is breathtaking when you first arrive at this five star resort. The friendly management and staff are determined to make your stay an unforgettable one. The motto of the team being “What can we do to make your stay with us an unforgettable and great experience?” The 120 room, luxury resort is situated on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean in Mangapwani and offers panoramic views from the lounge, restaurant, bar and recreational areas. Both infinity swimming pools have wonderful views of the ocean. There is also a jetty bar that offers the perfect place from which to enjoy a sundowner, or you could

sail on our dhow and watch the beautiful sunsets that the West coast of Zanzibar is famous for. 96 of our rooms offer views from the bedrooms and private balconies, with all the modern facilities that you expect from an international hotel, with complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the property. The resort offers a number of activities for the energetic, including a fully equipped gym, two tennis courts, a volleyball court, a squash court and bicycles for rides through the coconut plantation. For guests wanting to relax and be pampered, we have the Shwari Spa. With five treatment rooms offering a range of treatments including manicures, pedicures, facials and massages. The spa has two steam rooms and saunas so you can truly enjoy your spa experience. After your treatment, you can take

GAITED TRAVELLER

a dip in the spa’s private plunge pool, or sit and enjoy a cup of herbal tea upstairs or in our spa garden. The resort caters for all levels of guests and cultures. Those that would like to experience all the normal tours you can expect on an island, the history of Stone town, spice farms, safari blue and swimming with the dolphins. Sandbar, seafood barbecue, diving, snorkeling and water sports. If your idea of a great holiday is to relax, rest and recuperate then you have a variety choices on this huge resort of finding your spot! When the time is right the staff will arrange a number of unique in house activities, all within easy walking distance of your accommodation.

young or old, we will tailor make an excursion for you. The horse riding facilities are managed by a South African couple, who between them have many years’ experience. The challenges of owning horses in Zanzibar are enormous as there are no suppliers of horse feed, teff or hay. The island having only fifteen horses means that the State vet may not have the medication or experience in dealing with horses.

Zanzibar Horse Trails The horse riding facilities are set on the resort’s property, surrounded by gardens and grazing paddocks. Although only a small stable yard, we pride ourselves being able to offer guests the opportunity to enjoy some very unique trails. Ride on the beach, canter on the sandbar at low tide, sunset rides, swimming with the horses on the high tide. Trails through the local shambas or along the edge of the mangroves. Whether you are an experienced rider or a novice,

The request of the owner on the onset of the setting up of the facilities, was to establish a professionally run stable yard, where the horses are healthy and well looked after. Those that choose to try the horse riding, go away having enjoyed a unique experience and hopefully some great pictures to show family and friends. The horse riding facilities are open to anyone visiting the island, so even if you are not staying at the Seacliff you can still come and spend a day with us and after riding spend some time at the resort. Being the home of the Island’s only golf course. The golf course showcases many natural features of the island by meandering through tropical

GAITED TRAVELLER

Photography: Couresty Dreamboxsa

bush, past indigenous trees, coastal dunes and a mangrove area. One of the most special features is that two of the finishing holes plays alongside the Indian Ocean, and a though the course is 9 holes, the variation in distance and direction that is encountered on both the front and back 9, allows the golfer to feel that they have played a full 18 holes. There is also an international standard practice facility, which includes a full length driving range with an array of chipping, bunker and putting greens. In addition Sea Cliff Resort & Spa provides a resident golf pro in order for enthusiasts to perfect their swing. Lessons are offered for both individuals and groups. Although

it is open to visitors, the hotel ensures its guests preferential rates, and tee-off times. The course has a par of 71, which includes short to long par 4â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and a couple of drivable options.

Hopefully next time you visit Zanzibar you would consider staying with us. Karibu Sana.

NEW HONEYMOON OFFER!! Have a honeymoon youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always wanted filled with romance, fun and relaxation. Enjoy the most stunning sunset views from the first & only golf course in Zanzibar!! For reservations please contact us at +255 (0)767 702 241-9 or via email at reservations@seacliffzanzibar.com

Breeders

Wenzel R owned by Sue Cullen

BREEDERS

Berlioz des Hauts Droits

KZN Annual Warmblood Day 2016 By Shelly Moore

Photography: Couresty Dreamboxsa Langley Equestrian Centre and Foresyte Stud hosted the 3rd annual KZN Warmblood day on Sunday 6 November, and despite the very cold and rainy weather, the event enjoyed fabulous support from exhibitors and spectators. The event has become a highlight on the Natal equestrian calendar and has grown in stature since it was first run in 2014, with a record number of entries this year. The pre seated VIP area was sold out well in advance, and visitors on the day all enjoyed a good position, close to the action. The stunning indoor facilities were beautifully prepared and allowed the horses to be presented and shown to their full potential.

Ward, who has had a prolific careers and won a massive number of major titles and events, and competed successfully at the WEG and Olympics, culminating in him being named International Horse of Honor for 2015 by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF).

The main aim of the day, which was the brain child of Grant Langley some years back, is to celebrate the phenomenal equine talent that we have available to us in the country, both from local breeding as well as imported stock competing or standing locally. It is an opportunity for owners and breeders to showcase their young stock, display their stallions and market their studs.

Our second international judge was Jeremy Julien, also a licensed inspector for the sBs studbook. Jeremy has a wealth of experience in the industry including being the stud manager entrusted by the Pessoaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to handle the famous stallion Baloubet du Rouet for a number of years. In total, there were 47 entries on the day, from foals and weanlings, to 4 YO horses under saddle, and including a number of free jumping and free movement classes. Some amazing examples of super quality warmbloods were presented for our international judges, who were suitably impressed!

There were fabulous prizes on offer thanks to the sponsors for the day including The sBs Stud Book, Jeep Apparel, Outdoor Adventure, Ernie Els Wines, Equi-Eez, Western Shoppe, EquiLibrium, Lupa Osteria, Bos Ice Tea, Colesdale Estate and the Foresyte clientelle.

Results of the various classes: Class 1 - Foal Display Champion - Foresyte Cassidy (by Casper o/o Sissi van de Helle) owned by Foresyte Stud Reserve Champion - KTS Histoire DĂĄmour (by Hokkato o/o Shyla Mae) owned by Kate Turner

We were privileged to welcome two international judges courtesy of the sBsStudbook in Belgium. Dr Patrick Mahieu joined us for the third time. Patrick is the breeder of the world class horse Rothchild (Rothchild du Bosquetiau), ridden by McLain

BREEDERS Class 2 - Weanlings/Yearlings Champion - Foresyte Luminessence (by Lucky Time o/o Mossandi Lustre) owned by Jocelyn Constant Reserve Champion - Foresyte Cobalt (by Casper o/o Sissi van de Helle) owned by Foresyte Stud

Class 6 - Potential Dressage Horse Champion - Mossandi Night of Jazz (by Nightwatch o/o Mossandi Rayla) owned by Mossandi Stud Reserve Champion - Dane Stud Hamlet (by Hemmingway o/o Dane Stud Survivor) owned by Jocelyn Constant

Class 3 - 2yr old Free Jumping Class Champion - Cobayne (by Consuelo o/o Midgard Cascaya) owned by Alwin van Breda Reserve Champion - Foresyte Bator (by Berlioz des Hauts Droits o/o Bali) owned by Foresyte Stud

The free movement classes were all judged on movement and type. The free jumping classes were judged on the horse’s jumping technique and their scope. Next year the format will change in that the free jumping will be judged on conformation and type as well as jumping ability, technique and scope.

2YO Reserve Champion Jumping Forsyte Botor

Class 4 - 3yr old Free Jumping Class Champion - Jupiter (by QuickSilver o/o Windy du Gue by Allmhugel de Lauzelle) owned by Foresyte Stud Reserve Champion - Lancrest Fee-Fi-Foe-Fum (by Capital Donarco o/o Into the Twilight) owned by Shane Watkins

Winner of Free Movement Class Mossandi Night of Jazz

Trophies were awarded to the winners of each class by the sBs Studbook, and the top 3 horses in each of the classes received sBs medals. The overall winner on the day (awarded to horses 3 years and older) was Jupiter, who walked away with a special prize from the sBs of a day sheet and R5000 cash.

Class 5a - Potential Event Horse Champion - Elma (by Rhodium o/o True Derma) owned by Chelsea Carlisle Reserve Champion - Cavallina (by Casper o/o Jean Bean) owned by Forseyte Stud

2YO Champion in Prize Giving with Groom Lemos Siliki, Dr Patrick Mahieu and owner Alwin van Breda

Winner of the Potential Event Horse Class Elma

Feedback from the sBs judges was extremely positive, and they commented that they were very satisfied with the quality of the young horses this year. In particular they felt the two year old group was “first class” which bodes well. They felt that the free-jump classes were of an especially good standard as the horses showed consistency and quality.

Class 5 - Potential Showjumper - Ridden Champion - Foresyte Bellagio (by Berlioz des Hauts Droits o/o Foresyte Lois Lane) owned by Foresyte Stud Reserve Champion - Denny’s Gift (by Berlioz des Hauts Droits o/o Khanya)

BREEDERS

blood, available directly in South Africa the EU horses quality in fresh semen and on the spot. In view of the different contests, I think that stallions like these will bring an added value on the quality of the sport horses to come. The SBS stud book will be very happy to evaluate and to value, any future stallions and foals of quality registered and accredited to the SBS”.

Rounding off the day was a stallion presentation where three stallions were presented for approval and licensing by the sBs Studbook and they have since confirmed that they had the honor of accepting these three new stallions into their ranks: Berlioz des Hauts droits (son of Nabab de Rêve o/o Klarinette De Sarti by Pavarotti van de Helle) who is already a premium licensed stallion with the SAWB society. “Based on his consistently good performance at 150 level, he has demonstrated his talent. He has exceptional strength and presence. In view of the first generation of progeny now competing, it is apparent that he transfers these qualities to his foals and his genes that make of his family, a large family of jumping horses all over the world”.

Jupiter the Overall Winner

Casper: stallion born on 12/06/2008, son of Berlin o/o Galina by Voltaire. “The foals of this stallion are of exceptional quality in both type and conformation, as well as their movement and gaits. He has progeny on the ground in South Africa as well as in Europe. One of his first generation sons won the Belgian league of freedom jumping at (inter)national championship in Gesves 2016”. Opal de la Bastide: (Occival de la Bastide o/o Opaline de la Bastide by Polidiktus van de Helle) was recently inspected and awarded a full license by the SAWB society. “This 5 yo stallion already shows a great quality and regularity under the saddle in the young horse classes. He has a powerful jump and an exceptional canter which confirms his potential quality as a breeding prospect.”

The Langley Equestrian team extends their thanks to all the owners and breeders who brought their horses and supported the event, as well as the spectators who braved the elements to support the day. Congratulations to all the participants and prize winners. The organisers, Grant Langley and Jocelyn Constant, are confident that this event will continue to grow from strength to strength and are already starting the planning for the 2017 showcase. If you would like more information about the day, or want to be kept informed about details for the event in 2017, you can contact Grant or Jocelyn on langleyequestrian@gmail.com

Comments from Dr Patrick Mahieu and Jeremy Julien : “By accepting these three stallions, the stud book S.B.S makes available to South African breeders, the genetics of different current

PORTRAIT