01 Jun 2016

Horse racing is one of the oldest sports that developed from mere community leisure clubs to huge entertainment businesses around the world.

Horse racing enthusiasts have it that the sport is a combination of adrenaline and beauty, a cultural phenomenon that cannot be seen in any sport.

In an interview, Kgatswe Horse Association’s chairperson Steyn Kefaletse in Tsabong said he believed that the horse industry had significance in the lives of people who kept and used horses and that it had the potential to make noticeable contribution to the economy of Botswana.

The horse industry is made up of activities ranging from breeding, training, maintaining, racing, horse shows to  public sales  and it deserves the attention from the government, media and the public to help it grow bigger and better, according to Kefaletse.

Kgatswe,short for Kgalagadi, Tsabong and Werda is an association that brings together horse owners, jockeys, trainers, breeders among others to a common ground of promoting and developing horse racing in Kgalagadi.

The association was formed in 2013 to appreciate the potential that the horse racing sport can contribute to the sport industry in Kgalagadi and ultimately the whole of Botswana.

Kefaletse said they were in the process of forming an umbrella association to facilitate the sport development in Kgalagadi South.

He said horse racing sport could survive better through the support from the community, private entities and government through sponsorships, endorsement and empowerment.

“With that in mind we hope an association like that will go a long way in helping us with access to funds, empowerment opportunities for the technical team as well as partnerships and sharing ideas with other associations,” Kefaletse said.

He went on to add that they were looking forward to uniting and working hand in hand with community trusts, village development committees and council of churches to further their mandate of exposing the Kgalagadi horses to the horse racing sport. 

Horses in the Kgalagadi have taken part in horse race contests such as the Tsabong agric show, Kokotsha horse race, Charleshill horse race and the Mascom Derby.

A marketing and publicity manager for Team B Stable, Nazeem Jansen also said in an interview that he believed that horse racing was a sport that still needed assistance and appreciation.

“Horse racing is a beautiful sport. Like many other sporting codes it comes with employment opportunities, brings people together and also promotes tourism,” said Jansen.

Moreover, Jansen said they continued to face financial challenges in maintaining horses for the race and transportation and that they always run at a loss in most races.

He further urged other horse owners to be united and work on finding ways to promoting the sport, as well as to participate in Kgatswe association in the realisation of its mandate. Ends