02 Sep 2013

The horse racing held at Sebele agricultural show grounds on August 31 illustrated the many good things happening in horse contest.

The competition also offered a peek at how the next horse race would be like. It was a true clash of the horse generations among Dancers Warning, John Douglas, Double Track, Upan Shades, Vaar Cham, National Recco, and Ranging Bulls in the 2000m thoroughbred category.

The category was the major race of the day given the prize money attached to it. John Titus of Werda with his Dancers Warnings won the competition and went home P10 000 richer. Titus was also awarded a trophy and 10 bags of horse feed worth over P2 000.

Running at a blistering speed from the start, the race shook down to a head-to-head all the way up, with Dancers Warning sneaking the advantage but John Douglas refused to be shaken off. Dancers Warning faltered inside the final furlong, rallied, then finally had to give best by half a length.

Titus termed the race “the hardest, most implacable, most moving flat race I have ever seen” - a judgment widely shared by other contenders. It was evident from the start that Dancers Warning would snatch the first position because of the energy he displayed before the race started.

On the other hand, though John Douglas though failed to impress his owner in the 2000 metre race, scooping first position in the 1400 metre contest was consolation. He was followed by Vaar Cham and Upan Shades in second and third postitions respectively.

The 1000 metres race featured Cyber Case, Classic Speed, Lunatic Fringe, National Ricco and Vaar Cham. Cyber Case from Eastern Huggins Riding Club in Werda emerged the victor and after him was Vaar Cham from Kokotsha Duff Riding Club and Classic Speed from Eastern Huggins Riding Club in the second and third spots respectively.

In the Tswana Breed race, Cash Power from the Mmandunyane area in the Tonota region scooped position one against his contenders Cobra from Kokotsha and Toy from Mogoditshane. Golden Riding Club secretary, also the main organiser of the weekend race, Nametso Taulo decried low attendance.

However, he said that might have been caused by the fact that there was not enough publicity as well as relocation of the agricultural show grounds. Their intention he said was to make the event annual adding that like any other sport, many people can earn a living from horse racing and graduate from poverty. However, Taulo explained that horse races required much skill and knowledge and that luck did not have much to do with success at the track.

He described it as a challenge that required delicate balance of horse knowledge, money management, self-control and patience. “If one of these components is missing or out of balance, one has no chance of winning regularly,” he said.  ENDS