Horse Junction - South Africa's no. 1 horse site |

Waar SA Miniatuurperde enkele jare gelede nog feitlik onbekend in die Wes- en Suid-Kaap was, is hulle getalle besig om drasties in dié deel van die land toe te neem. Dit is op die onlangse Perd- en Wynfees bewys, toe bekende telers uit die Suid-Kaap hulle perdjies dáár vertoon het. Hier is Tiaan Joubert (12) en Tertius le Roux, beide van Riversdal

SA farriers return from Stoneleigh
A team of South African farriers has returned from the 28th International Farriery Competition held at the Royal Showgrounds at Stoneleigh, England. Arguably the equivalent of the Olympic Games for members of the industry, the team competition is hosted each year by the National Association of Farriers, Blacksmiths and Agricultural Engineers in England.

This year a team from South Africa participated in the three-day event. It comprised five competitors – Scott Borland (captain), Sean Eggersglusz, Ami de Wet, David Hyslop and Candice Brown.

The demanding and fast-paced competition was all new to the South African team. “We were overwhelmed,” they said of the trip to Europe.

“You have a time limit to perform a task, then you’re judged on the quality of the work,” explained Hyslop. “All but one of the events are team efforts, and these included shoe-making as well as shoe-fitting.”

The team's competition wear was sponsored by Tack ‘n Togs, a new tack shop which opened its doors in Gauteng last year.

Ambulance for horses legalised
The Cart Horse Protection Association (CHPA) has become the first and only animal welfare organisation in Cape Town to register their vehicles as ambulances. This October the CHPA was granted authorisation to register two vehicles to aid cart horses in distress.

According to the chairperson, Dawn Brosen, police knew what to do with the driver and the cart after an accident, but they didn’t know what to do with the horse. The CHPA also launched several brand new carts, each registered with an identification plate containing information about both the horse and the driver. The plates will clarify complaints.

Adult show jumping champion
The adult show jumping champion of South Africa is Shaun Neill on Gold Rush. Shaun Neill, Lexi Carter and Ashlee Hausberger (just 16) were in the line up at the prestigious Bic Select Adult Showjumping Championship of South Africa, held at Burlington Stables.

Anne-Marie Esslinger built a big and testing track, which resulted in just one clear round, being from the very on-form Shaun Neill on Gold Rush. Lexi Carter on JICM Pickpocket incurred just four penalties putting her in second place.

Lisa Williams took 3rd place with nine penalties on Ruddscales Warrangal P. Each on 12 penalties, and tied in 4th place were Ashlee Hausberger on Quinsey, Tessa van Duuren on Renault Romantic Axe, Paul Hart on Brandenburg Clarinius, Michelle Hobbs on Optimum van de Wellington and Nicola Sime-Nel on Sharp Colt.

In a repeat of last year’s young rider championship results, Tracy Davids was first on Alzu Bamboo, with Lexi Carter in 2nd place on Pickpocket.

Dominique Hau was 3rd on Poloma. There had been five clear rounds in the first round, with just Alzu Bamboo, Pickpocket and Poloma managing a double clear. Neriske Prinsloo on Patriott Z and Jodi Pieters on Capital Rafika D’Or each incurred four penalties in their second round, achieving 4th and 5th place respectively.

Abuse prevention techniques
The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) recently approved new measures to ensure that the legs of high-level jumping horses are not being intentionally sensitised to pain in order to provide a competitive advantage.

The prohibited practice officials are screening for involves applying products to or injecting agents into the skin on the legs, with the goal of making them hypersensitive to touch. Some trainers use the technique to ensure that the horse lifts its legs high enough over jumps.

The FEI Bureau announced in mid-November that random thermographic and clinical examinations of jumpers’ legs would be systematically performed by FEI-appointed veterinarians at the start of and throughout the competition. Clearly positive results would lead to elimination of the horse from the event; questionable results would call for further and more frequent investigations of the horse’s legs.

This is one of the FEI’s efforts to protect competing horses. "It’s an extension of our current practice of bandage control," said FEI spokesperson Milina Gueorguiev. Through bandage control, leg wrappings are physically verified for presence of hypersensitisation ointments or sharp objects. By contrast, thermography employs the use of infrared cameras to detect heat caused by the hypersensitisation products in the animals’ limbs. Currently no heat detection methods are being used.

The new protocol should be in effect as early as January, said Gueorguiev. – www.thehorse.com

Kleurvolle perdefeeste
Die onlangse Perd- en Wynfees wat vir die tweede agtereenvolgende jaar op die Nelson’s Creek Wynlandgoed gehou is, het duisende mense bekoor. Die epiese tog van Abraham Gabbema en sy manskappe vanaf die destydse fort in die Kaap tot in die huidige Bergriviervallei, is op kleurvolle wyse gedenk. Die rol van die perd en die muil in die Paarl-distrik oor langer as drie dekades, is ook gevier.

Die eerste Hoefslagfees in die Wes-Kaap is ook aan die Agter-Paarl toegeken en word word op 2 Februarie op die Crow’s Nest Wynlandgoed aangebied. Ander Hoefslagfeeste wat vir 2008 in die vooruitsig gestel word, is Geyerspan by Lichtenburg (5 April), Newcastle (9 Augustus), Bloemfontein (7 September) en ‘n Duitse Lentefees op Geyerspan (4 Oktober). Dit word gereël deur National Horse & Livestock Promotions.

Vir verdere besonderhede, kontak Hennie by 072 273 6042 of Marcel by 082 920 4788. – Hennie Basson

FEI coaches’ courses
Both Level 1 and Level 2 FEI coaches courses were presented in Kyalami recently – the Level 2 being the first of this level in the Group IX (all countries south of the Sahara) region so far. FEI tutor, Jean-Philippe Camboulives, exceeded all expectations.

On the Level 1 course, which took place over four days, six out of 14 participants were from neighbouring countries Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia. In Level 2 there were 12 participants, all selected from previous Level 1 courses by the FEI. Six of these were from other Federations in the Group IX region, and the remaining six from South Africa.

The South African tutors to complete Level 2 were Lorette Knowles-Taylor, Rogan Asken, Chad Cunningham, Marion Clough, Claire Webb and Rosemarie Bartlett. The Level 2 course, with Jean-Philippe Camboulives, took place over a full seven days.

Jean-Philippe complimented South Africa on the quality of our facilities, coaches, horses and riders, shows (he attended the SA Championships at Burlington), and said that of the 27 countries in which he had tutored, South Africa was way up there with the best.

Dressage indaba
The 2007 Global Dressage Forum took place in Holland at the home of International riders Tineke and Imke Bartels. One of the most interesting subjects under discussion was related to the marketing of international dressage. The speakers were Joep Bartels (creator of the World Cup Dressage to Music circuit) and Frank Kemperman (organiser of large international multi-discipline shows like Aachen and the 2006 WEG).

According to them, dressage can only grow if we take care of all five stakeholders, sponsors, spectators, riders, press and organisers. The speakers criticised the dressage fraternity for trying to keep dressage a "secret" from the rest of the world, and said that dressage riders experience all sorts of demands when it comes to committing to a circuit or putting on a "show" for the public.

Die Kalahari 300-myl
Drie ruiters het die onlangse Kalahari 300-myl (480 km) uithourit voltooi. Hulle is Abraham Hayes van Boshoff op Amo in ‘n tyd 40:37:13, Izak Kotze van Senekal op El-Aribah Samira in ‘n tyd van 43:09:37 en René de Lange van Petrusburg op Silver in ‘n tyd van 43:57:31.

Die rit wat oor vier dae strek word in die aand gehou en daar word elke dag 120 km afgelê. Die ruiters vertrek ongeveer vier-uur elke middag. Saam met die 300-myler word korter afstande ook aangebied, wat wissel van 38 tot 120 km in een dag.

Die ultra-maraton word elke tweede jaar op Olifantshoek in die Noord-Kaap by die KLK-veilingskrale aangebied.

International vet on SA tour
German equine veterinarian, Dr Albrecht Fenner, will be presenting talks in February to discuss several equine conditions that adversely affect the performance and general health of horses. Dr Albrecht is associated with multinational company, Boehringer-Ingelheim Vetmedica.

Equitop Pronutrin for gastric ulcers and two more products for muscle supplement and joints, will be launched at veterinary functions scheduled for:

• 21 February, GHS Club House, Kyalami
• 22 February, Fernhill Hotel, Midlands KZN
• 23 February, Spier Wine Estate, WP.

For more information, contact Melanie Leppan at 011 348 2682 or leppanm@jnb.co.za
boehringer-ingelheim.com.

Agri-Invest opens factory
Agri-Invest will manufacture two horse feed brands at its new factory in Bapsfontein – Victory Feeds and Vitaline Feeds. At the recent opening of the new factory, top ranked South African show jumper, Lorette Knowles-Taylor, had the honour of cutting the ceremonial lint to declare the factory formally open.

According to resident equine nutritionist, Elna Lategan, the Victory Feeds range will comprise of three formulations called Riding, Competition and Breeding, which will be available in a meal or a cube. The Victory Feeds brand makes use of the traditional raw materials used in horse feeds.

The Vitaline range will include more specialised formulations namely Fibreline, Mainline, Calmline, Veteranline and Powerline. Vitaline also offers a Raceline formulation aimed at race horses. Perhaps the most innovative aspect is the three variations available for the stud industry, namely Balancerline, Patureline and Studline.

The feed bags have been colour-coded for easy distinction and ease of management. They hope to provide a one-stop service for the yard manager, with nutrition advisors available to provide on-site advice for total peace of mind.

Top of page

Listings

Featured ads