2 minute read
Getting on its high horse
RURAL HORSE RIDING GETTING ON ITS HIGH HORSE WITH UMTELEBHELO HERITAGE CUP
On the 17th of September 2022, we set off in our African Luxe best outfits to enjoy, bet and experience the Umtelebhelo Heritage Cup. The Golden Horse Casino was vibrating from the energy, from cultural groups singing and dancing, to the who’s who in Pietermaritzburg blowing whistles and ululations.
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The cluck of galloping horses and the clicking of glasses all added to the energy of the day. An iconic event for rural horse racing as well as for KZN’s capital city.
On the Rise-Rural Horse Racing goes mainstream
Rural horse racing is nothing new to South Africa, however, it has remained over the years. Rural horse racing forms a part of our archive as a people, with over a century of families participating in this sport. Horses form a part of imfuyo for many rural homes and young boys and men learn to ride horses as a means of transportation and in herding the family cattle. In between shifts, they would race and play with the horses. It offered an opportunity for interaction, companionship and training.
Although underground, it has global bearings across Southern Africa, KZN, Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana and Namibia. Umtelebhelo is not the same as traditional horse racing as the gallop/trot of the horse is different. In this kind of racing, it gallops on a single foot. This kind of horse racing exists in the USA, Australia and other parts of the world, it is called racking “trotters and pacers” or“single footers” .
It has officially “arrived” in mainstream horse racing with a bolstering show at the Golden Horse, Hollywood bets race course. It is already popular sport for those in the know. Groundbreaking events like the Dundee July, the Nkandla May, Harry Gwala Summer Cup and Winter Fever are some of the flagship events that have been formally established. This year, for the first time Umtelebhelo expanded across the rural areas and entered ‘soft life’ at the Golden Horse Casino.
The future is bright for this heritage cup with the Willofontein heritage club, led by Mbuyiseni Mkhize. “We are trying to get it accredited with the authorities, and to be recognised and treated like other sports codes” he says. The formalising of the sport is already advanced, with applications and motivations drafted and sent to the relevant authorities. Along with license applications for betting. They are actively working on expanding the reach and going global. With the correct support and investment, umtelebhelo may enter world Cups and international tournaments. There is a lot of work that needs to be done before then but it is possible in the short term future. Mkhize and his team are determined to do this.
