Scottsville on the trot
TO celebrate September as Heritage month, Willowfountain Horse Riding Club in partnership with Ikusasa LeAfrica Foundation (ILAF) and Gold Circle is holding an Umtelebhelo Rural Horse Racing Event on Saturday, 30 September, at Scottsville Racecourse.
The rural horse riding sport in South Africa was established more than 100 years ago as a sport that predominantly attracted rural black people.
The sport is called Umtelebhelo in Nguni languages.
The sport of trotting horses is celebrated and recognised worldwide.
As a social event in Africa, Umtelebhelo horse racing has broken tribal and political barriers.
Unity
The love for horses has created unity amongst several tribal and political communities from KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana and Namibia. Willowfountain Horse Riding Club organised events that creates interim jobs and business opportunities for the community.
The club has participated in esteemed events such as the Dundee July, Harry Gwala Summer cup, Nkandla May, Utrecht Winter fever and the Eastern Cape Berlin November.
Umtelebhelo Heritage Cup is the brainchild of Dr Zweli Mkhize.
He says “Umtelebhelo has been part of our rural lifestyle as every household has a horse. It brings communities together as a form of sport and relaxation.
Participants
“We are expecting participants from ten districts in KwaZulu-Natal and some from Eastern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga and Lesotho”. The Umtelebhelo Heritage Cup event brings together different Fashion Designs, Exhibition, Arts and Music. The event features artists such as Babes Wodumo, DJ Cndo and Amageza Amahle. Venue is Scottsville Racecourse and Golden Horse Casino. Gates open at 9am and entry is free. VIP tickets at R200 each can be booked at Computicket.
- Racingpost.com