Racehorse trainer now riding high
Bulana Bennett is making it in white-dominated equestrian industry, writes Masood Boomgaard
IT’S tough being a black racehorse trainer in South Africa, said Bulana Bennett. For Bennett, the only African mainstream horseracing trainer in the country, following his dreams has meant many ups and downs. He only recently returned to the world of horse racing after a threeyear absence that left him struggling to survive as a subsistence farmer in the Eastern Cape.
He said he was forced to quit as a trainer because he didn’t enjoy the support of the predominantly white racehorse-owner community.
We met Bennett at the Gold Circle training facility in Ashburton, where he recently reopened a training yard.
“The perception is still that blacks can’t do the job,” said Bennett, who is preparing for his return to the competitive arena. “I just didn’t have the support, which is why I was forced to close.”
His return to racing has been largely orchestrated by enthusiast Ted Naidoo, a veteran of the racing business himself through his involvement as a horse owner.
His aim was to empower Bennett through a project initiated by his chartered accountancy firm.
Naidoo
helped
Bennett return to racing by encouraging several of his clients, who are also horse owners, to leave their horses in Bennett’s care.
Bennett is now training 15 horses thanks to Naidoo’s efforts. He says he is hugely indebted to the accountant.
“He really got me out of the bush,” Bennett laughed.
Bennett is from the Eastern Cape, where he grew up around horses. He moved to KwaZuluNatal in 1973, and currently lives in Drummond.
His first job working with horses was working at a riding school in Hammarsdale.
“I was there for many years. I learnt a lot about horses.”
He later trained in stable management and worked as a groom for eight years as part of Gold Circle’s grooms training programme. He then worked as an assistant trainer for three years.
In 2004, as part of Gold Circle’s transformation programme, he opened his first training yard, and was fully funded for five years.
Bennett describes these as good years. But once the funding period was over, Bennett soon learnt that making it on his own was very difficult.
“There was no support for me. To stay in this business, you need patrons,” he said.
“I closed down. I went home to farm. I was miserable. I had no money, so I was borrowing from whomever I could. It was a bad time.”
Naidoo believes Bennett was seen as an outsider.
“The industry was not ready for a black trainer at that point. I still don’t think it’s ready. The fact that there is only one African trainer says something. There is obviously a problem with staff development and not enough upward movement,” said Naidoo.
Naidoo and Bennett have known each other for many years through their interactions at the racetrack, and Naidoo was more than happy to help when he heard of Bennett’s plight.
He tracked him down to the Eastern Cape and convinced him to return to KZN.
“I got some of my clients to have their horses trained by him to get him started again,” said Naidoo.
The biggest expenses for trainers are feed, vets’ fees and grooms’ wages. There is also the cost of leasing the yard from Gold Circle. But with the patronage of Naidoo’s clients, Bennett is now able to survive comfortably. Bennett said the opportunity to return to racing was a godsend.
“I jumped at the chance to get back to doing what I love. My wife encouraged me. She knew I was miserable being away from training. Because it’s something you can’t stop doing. It’s something that’s in your blood.”
Bennett said there were solid prospects among the horses he was training now.
“I am excited about what I’m working with. There is the potential for some winners… I’m feeling very positive.”
Among Bennett’s past successes was Regent’s Honour, which holds a course record for Clairwood.
Bennett is positive about the future and believes his best years are still ahead of him.
On his role as a trainer, he says he always tries to bring out the best in the horses he works with.
“When you are training, you can see the potential and you work with it. You do your best and hope the horse does well on the track. But it’s a gamble – you never can be sure which one is going to end up being your winner.”
Bennett said that, while horse racing is an emotional roller-coaster, there was nothing else he’d rather be doing.
“It’s good to be back. I’m looking forward to training a winner – hopefully.”
He says he would also like to play a role in the development of the sport.
“I would like to go back to my community and give back some day. I want to help give opportunities to people like the opportunities that were given to me.”