Free State Eventing Report 2014

BACKGROUND

Historically, Eventing has not been a “front-line” Equestrian Discipline in the Free State.  The primary Disciplines being:

  • Endurance (culminating in the Annual Fouriesmith National Event)
  • Dressage
  • Show-jumping
  • Saddle-seat
  • Tent Pegging and Gymkhana
  • Inter-schools (SANESA)

With Children, Juniors and Adults competing at the highest levels,  these Disciplines have been supported by breeders in the area with Warmbloods (most well-known Callaho), Thoroughbreds, Boerperds, Fresian, Appaloosas, Quarter Horses, Saddlers, and Arabians with a number of small emerging Studs supporting cross-breeding from Gypsy, Clydesdale and Irish Draught and Sport Horses.  “Ponies” are Basotho, small thoroughbreds (from Kimberley), Connemaras (from Clarens)  and  Welsh cross-breds.

There is an emerging market for ponies and pony cross-breds particularly with children and juniors competing in Inter-schools however, most elite children are still purchasing from Gauteng or Natal rather than supporting the local pony market.  Instruction in horse/pony care, horse-mastership and formal English riding instruction is still restricted to the main Centres such as Bloemfontein, Kimberley, Parys, Welkom and in a small way Bethlehem with considerable geographical distance between them.

Eventing has been continually marketed and promoted (for over 10 years) by Di Amour of Shumba Valley Equestrian Center and Guest Farm, Fouriesberg,  Eastern Free State but has yet been able to gain the support either locally or nationally.  The rider community is widely distributed in the Eastern Free State and so transport cost is a continual problem and therefore entries are small to run sponsored shows.  Being her own training Center she has a base of young students that have the use of her 80cm, 90cm 1.00m home-built tracks but due to time constraints has not been able to focus on developing a small Eventing “team”.  She has been supported by several National Eventing officials who have visited Shumba Valley (at her own cost) but more by British ex-pats in the area (riders that have settled in South Africa from the UK via Lesotho) and by small riding establishments and private facilities in Clarens (Ashgar), Clocolan (Dr Beeton) and myself and two others in Ladybrand, Eastern Free State.

150km away there is a well-built training track in Bloemfontein belonging to Mrs Jill Spencer (national SJ Course Builder) who like the owners mentioned above, is a full-time business owner and therefore time course building at the weekends is a big constraint.  However she has offered the facility for training and has shown keen interest in attending (and if possible gaining exams) Eventing Course Design Clinics and courses.  She attends WEG and UK British Eventing Events every year and is keen to offer her knowledge to the Discipline.

Jill Spencer, Di Amour and myself at Dipereng Equestrian Services have all committed to setting ourselves up as SHB and Eventing venues at the training and in Di’s case entry levels and above.

Venues throughout the Free State

It was unfortunate that with the split of the Free State and Northern Cape that Harties, a well established riding Club near Welkom, was lost to the potential Eventing Community in the Central Free State.  Eventing was supported by Bev Williamson who ran regular small Events throughout the year.  Other venues are Goldfields Club (also near Welkom) holding small “Club” shows about 3 times a year over a home-built track with a mix of cross-country and show jumps. This is supported by Jo McGowan who has a keen interest in becoming an Eventing Accredited Coach.

Arena Eventing and Rider Development

Polo Venues at Oaklands (Van Reenen, Harrismith) and Franschoek (Eastern Free State) both have excellent arenas suitable for Arena Eventing and/or ShowCross.  Liaising through Polo Managers Free State Eventing/EventingSA  has the opportunity to start developing these two venues.  Oaklands in particular have stabling facilities, horses for hire and a grandstand as well as hotel and an a la carte restaurant to support big events.   Being on the Border with Natal most of the riders in the Harrismith area compete in Natal or have children at school in Natal.  It would be beneficial to build relations between the Natal venues and Oaklands in order for riders to attend clinics and events during the school holidays and compete on “both sides” during the year.

The Arena at Franschoek is well-built and accommodation and holding paddocks are offered at the venue – however accessibility is an issue and the horses available have been schooled primarily for polo whereas at Oaklands, Polo and Trail Riding.  As the Arena is based at PoloAfrica. further discussion needs to take place re development of young riders and improvement in facilities and finding appropriate horses/ponies for the young children.  Di Amour hosted a very successful day at Shumba Valley for the senior Polo riders from PoloAfrica jumping her smaller track whilst gaining exposure to flat work and show jumping experience along the day.  This was very successful for everyone concerned and is a development approach that could be nurtured for the future.

SUMMARY

All the above venues have been self-financed by their owners who are business people with focus away from Eventing.  None of the above are prepared to put more time, effort or funding into developing facilities for Eventing without support or benefit to themselves, their venue facilities or their Clubs.  In other words they want to feel that they have support from their Provincial Equestrian/Eventing Body and to fit into an overall or National Eventing plan in terms of mentorship and development.  None of these individuals have spare time to sit on Committees or to become Officers for Free State Eventing unless they see results, once they are “bought in” to any initiatives they will be prepared to support any cohesive initiatives going forward.

Free State Eventing Chairman and Free State Eventing

HISTORY

I was co-opted to represent Eventing by Zelda Simon in 2013/14 to assist with the transitional change from the Free State and Northern Cape Horse Society.   I had trained a young thoroughbred off the Kimberley track, to compete at the Spurwing Horse Trials Event in 2005 and 2006 at pre-novice level.  I was assisted by an Advanced Event Rider from the UK who was with me on a year’s contract.  It was never my intention to represent the views or needs of the Riding community of the Free State or that this would be a “long term” position!!

To that time my riding career was purely Showing, teaching and horse training and development.  I am a Project Manager by profession, gaining certification as a Project Management Professional in 2002, lecturing to Senior and Middle-Management on Project Management best practices and business strategy to the IT Industry.  It was only after marrying and moving to the Free State from Gauteng that horses (until then my hobby) became my passion and I founded my company Dipereng Equestrian Services.  Since 2005 I have been developing small businesses in the Equestrian industry which includes a small but very successful Riding School that provides riding facilities and lessons to ex-pat and local children from Maseru and Ladybrand and my own fully-operational Stud Farm (comprising 2 stallions in FS) ISH Kilshane Clover and Connemara Ashgar Cruising, 24 brood-mares (Thoroughbreds and ISH) plus riding horses, breeding Irish Sport Horses and Connemara Ponies with thoroughbreds.  In 2014 my company Dipereng became a non-profit Organization, setting up the SA Connemara Pony Breed Conservation Program (which involved importing a Class 1 Connemara Stallion from Germany) and recently I have been appointed Program Manager of the Irish Horse Heritage Breed development Program in South Africa by the SA Federation of Horse Breed Societies.  All of these businesses/projects have been self-funded and sponsored by interested individuals and companies.  Promotion of the initiatives is done through my company’s website: www.dipereng.co.za and my Facebook pages which also supports Free State Eventing and interacts closely with world-wide and local Provincial Eventing pages.

My understanding of interacting and communicating with Stakeholder bases and developing businesses and projects is extensive, however I do not profess to be an Eventer either as a rider or Subject Matter Expert other than horse welfare, horse mastership and riding instruction.   My career has been to develop organizations, businesses and run Programs and Portfolio of Projects.  Having run the Stud for 10 years I also have a good understanding of growing, training and developing Horses and Ponies for particular disciplines! My time, resources and finances are stretched very thin!

Free State Eventing Committee

Having spent the past two years viewing the Introduction of Eventing into the Free State as a Project Program it is now ready to become operational and to be implemented.  The Free State needs an Eventing Committee (whether I am to be part of it or not!) to develop and run ESA at a Provincial Level.  A number of objectives have been put forward (below) and it is up to the National and Provincial Committee to uphold Eventing rules, regulations and the Constitution of ESA, SAEF and the FEI.  None of the below can be implemented by one person alone but needs support from a representative Stakeholder community.

After two years of preparation it is perceived by the Free State Eventing Chairman that these are the urgent items for the agenda which need to be achieved for development to go forward and these are as follows:

  • Review and ratification of a proposed Free State Eventing Calendar and Budget (submitted in December/January) of this year
  • Agree from the CD/TD National Committee who can mentor the existing Free State Eventing venues and SHB to review/audit present training level Eventing tracks
  • Tender out for service providers to build portable and training Event for pre-designed courses and jumps
  • Review and consolidate Free State approach to developing interest and knowledge of Eventing to the Free State rider community (including Arena Eventing, Show Cross (Eventing derivatives)
  • Interaction strategy between FS Eventing and the National and Provincial Committee Websites and Facebook pages
  • Organize training Calendar and Training workshops Officials, Horse Welfare Officers, Safety Officers and SHB Committees on administrative and Event personnel requirements
  • Organize/co-ordinate necessary First Aid and Vet training to FS Officials
  • Discuss strategy to encourage sponsorship for horses, development and competitive riders within the Free State
  • Agree dates for Course Building and Combined Training/Dressage/Show Jumping clinics (Free State area)
  • Review and endorse list of FS Eventing invited Coaches
  • Agree Coaching development and accreditation pathway (needs and requirements) for Free State Assistant Coaches in Free State Area (as no national strategy put forward)
  • Implement National decision re membership for Eventing at training levels and levy distribution
  • Agree mentorship and development pathway for FS Show Holding Bodies for Eventing
  • Prioritise Development activities and events to establish pathway for previously disadvantaged riders and horses/ponies.

If a representative committee cannot be established then the situation as it is will continue.  As the geographical distances are so far without support of travel and accommodation expenses, each individual SHB/Venue will continue to run their own informal small shows jumping poorly-constructed jumps in a dangerous environment with unfit ponies/horses, in poor-fitting tack with children and adults riding in inappropriate clothing without proper equipment which is the current majority “farm rider” culture in the Free State.  As individuals who know better and understand the necessity for regulatory requirements it means that horses/ponies bred for Multi-discipline riders have to be trained and sold to other Provinces and horses and riders will continue to compete and represent other Provinces.   Ironic that the Connemara Pony and Irish Sport Horses world-renowned as Eventing/Multi-discipline horses originate primarily in the Free State but there is no market for their integration!

 IN CONCLUSION

The groundwork for introducing Eventing as an Equestrian Discipline into the Free State is completed.  What work is needed to successfully introduce, market and sponsor it has been identified and Stakeholders approached with considerable, positive “buy-in” response to the ideas put forward throughout the Free State.  What resources are needed, when it is going to be implemented and how much it is going to cost, has yet to be established although a general estimate has been submitted as part of the Provincial budget.

My thanks to the Subject Matter Experts and Provincial Chairmen with supporting my efforts over the past couple of years and look forward to seeing Eventing grow nationally and more importantly here in the Free State in the future.  My thanks to Richard Beck, Charles du Sautoy, Priscilla Young,  Linda Philo, Kate Peskens and Annie Smit for their support of Free State Eventing.  Although we have at times, experienced a somewhat volatile relationship with some of my more radical ideas throughout the past couple of years, believe we have gained a healthy respect  for each other and wish you all every success for the future.

Zena Penfold

Free State Eventing Chairman