THE CHRONICLE team was invited for a tour of the Turffontein Racecourse to learn about the sport and witness a day filled with joy and laughter on Saturday, April 2.
Hundreds of fans were geared up all in white for the occasion. They cheered as they watched the horse Abashiri, ridden by Karl Zechner, gallop to an easy win netting R2-million during the Gr 1 SA Classic over 1 800m.
The CHRONICLE team witnessed the horses being put into the post position, and how the jockeys have to learn to connect with the horses and calm them for the race ahead. The trainers bring the horses to the racecourse and converse with the jockeys about how best to ride the horses.
It was fascinating to learn that getting everything perfect takes a lot of work and training. The jockeys start preparing for these days from an early age (as young as 12 years old) when they are checked to see how tall and big they will grow. From there they are sent to a jockey school where they learn everything about connecting with various horses so they can know how to best protect themselves and the horses during a race.
Medical teams follow the horses and the jockeys to ensure that safety and wellness is ensured at all times on the racecourse. If a horse or jockey is hurt before the race, the vets or doctors can decide to remove the horse or jockey from the race. Jockeys have to be the exact weight they were before and after the race, just as the horses are medically assessed, to ensure fairness. If they win, they are promoted to other classes.
The trainers train the horses individually. The owners choose the trainer they think will best train their horses, based on his or her style of training or his or her achievements, and the accolades of the trained horses.
Do you know more about horses and would like to enlighten the CHRONICLE and its readers? Write to us at jamesm@caxton.co.za and see the gallery below for more information.
