With over 10 000 people attending the show and in excess of 1000 show entries received, Kyalami Equestrian Park Chairman Clem dos Santos explains why this show is once again due high praise;
“The 2015 show was hugely successful due to the synergy that exists between Nissan and the world class equestrian event managed by Kyalami Park Club. People come from all over the country for this 10 day event because they know they are guaranteed fabulous kids play zones with various arts and crafts; test drives and competitions; interesting food stalls and a village. All this in addition to witnessing the finest equestrian competition on the continent.”
After 9 days of horse action, the Easter day treat for the crowd was the Nissan 6 Bar event which was won by Team Nissan rider Lorette Knowles-Taylor on the majestic Titanic. The pair outlasted the 14 starters, taking the R15 000 first prize after clearing the last fence which stood at a mammoth 1 meter 90.
The most watched event however is always the 1.50 Nissan Adult SA Outdoor Grand Prix which took place shortly after 14h00 on 6 April in the Bob Charter. The near capacity crowd witnessed only two clears in the first round: 7th ranked SA rider Lorette Knowles-Taylor as well as former Youth Olympic Games participant Samantha Mcintosh. Ironically, the same two riders were the only two clears in the second round, setting up for a thrilling jump-off. First to go and winner of the 2015 1.50 Nissan Adult SA Outdoor Grand Prix was Samantha Mcintosh, jumping her third clear of the day in a time of 36.5 seconds.
So as the sun set at Kyalami Equestrian Park on Easter Monday evening, the 2015 Nissan Easter Festival was once again an event etched in the memories of all those who attended the equestrian extravaganza.
