Soweto Equestrian Club provides an alternative experience
Soweto's only horse riding school, doing well.
According to Mafokate, his love for horses started at a very young age.
“I was born in Alexander and at five-years-old, we moved to Rivonia.
“During the weekends my friends would go to Kayalami, where there was a Blue Hill Riding School.
“My friends would give me money and make me hold their horses and that is where my love for horses began,” Mafokate said.
As his love for horses grew, he wanted to become a rider but was told that he should start grooming them first.
He then started his trials in 1962, but still he couldn’t ride with white people due to the laws of the past.
In 1977 he became part of the Transvaal Horse Society and became one of the first black people to compete in Wembley.
“From there my dream was to open a school where children from the township could be taught how to ride horses.
“I am happy that this became a reality, as this is the only riding school in any black township that I know of.
“We have ponies and horses and our children are doing well in Show Jumping and Vaulting where we are the South African champions and Gauteng champs,” he said.
Last year two children from the club represented South Africa, which Mafokate said was a dream come true for him.
“It cost one child R85 000 to go to Germany and this was too expensive, but we had to make a plan.
“Out of 17 teams, our country came out number eight and this was a great achievement because these are teams that are dominated by whites.
“If our children are able to represent the country in the world cups, this shows we are heading in the right direction,” he said.
Though the club has some success stories, there are also challenges it faces.
Mafokate said currently they can’t conduct shows at their centre which means they have to go outside to other areas to be hosts.
“We want to have a polo ground, a sand arena and want to fence this entire place including the Elka Netball Courts, but this will cost millions,” he said.
