Why Piere Strydom was so emotional about winning at Fairview with Euphoric

Once in a blue moon live sport produces pure pantomime, an event beyond scripting that transcends the mundane, resonates with what it means to be human and is therefore unforgettable. 

For me, one of those “moments” was in 2005 when 18-time Major winner Jack Nicklaus said goodbye to competitive golf, walking across the centuries-old Swilcan Bridge on the 18^th fairway at the home of golf, St Andrews, and waving a fond farewell to the watching world.

Not long afterwards I had the great privilege of conducting an exclusive interview with Mr. Nicklaus so I got to tell him face to face how the occasion had moved me to tears and that I would never forget it. 

A few weeks back at a Friday afternoon Fairview meeting on the polytrack surface, legendary jockey Piere Strydom won the 6^th race aboard a horse called Euphoric. On the face of it there was nothing extraordinary about the horse or the race it won. It appeared to be just another routine winner to add to the astonishing total of over 5 500 that Striker Strydom has delivered into the No.1 enclosure. But the post-race interview suggested otherwise. 

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Visibly moved, the 57-year-old veteran was overcome with raw emotion; at times it overwhelmed him and he simply couldn’t speak.  

It proved to be one of those memorable television moments as like to so many who watched it, such  vulnerability brought a tear to my eye.

Whether it’s because we are two Gemini from a similar vintage (and no, neither of us are 60 yet!) or more so because of the considerable admiration I have for him as a sportsman, I felt compelled to video-call Piere and share my feelings with him.

I found Piere relaxing at his St Francis Bay property and with typical warmth he opened up about the interview and where he now finds himself in the twilight of his race-riding career.

The Euphoric victory had been just that.

Thoughts of retirement have been washing over Strydom for some time and he was suddenly struck by the reality that this might be the last time he’d ride a winner back home in Port Elizabeth where it had all begun, wearing the racing silks of his much loved mother Matilda, on a horse trained by his brother Jacques and standing next to his proud father Hekkie who has always been his hardest task master, setting exacting standards and demanding excellence.

The quartet of thoughts simply engulfed him.

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In a perfect world Striker would love to retire aboard See It Again on Met Day 2024 but he is painfully aware that forces outside of his control might scupper that dream. Regardless of who rides the Nick Jonsson owned, Michael Roberts trained colt, Piere is convinced that the son of Twice Over still has boundless scope and will furnish into an even better four-year-old than he was at three. 

If that doesn’t get you exploring the ant-post market for the Cape Summer Season features then perhaps Piere’s parting shot will.

The blonde bomber is adamant that the Greyville racetrack just isn’t See It Again’s cup of tea and that in stark contrast Kenilworth racecourse, the track on which he lowered the colours of Charles Dickens in last season’s Cape Derby, is the perfect fit for his physical attributes and style of running.