BERNARD SWANEPOEL : LIVING WITH A LEGEND

Bernard Swanepoel
(Image : Times / Telegraph)

BERNARD SWANEPOEL

When Alan Sutherland made his Rothman’s July winner’s speech as the breeder of the first and second home (Teal and Barellen), he made specific reference to Summerhill (we are neighbours), and suggested the roles had been reversed. Pointedly, he said “now Mickey Goss knows what its like to be living next door to Alice!”. In more recent times, properties neighbouring on Summerhill, have reached an all-time high in popularity terms, with people of the ilk of Moneyweb’s Alec Hogg, top French breeders Xavier and Natalie Bozo (of chocolate manufacturer Lanvin fame) and one of South Africa’s most famous mining sons, Bernard Swanepoel, having invested on our borders.

This weekend, the Sunday Times carried an article on our man, Swanepoel, which not only complimented him, but flattered those who live in his vicinity.

“Entrepreneurial mining engineer Bernard Swanepoel said he is ready to take on the role of “coach” while leaving the corporate responsibilities of running a business in the hands of others.

Swanepoel said the advantage of having retired three times by the time you are 50 is you can really go into what you enjoy in life.

“Instead of having to deal with all the administrative and corporate duties a CEO takes on every day, I would prefer to go to a new acquisition like the contemplated Blyvooruitzicht gold mine and assist the guys on the ground start making money from this asset.”

The ex-Harmony CEO created a new vehicle, Village Main Reef (Village), in recent years to take on ailing mining assets and make them profitable. The company proved the strategy in its latest results, which saw the troubled Buffelsfontein operation become profitable.

“Even though we have now only taken the mine from intensive care to rehab, this is the most successful turnaround I have seen during my 30 years in this business. We expect the mine to turn into a world-class athlete,” said Swanepoel.

The company took over Buffelsfontein and Tau Lekoa mines from Simmer & Jack (Simmers), where Marius Saaiman was CEO and also “the last man standing”, according to Swanepoel.

Saaiman, now chief financial officer, will take over from Swanepoel early next year.

Village plans to mine Tau Lekoa for the rest of its life - about five years. “Running this mine at current gold prices is like printing cash,” said Swanepoel. But the company plans to sell the property across from Tau Lekoa, Weltevreden, also inherited from Simmers, in the first half of the new year.

Swanepoel described ConsMurch as “a cute little thing”. The company bought it for R30-million, an amount it now makes every six months from the mine.

Saaiman said the operation has a strong management team and significant value has been added. The company might look to the East for a 50% buy-in in the antimony producer, used to make fire-retardant products.

Village recently doubled its inferred platinum resource base to 41.8million ounces at Lesego. “The project has lived up to even my wildest expectations, and I have had some pretty wild expectations over the years,” said Swanepoel.

Swanepoel emphasised that the story is not a “Harmony take two” but a different game altogether.

He explained that the current operating environment is not at all like that of the time he headed Harmony. “Back then it was all about size, but right now it is all about the D-word - dividends - which is what our business plan revolves around. We ourselves are heavily invested in Village. We want to almost be like demanding shareholders, not corporate fat cats with helicopters and glass buildings. We unashamedly want it all, great safety, great returns and next month we want more,” commented the aspirant coach.

MARK TODD : WHEN IT COMES TO GOLD MEDALS...

Linda Norval, Tarryn Liebenberg, Annet Becker, Mark Todd,
Reggie Purbrick, Lizzie Purbrick and June Wilmot
(Photo : Summerhill Stud)

MARK JAMES TODD CBE

Only yesterday, we penned our piece on the multitude of international visitors passing our way at this time of year. Yet you’d have to say that a visit from a crippled Mark Todd, multiple Olympic gold medallist, and horseman of the century, is a rare item for the mantelpiece, in any terms. Reggie Purbrick (we can’t remember whether he is MBE or OBE) was host to Mark Todd CBE, and like our neighbour, the celebrated All Black Alan Sutherland, Todd was moving decidedly short in the one knee after a very close encounter with an elephant in Botswana earlier in the week. They were accompanied by British Olympian, Lizzie Purbrick, and the celebrated exponent of the art of dressage, June Wilmot.

Born 1 March 1956, Mark is a New Zealand horseman noted for his accomplishments in the discipline of eventing, voted Rider of the 20th Century by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports.

He won gold medals at Los Angeles (1984) and Seoul (1988) Olympics, the Badminton Horse Trials on four occasions, the Burghley Horse Trials five times, and as a member of New Zealand’s Eventing team he won gold medals at the World Championships in 1990 and 1998 (Rome), the European Championships in 1997, plus 20 or more other international events, and numerous other international individual and team titles. In short, when he was proclaimed Rider of The Century, it was a fitting compliment to one of the greatest horsemen the world has known.

In New Zealand he has been honoured as New Zealand Sportsperson of the Year and inducted into The New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame.

Mark was born in Cambridge, New Zealand, with a deep and abiding passion for horses; he rode at Pony Club as a youngster and competed at local shows. His precocious talent was apparent from an early age, and he considered becoming a jockey but quickly grew too tall, which forced him into show jumping instead. Fellow New Zealand Team member, Andrew Nicholson, is quoted as saying “Mark can ride anything - he could go cross-country on a dairy cow!”

Thereafter, Todd moved to England where he mucked out stables and obtained use of horses for event rides. At his first attempt, in 1980, he won the Badminton Horse Trials riding Southern Comfort. Todd was a virtual unknown when he arrived, with fellow New Zealander Andrew Nicholson as his groom.

Todd became a popular sportsman in his home country, and some of the horses he rode also became well-known. Most notable was Charisma, the 15.2 hands (62 inches, 157 cm) Thoroughbred (with 1/16 Percheron in him) Todd rode when winning successive Olympic Gold Medals in 1984 and 1988. Charisma was retired to a Waikato farm after the Seoul Olympics but appeared with Todd for later public appearances including flag bearing at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland New Zealand. Charisma died aged 30 following complications from a broken shoulder.

Todd finally retired from international competition following the 2000 Sydney Olympics and returned to live in New Zealand.

He moved to Rivermonte Farm near his home town of Cambridge in Waikato to breed horses and concentrate on several business ventures, including the manufacture/retail of harness and other tack. His Thoroughbreds enjoyed racing success, including wins in the Wellington Cup and New Zealand Oaks, and he was connected with two Hong Kong champions. He remained closely involved with the administration of eventing, acting as coach for the NZ Olympic Eventing Team at Athens in 2004.

He however, could not be kept away for long, and on 25 January 2008 it was announced that Mark Todd was to make a return to the sport eight years after he first retired in Sydney, at the urging of the “fishing kings” of New Zealand, the Vella brothers, who own New Zealand Bloodstock.

While Mark Todd may have scaled every height in the game, his crowning moment probably came this year. At 56, he has just won the Badminton Horse Trials title, 31 years after his first victory in the event. Has there ever been his equal? We doubt it.

MILESTONES

“Triumphs, Tragedies and Good News”

Alec and Jeanette Hogg

Not everything in life is rosy, and sometimes fate has an uncanny knack of converting triumph into tragedy at a moment’s notice. On Friday morning, we woke to the news that our neighbours and great friends, Alec and Jeanette Hogg, had survived an aircraft collision at O.R.Tambo airport, when the front wheel of their Pietermaritzburg-bound jet failed to dislodge itself, and they were forced to make a belly landing at the airport of departure. They say that when you get the “brace” command in a descending aircraft, your chances of coming out on the credit side of life’s balance sheet, are slim. Alec tells us he was reminded of the statistics as they were going down. That both were there to celebrate the opening of South Africa’s first equine-dedicated art gallery at their Graceland Farm on the Giant’s Castle road overlooking Summerhill, tells us the gods were mercifully on side. Someone up there was looking after them, thank God, and that meant Jeanette was able to preside at Sunday’s inaugural proceedings at the gallery. A revelation it was, of some excellent work and many God-given gifts.

Those of us who live in this district can take pride in the work on show, just as we can in the singing talents of Cat Simone, who apparently outdid Whitney Houston at her own game, at impresario Alan Sutherland’s debut performance in our School Of Excellence. Sutherland may have been an All Black, and he may have bred Teal, but if this is what he’s capable of, he missed his vocation. A roaring success, from all accounts, and a heartening uncovering of the latent artistic capabilities in our home community. Let’s not forget, we live on the finest arts and crafts meander in Africa, and the unveiling of these artists in our midst was the good news in a the world which has not been very forthcoming in recent months.

The Bard of Summer

From this triumph, to the tragic news Monday morning of the passing of one of cricket’s finest ever writers. We’ve no idea of the cause, but Peter Roebuck, one-time captain of Somerset, England cricketer and newspaper correspondent supreme, passed away at his Cape Town hotel this weekend. Among those who knew his captaincy, were two knights of the realm, Sir Ian Botham and Sir Vivian Richards, as well as West Indian fast bowling terror, Joel Garner. They don’t come much bigger than that. Peter’s columns have always been a rich inspiration to readers across the world, as he was not only a freelance writer for our own beloved Witness, but also for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Melbourne Age.

Tributes have poured in from around the world, probably the most apt of which was Indian broadcaster, Harsha Bhogle’s posting: “Peter Roebuck was meant to write about cricket in the manner Sachin Tendulkar was born to play”.

In yesterday’s Herald, Greg Baum penned the piece which Roebuck should’ve written: “Roebuck was eccentric, he was a tall, spare man, who lived an austere, almost aesthetic life, not indulging in such fripperies as deodorant. His trademark was a tatty straw hat with a white brim, it was one of few possessions found in his hotel room. On anyone else, that would have been an absurd affectation. Roebuck was complex, intense, taught, edgy, opionated, a little manic, mostly cheerful, sometimes broody. He was a contrarian, not for the sake of it, but because he always had another view. He spoke quickly, in a clipped tone, needing to get the thoughts out so that more could follow; his broadcast voice was his street voice. He did not do small talk, ever.”

R.I.P. old pal.

And now for some Good News

At the Emperors Palace National Yearling Sale this year, a new player rolled up. Wayne Kieswetter alighted from his helicopter at Rand airport, came to the TBA complex, saw what he wanted, and conquered. In a matter of moments, Wayne signed for the Summerhill-consigned Utshani, at R850,000 promptly gave it to his son as an 18^th birthday present, and climbed back on the plane.

This weekend, we discovered something else about Mr Kieswetter. His success in life is not confined to Cape Town, and he obviously has some cultural interests besides. He and his pal Geoff Bell are living every whisky-lovers dream, owning a prize distillery in Scotland.

For seven years Wayne Kietswetter and Geoff Bell have owned BenRiach in the Scottish Highlands. The two were in Johannesburg this week to attend a whisky festival. Kieswetter and Bell teamed up with Scottish whisky legend Billy Walker to buy the distillery near the town of Elgin, in the northeast of Scotland. Until they bought it, BenRiach was used to supply whisky for blends for other labels. Kieswetter said : “It wasn’t even sold as a single malt. They did a couple of hundred cases in duty free. We found some real good whisky.” The distillery, it turned out, had “stock from 1966 to 2002 and every year in-between. And it produced very good whisky.” The entrepreneurs set about turning BenRiach into a premium whisky brand with several ranges. It has won many awards, including Distillery of the Year in the Malt Advocate Whisky Awards in 2007 and Distiller of the Year in the 2009 Icons of Whisky Awards. The latter covers all the distilleries of the world.

“We were first to launch a Speyside peat. Now it’s one of the biggest-selling of our whiskies in America, Germany and Scandinavia,” Kieswetter said.

THE MOST VALUABLE PIECE OF REAL ESTATE ON EARTH...

Alan Sutherland and Mullins Bay
(Photo : Summerhill Stud)

“MULLINS BAY”

He doesn’t often give credit so when BIG AL speaks, listen.
”One of the best foals I’ve seen. And I believe the district is full of them.”
That’s a Mullins Bay.

For more information please visit :
www.summerhill.co.za

or contact Linda Norval
+27 (0) 33 263 1081

ONLY IN AFRICA

(Photo : Summerhill Stud)

OF JACKALS, FREEZING TEMPERATURES AND THE EQUINE HERPES VIRUS

It’s a well publicised fact (because we made it so,) that Summerhill has recently weathered an abortion storm induced by the equine Herpes virus. That we managed to contain it to so small a number has been the subject of recognition by two of the country’s top veterinary advisors, Professors Alan Guthrie and Martin Schulman of the Research Institute and the University of Pretoria’s Veterinary Faculty respectively. What’s emerged from this whole thing is that every farm in every major racehorse producing country in the world, knows the virus, where it’s estimated that more than 80% of their horses have been challenged by it, while in South Africa it’s suggested that at least 50% of the populations on all farms (and in every racing stable) have been exposed. The fact is, early intervention, decisive leadership and sound bio-security measures and management have saved the day, and we’re pretty much back to normal, with more than 45 quite normal foals born since the commencement of the season.

One thing we have learnt in the process of managing the virus outbreak, is that there are challenges in parts of Africa which no other country could begin to imagine. Because it was essential that we retain a vice grip on the isolation of the affected mares, we had to manage them as though they were on a separate farm, with different staff, different vehicles, different clothing, equipment etc, and then there was another difference: predators, of a kind you would encounter only on this continent.

The virus was at its peak during the coldest month of the year, when temperatures at night were down as low as -7º C, and our Zulu watchmen were housed in a small portable hut on the edge of the paddock alongside a blazing brazier, designed to keep the staff warm as well as providing light in the vicinity of the foaling mares. As it happened, before we were aware of the outbreak, we suffered two abortions on a Saturday evening, and because of the sharpness of their instincts, the jackal happened to get there before the staff did, for the early morning feed.

Knowing there could be “pickings” henceforth, we had two frighteningly hungry packs descend upon the paddock every night, one from Summerhill and the other from our All Black neighbour, Alan Sutherland’s farm next door. I should add that Alan’s jackals were the hungrier of the two prides, and had to be constantly fended off by our Zulus during the nightly vigil! They were joined in their prowling by caracal and serval, leaving our team with as much of a job foaling the mares, as they had dealing with the predators.

Yes, you come to Africa for the game, but this is not the way we wanted to play it!