IT’S NOT ONLY ABOUT FAST HORSES

Chris Helmbold at the Greytown Mondi Classic MTB race
(Photo : www.actionphoto.net)

KARKLOOF TRAIL BLAZER 2009

While you may have come to think of us as a source primarily of quality racehorses, we’re rapidly developing a reputation in another realm. Knowing their obsession with horses, you might ask yourself what our people do in their leisure time. Things that spring to mind, because they’re champions of their respective arts, are football and traditional dancing. Our soccer teams have long dominated the Midlands logs, and it’s well know that our dancers are not only the national champions, but they ranked 3^rd and 2^nd respectively at the World Championships in Tokyo and Hong Kong in the past two years.

Sunday added a new dimension to the retinue of skills of our people, when no fewer than four of the team took their bikes to the Karkloof Trail Blazer. While our lead rider, Chris Helmbold, was laid low by a bought of flu, it seems Grant Norval, Kerry Jack and Tarryn Liebenberg all made satisfactory qualifying rides. But the one that really impressed was Ready To Run supremo, Tarryn, who in a field of 300 for the 20km cross country ride, was the first filly home in the entire line-up. We knew she could ride a horse, and we’ve seen her making a few strides on the two-wheeler, but this one didn’t only take us by surprise. You should’ve seen her face at the morning meeting!

Japanese delegation to visit Summerhill Stud

Way West
(Nicholas Goss)

“TOP OF THE SALE: TOP OF THE MORNING TO YOU”

The posting earlier this week of the piece on Katsumi Yoshida’s purchase of the top horse in America’s biggest breeding stock sale, Island Fashion, coincides with the announcement that the champion breeders of Japan are sending a delegation to Summerhill at the end of the month.

Former Summerhill head farrier, Chris Helmbold, has just completed a two and a half year stint at Northern Farm, which is the trade name under which the second eldest of the Yoshida family carries on his business. Northern Farm has been the champion breeding establishment of Japan for the last three consecutive years, an achievement at the expense of the eldest brother, Teruya’s Shadai Farm. The three Yoshida brothers own Shadai Stallion Station together, and last season Shadai produced nine of the top ten stallions in the Japanese rankings.

More on their visit to Summerhill at the month end.