WINTER WORKSHOP FAMOUS FIVE

Heather Morkel, School Of Management Excellence Students
with Professors Guthrie, Meier, Schulman, Binedell and Kantor (inset)
(Photo : Leigh Willson)

“WINTER WORKSHOP 2012”

Professor Brian Kantor (Chief economist, Investec)

Professor Alan Guthrie (Equine Research Centre)

Professor Hanspeter Meier (Genetics, Switzerland)

Professor Martin Schulman (Equine Reproduction, Onderstepoort)

Professor Nick Binedell (Dean Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria)

Last evening, the curtain closed on the Winter Workshop at the Al Maktoum School of Excellence. It’s arguable South Africa has not seen the likes of it before, and here we speak of the lectures, the facilty, Hartford House’s cuisine, the whole package, as well as the inspiration we all walked away with. At the end of the day, while it makes riveting listening for those of us who’ve been around a while, it was something else for our nine young students, who had obviously never seen or heard anything of this calibre before.

By the time Professor Martin Schulman delivered his final lecture, they’d heard the wisdom of five professors, each one the leader in his field in this country, perhaps even in the world, they’d heard the stories of the “A” team, Mary Slack, Mike de Kock and Jehan Malherbe, they’d looked through Graeme Hawkins’ binoculars, they’d reminisced with Ronnie Napier on horses and people he’d known round the world, and Aiden Lithgow had shared a glimpse of what we could expect when he releases “LEGENDS OF THE TURF”, Alec Hogg led us on leadership, Dr. Johnny Cave’s “Breakthrough Technology” was breaking news, Alan Miller and Steve Karlin revealed why the USA’s Team Valor, among our most successful owners of all time, considered South Africa the undiscovered thoroughbred jewel of the world. These and several other “professors” of their trades gave us a week to remember, and then to cap it all, there was Professor Nick Binedell who when introduced to a packed tent of 21 nations from around the world at Sunday’s Investec Stallion Day, was billed the best speaker on any subject anywhere. He did not let the billing down. This was Nick Binedell at his vintage best, and if we have hazy memories in the next few decades of exactly what we learnt this week, we will never forget his inspiration.

Heather Morkel +27 (0) 33 263 1081
or email heather@summerhill.co.za
www.summerhill.co.za

WINTER WORKSHOP 2012

Professor Brian Kantor
(Photo : Rode)

“WINTER WORKSHOP”
Summerhill Stud
9 - 11 July 2012

It’s that time of the year - Big Horses, Big Owners, Big Trainers, and Big Weekends, and the KwaZulu-Natal Racing Season is in full swing. A landmark event on the calendar is the Winter Workshop at Summerhill Stud, which follows the Vodacom Durban July and Investec Stallion Day, 9th - 11th July.

Last year’s inaugural Winter School was a runaway success, and this year’s programme is crammed with “two-year-old” potential.

“Workshop? - I’d call it a Summit!” Dr Barry Clements, Owner and Breeder, Australia.

Professors Brian Kantor (Professor Emeritus of the University of Cape Town, Investment Strategist and Economist for Investec Bank Private Securities), Alan Guthrie and Martin Schulman (Onderstepoort) return to the School with some ever-illuminating thoughts on global economics, international horse protocols and veterinary updates, and the team at Summerhill will be extending a warm Mooi River welcome to Dr Hanspeter Meier, international equine geneticist, and Professor Nick Binedell, the Dean of the Gordon Institute of Business Science, to this year’s impressive assembly.

“Life changing? For me, yes.” Alec Hogg, Winter School 2011.

Sharing a few secrets of success, and their international triumphs are Barry Irwin, Drs Alan Miller and Steve Karlin of Team Valor, and they have added Messrs de Kock and Malherbe back into the mix, together with Mary Slack, our own doyenne of South African racing and breeding.

This is the tip of the proverbial iceberg in the breadth and depth of this year’s programme, you’ll be supporting a great cause, and it’s not to be missed.

Please click here to get details of the full panel of lecturers, their topics and the programme right away.

The Memorial Theatre’s capacity is limited though, so if you’re an aspirant attendee, please get in touch with Heather Morkel on heather@summerhill.co.za, as soon as you can. There is accommodation available at Hartford House, though the organisers can arrange alternatives in the district once Hartford is fully booked. The daily rate includes a luncheon prepared by Eat Out’s Most Popular Restaurant of 2011.

Heather Morkel +27 (0) 33 263 1081
or email heather@summerhill.co.za
www.summerhill.co.za

COMMENTS ON THE INAUGURAL WINTER SCHOOL

Professor Justin Craig - Entrepreneurship and Famiy Business
(Photo : Felicity Hayward)

WINTER SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE
4 - 6 July 2011

Shirley Kantor, Masters Degree in Fine Art (UCT)

Having had no previous knowledge of horse husbandry and the racing world, it’s been a mind opening experience. The energy, enthusiasm and commitment of Mick and the generosity of his family and staff will not be forgotten. Of special interest to me were the talks given by John McVeigh in realising the similarities between horses and humans and how crucial nutrition and happiness is to our health. In humility, I thank you for everything. Be blessed.

Xavier Bozo, Owner and Breeder (France) now in South Africa

Mick and Cheryl must be very, very proud of what they have achieved with the new school. I have never seen such an opportunity presented (even in France) and most European countries. It is very useful for most of the breeders and the range of discussions was so varied - Business, horse husbandry, veterinary and so much other. I have enjoyed the three days immensely and will be back (during the French summertime). I would encourage other breeders from foreign countries to use this opportunity to spend time in this beautiful part of the country. Thank you, Mick, Cheryl and the Summerhill team for all the work undertaken to achieve this. I am very proud to be a French South African!

Professor Brian Kantor, Economist (Investec)

I certainly hope it is a programme that you will be encouraged to repeat. It seems to me to offer a serious investor in horses a wonderful opportunity to gain insight and information of relevance to them. It has been my pleasure to take part and I hope I’ve contributed to a successful programme.  Having spent a few days here, I have been pleased to be a part of it. I do hope the organisers are encouraged to repeat the exercise and that its good reputation will spread so that it becomes an event that all the serious horsey types will be obliged to attend. Mickey Goss’s enthusiasm and commitment is inspirational. Keep it up.

Gayle Flanegan, Nooitgedacht Breeder

I feel so privileged to be a part of this and learned so much. I liked the fact that the speakers were mixed business and horses. I found it so worthwhile that the issues facing the Thoroughbred industry filter down to us and so all talks were relative to our business. I will definitely be here again next year. Thank you so much for the opportunity to learn so much and from the best.

Debbie Odell, Nutritionist, Bovasol

I feel very privileged to have been invited. I think it is great for this community to have the opportunity to see this calibre of speakers so right on our doorstep. I think the folks that chose not to come have done themselves a disservice. Thank you to Mick and Heather for putting this together. I will be back next year!

The Count of Konigsberg, of Wood-Moore Manor Stud, Mooi River

I think it’s a fantastic facility and the current Winter School curriculum has been very much appreciated in that it covers a wide spectrum of interest to all stake holders in this industry. The fact that captains of industries from bankers to professors of veterinary science, international financial gurus has provided a platform of great significance to both the arm chair race horse owner and breeder who has bought into this dynamic industry and made it a reality. It has been such a positive week and I wish that more breeders and race horse owners had been present. I would hope that Mickey Goss would make this an annual winter school and I look forward to being part of any future endeavours.

Rhonda Headon, Dubai

What a fantastic facility and venue. Although I only attended one day, I am sorry that I missed the other two days. I found the lectures very informative and interesting. I did not realise that there were so many aspects to the South African Breeding industry.

Alec Hogg, Graceland Farm

In this pressurised world, taking time away from one’s commitments is never easy. So even with the appealing line-up, coming to the conference was a bit of a gamble. It paid off handsomely. There was not a single moment of boredom in three full days, and my understanding and appreciation of our industry was raised far beyond anything that could have been expected. The interactive format complemented the leaders who shared their insights so generously. This conference will be written in concrete into my future diaries. It should also be in yours.

Denis Evans, Owner/Breeder (Singapore)

I think the long standing aspects of the conference have been the immediate success of a hugely risky business. I would think the success of the lectures has been the variation of subject and the depth of knowledge exhibited by the talkers. The close interaction between the talkers and the “pupils” made the whole experience very informative and enjoyable.

Ronnie Napier, Webber Wentzel

Well done for organizing a stimulating and thought provoking first lecture programme at the Al Maktoum School of Excellence. I certainly learnt a great deal so I am confident that the students will have found the programme wide ranging and helpful. The challenge will be to come up with an even better programme for 2012.

Judge Alan Magid

As I said in winding up the Winter School, I believe that this year set such a high standard that it will really be a very difficult act to follow. Some of the lectures bore titles which might at first sight have created the impression that they would be rather boring; but all the talks were presented with such verve, passion and enthusiasm that the interest they aroused gave rise to so much discussion that each session overran its scheduled time. Indeed, it would in my opinion be only the most carping of critics who would find anything to criticise.

Adv Altus Joubert

I enjoyed the Winter School immensely. There was a good spread of topics and the lecturers were out of the top drawer. This is a fantastic basis to continue building on. Well done.

Claire Hoatson, Normandien Farms (Pty) Ltd

Of particular interest to me was Justin Craig’s talk. Our family is in business together and over the years I have looked for authorities in this field with little success. Although we have been fortunate in family dynamics thus far, one wants to avoid any future pitfalls and put the necessary measures in place… Having come from a corporate banking background, I found the economics presentation by Prof Kantor thoroughly informative - what a knowledgeable and interesting man he is!

A most enjoyable and informative day - thank you to all those involved!

Catherine Hartley, Marketing and Brand Manager, Vumafeeds

It was an inspiring and motivating two days and well worth the time and two days leave to attend. I am sure that it will grow from strength to strength and be over-subscribed at every session, given the calibre of speakers and wide range of industry-related topics.

THE WINTER SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE

Pat Goss with Cheryl and Mick Goss at the official inauguration of the
Bryan and Erica Goss Memorial Theatre and Hall of Fame
(Photo : Felicity Hayward)

BRYAN AND ERICA GOSS
MEMORIAL THEATRE AND HALL OF FAME

The opening day of our Winter School was big enough in itself, for its historic value. It was a sentimental moment for us, because it marked the official inauguration of the Bryan and Erica Goss Memorial Theatre and Hall of Fame, which Mick’s brother, Pat presided over. As both brothers said in their short addresses, the fruits of their parent’s labours could not have been better employed than by contributing towards this noble cause.

The inaugural lecture on Entrepreneurship and Family Business was delivered by Professor Justin Craig of Bond University in Australia. Not only is this a man who uniquely touches upon the things that affect most people’s business lives, but he is one of only a handful of authorities on the subject, and by the time his hour was up, we knew why. He’ll be back, and there is no-one outside of a multi-national who can afford to miss it.

Justin was followed by Mike de Kock and a panel headed by Dr. John McVeigh; Judge Alan Magid; past Jockey Club Chairman, Ronnie Napier and Jehan Malherbe. This was a rare opportunity to hear a rare man sharing his secrets, and the questions came thick and fast, overrunning his time by some measure. Mike shared with us all the things that’ve turned him into one of the most recognisable figures in international racing, as well as a comparison of his best horses, and what sparks their buying initiatives for their raids on the international circuits.He pointed to the differences between the styles of Ipi Tombe and his latest star, Igugu, whom he feels incidentally, he hasn’t yet quite got to the bottom of. The reason? He hasn’t had to, as she’s done it all herself, and he feels that she’ll not only make the normal weight-for-age improvement as she grows older, but there’s more where she comes from already.

Professor Brian Kantor was next up, and he demonstrated, as he has done so many times, why he became Professor Emeritus at Cape Town University’s Business School. A wonderfully vital personality with an infectious understanding of the markets, he took us through a range of topics from investments, the money markets, the world economy and what the likely scenarios were with the sovereign failures in Europe, and the local economy’s prospects for the year ahead. Those things can be a little mundane to the man in the street, but this Professor has mastered the art of entertainment, and he’ll be back to delight us again in the year ahead.

Jehan Malherbe pointed to the challenges which owners and breeders face in the present market, the latter in particular with the substantial sums they paid in service fees in the 2008 season, which has meant the sale of considerable numbers of horses this year at a loss on their production costs.  He did mention though, that this was a time of opportunity, as service fees had rationalised themselves substantially. The debate then centred on the fact that the UK and Ireland, Europe and America, had cut their foal crops by something approaching 33%, and that being the case, those with the foresight to cover their mares, would have the stock to replenish the world’s thoroughbred reserves in 2014.

Altus Joubert Senior Counsel is an incomparable speaker on a number of topics, but the one that animates him is the thoroughbred, and his story on the history of the South African racehorse before the Second World War, was quite riveting. We’d had a bit of a conscience, asking a man who makes his living from the time he spends with clients in his chambers, to prepare for a school of this sort, but all signs of conscience dissipated when we saw the pleasure he had in delivering this story. Like those that went before him, he promised to provide us with the rest of the story next time around, which would take us from those days to this. Let’s not forget though, that our forebears like Sir Abe Bailey (whose daughter married Winston Churchill’s son), tampered at one time with Candlemas, whose influence on the breed extends to the likes of Mr Prospector and Seattle Slew; that old man Henry Nourse ran the biggest stud in the world in the early 1900’s, and that the Birch Bros., the most successful of all South African Breeders, were born in this era as well.

We’ll give you the comments of our attendees tomorrow - you’ll know then, what you missed.

INVESTEC STALLION DAY : RACING'S BIGGEST DAY OUT

Investec Stallion Day
(Image : Investec / iKind Media)

INVESTEC STALLION DAY
Summerhill Stud
3 July 2011

We’re all getting carried away with the usual euphoria around the Vodacom Durban July, but those at Summerhill have even bigger fish to fry from an organisational perspective. Sunday witnesses the 32^nd renewal of our annual Stallion Day, sponsored for the first time this year by Investec Bank. You have to work with professionals like Investec, whose name now adorns the world’s most famous horserace, the Epsom Derby, Twickenham rugby ground and the southern hemisphere’s premier rugby competition, the Super 15, to know how organised they are. We’ve always prided ourselves on the professionalism of our team, and we have been matched in every department by Investec, who’ve brought fresh nuances and subtleties to the art of promotion right into the thoroughbred breeding heartland of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. From one champion team to another, well done Investec.

More than twenty different nations will descend upon Summerhill on Sunday, headed up by the Premier of KZN, Dr. Zweli Mkhize and any number of the South Africa’s most celebrated citizens.

Those attending will not only be entertained in the traditional way, they will be part of history, witnessing as they are the opening of the Al Maktoum School Of Management Excellence, the only institution of its kind in the world, at the only facility of its kind on a stud farm anywhere.

On Monday morning, we have a capacity subscription for the first Winter School in South African racing history, which commences in the new Hall Of Fame theatre, and we would urge our readers to visit the school on this site (click School Of Excellence), while they are browsing this column. No fewer than four internationally renowned professors will be delivering on a range of diverse topics including the local and international economy (Professor Brian Kantor,) entrepreneurship and family businesses, (Professor Justin Craig,) Investing in thoroughbreds (Moneyweb’s Alec Hogg,) Mike de Kock on his international escapades, Advocate Altus Joubert SC on the history of racing in South Africa (a wonderfully entertaining speaker on a fascinating subject), Professors Alan Guthrie and Schulmann on their veterinary specialities, bio-farming guru, John Fair, on the new revolution in farming and industry stalwarts, Jehan Malherbe, Dr. John McVeigh and Graham Hawkins, as learned as you would find anywhere in the world, on their own niche subjects.

We know that the first day is already a sell-out, so if there are people wanting to make the course, they’ll need to take side seats for Monday, though there are few slots open for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Enquiries to Heather Morkel on 082 871 6915 or email heather@summerhill.co.za.

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