MPOFANA DISTRICT FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Photos from the 2010 Mpofana District Football Championships
(Photographer : Leigh Willson)

“KINGS OF THE MOUNTAIN”

Lance Armstrong’s endeavours in the Tour de France are well known, and he is remembered for taking the “King of the Mountain” title on seven occasions. There is a lot of speculation on how he got there, and how other winners of the greatest cycle race in the world have achieved it, but there is no doubt about the outcome of last week’s Mpofana District Football Championships, and how our fellows got there.

For a prize of R30,000 to the winner, and in a knock-out competition embracing teams from far and wide, the boys from the bush made it to the final against their traditional rivals, Barcelona, whose line up includes several who play at a professional level in the provincial leagues.

While just about every man-jack and his wife or “ntombi” rallied to the cause, the incentive of a prize of such proportions was all our fellows needed, and they blasted their way to a thoroughly deserved 2-1 victory. Under the marshalling of our local mayor, Mncedisi Mthethwa, Barcelona have been a constant thorn in the Summerhill side over the years, yet to be fair, the winning margin was a just reflection of the difference between the two teams.

Please click the thumbnail above to view a few shots from the camera of our resident photographer, Leigh Willson.

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!