COMRADES MARATHON 2011

Monique, Haydn and Wendy - In Training
(Photo : Supplied)

“In celebration of mankind’s
spirit over adversity…”

We consider ourselves blessed in KwaZulu Natal, to have on our doorstep a unique offering of some of the world’s biggest and most challenging sporting events. Heading the list are South Africa’s “Big Three”; the Midmar Mile - the world’s largest open water swim, the Dusi Canoe Marathon - the world’s toughest canoe race, and the focus of this post, Sunday’s Comrades Marathon - the world’s greatest ultra-marathon.

Of particular interest to us at Summerhill, is the participation in this year’s Comrades of Agriculture Manager, Haydn Bam, and former PA to the boss, Wendy Saint. From what we hear, both are in fine fettle and are raring to go.

The 90km Comrades is a South African institution, internationally recognised for the body-sapping challenge it poses and for the camaraderie it fosters among its 20,000 plus participants. Run between the capital of KwaZulu Natal, Pietermaritzburg, and the coastal city of Durban, the race alternates annually between the up run from Durban and the down run from Pietermaritzburg. This year sees what is generally considered the “less taxing” up run.

The race was the idea of First World War veteran Vic Clapham, who wanted a living memorial to those South African soldiers killed in the war. Clapham, who had endured a 2700-kilometre route march through sweltering German East Africa, wanted the memorial to be a unique test of the physical endurance for the entrants.

The constitution of the race states that one of its primary aims is to “celebrate mankind’s spirit over adversity”.

The Comrades Marathon first took place in 1921 and has been run every year since, except from 1941 to 1945 when it was stopped during the Second World War. Forty-eight runners entered the first race, but when the starting shot was fired, only 34 had the heart to tackle the daunting task - not surprising when one considers that the course was tarred only for the last few kilometres into Durban. A time limit of 12 hours was set and Bill Rowan became the inaugural winner, clocking 08:59 to win by 41 minutes from second-placed Harry Phillips. Of the 34 starters, only 16 completed the race.

The starting gun fires at 05:30 tomorrow morning at sea-level in Durban and the route climbs towards Pietermaritzburg over the daunting Cowies Hill, Fields Hill, Bothas Hill, Inchanga and Polly Shorts, to a finishing altitude of 650m in the KZN capital.

We wish Haydn and Wendy great courage, perseverance and ultimate success… the Team is behind you.

PARIS, NEW YORK, LONDON, MOOI RIVER

Summerhill Stud… in the heart of the Natal Midlands
(Photo : Leigh Willson)

Co-ordinates:  South:  29° 13min 175 sec; East:  29° 56min 288sec:
Latitude:  29.216715; Longitude:  29.933413;
Elevation:  1,433m above sea level

Wendy Saint After three months of being employed at Summerhill Stud as Mick Goss’ new PA, and my probation period “safely” behind me, I thought it fitting to contribute my very first article to the Summerhill Blog.

My previous career as an international flight attendant, with our national carrier SAA, spanned ten wonderful years.  It was a privileged life and the memories of jet setting around the world, Paris one week, New York, London the next, will remain with me forever.  This was job satisfaction at its best and I wondered, when the time came to plant my feet firmly on terra firma, how I would ever be able to find fulfilment and happiness as I had, cruising at 35,000 ft?

Destination: Mooi River; Co-ordinates: Summerhill Stud / Hartford House (Co-ordinates:  South:  29° 13min 175 sec; East:  29° 56min 288sec: Latitude:  29.216715; Longitude:  29.933413; Elevation:  1,433m above sea level).  Who could ever have imagined that the little farming town of Mooi River in the heart of the Natal Midlands would be my next port of call, and that a Stud Farm would be my next ticket to job satisfaction and personal fulfilment?

As I approached the long, winding road that was to lead me to the Summerhill offices for my interview; immaculately lined with its freshly mown lawns and crisp, green pastures where pristinely groomed mares and their foals grazed contentedly, I was overcome by a sense of panic - the realisation that I hadn’t yet attended my first interview and the overwhelming sense that I knew that I had to be a part of all of “this”.  On being warmly greeted by Mick in reception, I knew that there was something special about Summerhill Stud / Hartford House and it had to be more than the way they mowed their lawns and trimmed their hedges. (Although now three months later, I realise, that even this is done with the greatest of pride and precision.)

It goes without saying, that as Champion Breeders for five consecutive years, it takes a team of champions to achieve these results.  The Summerhill team, with their hard work, dedication, commitment and extraordinary levels of competence and ability are the reason for these results.  I have the privilege of working, on a daily basis, with these dedicated people who comprise the stud personnel and their gifted team of horsemen and women, Vuma Feeds, farm and agricultural employees, Goss Insurance, the construction and maintenance team, administration and accounts departments, Hartford House and our marketing and advertising team.  It’s thanks to each and every one of these individuals, that the steep learning curve I have embarked on since joining this fascinating and highly complex industry of bloodstock and racing has been made that much easier, and dare I say it, even fun.  I have yet to live down leaving a message for Mick to phone Pierre Jourdan, after the historic weekend where we won the Gauteng Colts Guineas, not knowing that Pierre Jourdan was in fact the horse that won the race, and not the trainer or his owner. 

To achieve the level of success which Summerhill enjoys, takes great management.  To maintain it, however, requires extraordinary leadership.  Summerhill is one of those rare organisations that has this in abundance, characterised all the way from the top down, with humility, vision, energy, passion and compassion.  It is this world class leadership that inspires me to get up at the crack of dawn to report for duty every morning, to read more, to learn more, to try harder and to work smarter.  

I was told by a close friend of Summerhill’s only a few weeks ago that “if you just hold onto their coat tails, you’ll fly.”  I’m hanging on firmly and while I’m still only navigating my way around the runway, it won’t be long, I believe, before I’m soaring at 35,000 ft again, and Mick won’t be having to phone his horses to congratulate them on their weekend win!

NO PLACE TO HIDE

Wendy Saint
(Photo : Leigh Willson)

WENDY SAINT

There was disbelief at Summerhill when the boss employed a new PA by the surname of “Saint”. Some wags were quick to ask whatever he did to warrant such an appointment, and “saintly” is probably the most apt term in describing Wendy Saint, who came to us from a career as a long-serving stewardess in the front cabins of SAA. This is obviously where she honed her skills with people, and she arrived complete with all the dulcet greetings including a habit of answering the phone “Good day, Wendy Saint”.

Our stallion manager, Greig Muir, whose daily task is closer to manure than it is to mink, enquired when he heard this rather Victorian line of answering, “are you always this posh?”. When she answered that it was just her way, he was quick to say he’d need to take her out and roll her in some horse bog, to get it knocked out of her!

Don’t worry, Ms. Saint has her sleeves rolled up, like the rest of us, and she’s never let her smart upbringing interfere with a good day’s work.