Midvaal vs Soweto Champs

Riders gathered from Midvaal and Soweto to compete head to head for the title of Midvaal vs Soweto Champion 2019.

ArkStar Kidz Club, along with Enos Mafokate Soweto Riding Centre partnered together to host a trilogy of events for the year, to raise funds and awareness of the sport of equestrianism. Each event saw an attendance of nothing less than 400 guests through the gates to enjoy the show jumping and showing, the live music on stage as well as all that the markets had to offer.

Show jumping classes

The finale started with the show jumping classes off to a prompt start at 9 am, with the juniors showing off their newly learnt skills of getting their really large and loyal steeds over the poles on the ground. Great cheers all around when riders as young as 4 years of age made it through the course, with helmets and body parts all in place. The course throughout the year has been carefully built by well-known course builder Carlos Ferreira, who made sure that the finale was one to remember. Sharp turns, high oxers and challenging double-backs made sure the riders in the 80cm Two-Phase, 90cm Competition and 1m Championship kept all riders and spectators alike on their toes.

Zinzi Nahlapo, from the Enos Mafokate yard, riding Divided Highway proved to be the one to beat on the day, walking away with the title of Midvaal vs Soweto Champion. Well done Zinzi!

Prizes, sponsored by a wide variety of generous suppliers to The IEA Elite, ArkStar Kidz Club and Enos Mafokate Equestrian Club of Soweto were handed out by Mr Enos Mafokate and Show Jumping Judge, Stephanie Guest.

Showing stars

The showing arena rang the first bell a little after 9 am as well, with the dashing rider and horse combinations presenting themselves in tip-top condition to much-loved judge, Diane Lutge, who was more than eager to share her vast knowledge in the field of showing and show riding with the athletes. Beautiful horses were shown, with Meggan Boyd from The IEA Elite taking the prize for Best Turned Out, with the elegant Elite Miss Steele. Esmerelda Zeilinga's mare, Zuleika, caught everybody's eyes with her almost black coat, huge eyes, beautiful grace and conformation. She most certainly deserved the 1st place rosette for In-Hand Utility as she pranced through the Alice in Wonderland utility course, carefully laid out by Meggan Boyd.

Canines too

The canine lovers were treated to a demonstration by Iryna Rauner from Your Dog & Me. Dogs and their owners were encouraged to join in the agility doggy course and compete for one of the amazing prizes up for grabs from Montego Pet Nutrition and Taneil Arkner. There were one or two owners who deserved a treat for great behaviour too!

Entertainment and food

The stage, managed by Mr and Mrs Thabethe from Sosibo Projects & Events, was alive with sound and movement in the afternoon, keeping guests entertained well after the riding classes were finished. Leon Horn & Vikki Du Preez, BlackOrkid, Sanna Sing, and Gill and Street Jupiter made certain that nobody left before 5pm. South Africa is truly blessed with amazing local talent!

Great vendors, delicious foods, icy drinks and interesting craft stalls were strategically placed all around the yard to ensure the right atmosphere for a perfect day out in the country was created. Kiddies were kept busy riding ponies and the Elite Express train, jumping on the jumping castle and trampoline and running to and from the candyfloss machine all day long. One thing is for sure, they slept well on Sunday evening.

Creating awareness

The purpose of these events during the course of the year was to raise funds, create awareness and build a bond between two equestrian NPOs that openly give back to the sport of equestrianism. It has built a bond that will hopefully attract more awareness of the endless possibilities that the equestrian field has to offer to the youth of today. Not just the Elite youth, but, with the help of ArkStar Kidz Club and Enos Mafokate Equestrian Club of Soweto, all youth who share the same passion, the same desire and the same belief that horses are truly the greatest creatures on earth! That, with horses, we can raise strong, kind, dedicated and motivated children and guide them in following their dreams and aspirations to one day becoming South Africa's next Olympic hopefuls. Just as Mr Enos Mafokate did, as the first black man to ever represent Africa at the Olympics in 1992.

A big round of applause to the committee, chaired by Mrs Taneil Arkner, owner and founder of The IEA Elite, event managed by Candice Gracie & Meggan Boyd and supported by a whole host of names, for an exceptional year in Equestrian Development in Gauteng.

To find out more about ArkStar Kidz Club;
Visit our Website
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Email Us on admin@iea-elite.co.za
You may also reach;
Candice Gracie on +27 65 830 3550
Taneil Arkner on +27 82 449 6663
Our Office on +27 16 065 0080