Jumping races in South Africa

When I was recently researching the history of jumping races in Australia, I came across an advertisement for the 1905 South African Grand National Steeplechase at Johanessburg in 1905 for 1000 pounds.
There was an Australian horse that won three hurdle races at the same venue with over 14 stone (88.5 kg)
How long since jumping races were run in RSA?
Does anyone know why they were abandoned?

There was until fairly recently jump races held in PE but this was just 1 race at a flat race meeting and has been discontinued..

In the early 80's we experimented with hurdle races at the now defunct Gosforth Park near Johannesburg. Like Titch says it was a one-hurdle-race on a flat-race race card. It was the bunny huggers who got it banned cos they saw a grey with a superficial wound on his leg... (Sure, a horse called Be A Sport was the "champion" hurdler).

We had fairly regular hurdle races in the Western Cape during the 1970s. Some well known personalities such as Chris Snaith and Greg Botten were, in fact, very successful in them if my memory serves me correctly.

Garrick Wrote:

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> We had fairly regular hurdle races in the Western
> Cape during the 1970s. Some well known
> personalities such as Chris Snaith and Greg Botten
> were, in fact, very successful in them if my
> memory serves me correctly.


Garrick I worked for Gregg Botten Do Excise Man or Aqua Lilly ring a bell??

Mac Wrote:

---

> In the early 80's we experimented with hurdle
> races at the now defunct Gosforth Park near
> Johannesburg. Like Titch says it was a
> one-hurdle-race on a flat-race race card. It was
> the bunny huggers who got it banned cos they saw a
> grey with a superficial wound on his leg... (Sure,
> a horse called Be A Sport was the "champion"
> hurdler).


Be A Sport did win a couple of the hurdle races, trained by Brett Warren and ridden by Barry Taylor, who was his assistant at the time. The late Buddy Maroun also trained and rode on a horse called Gold Decade, I won one of them on Mantovano, ex Ricky Maingard horse, owned by Mary Slack that was a good stayer in Durban in his day. James Maree even rode in one or two, will never forget him going 20 lengths clear only to be swallowed in the straight Stuart Pettigrew also rode a few times on a horse trained by the late Nic Claasen, if my memory serves me correct.

Blanco was a roan horse that got cut in a jumps race on the chest - He was covered in blood and it looked far worse than it was - I think Buddy rode him?

Would really enjoy a few jump/hurdle races here, we used to go to the fun day over the jumps in the Kylami area? many years ago, they were great days.

If not what about dog racing?

Titch Wrote:

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> Garrick Wrote:
>

---

>

---

> > We had fairly regular hurdle races in the
> Western
> > Cape during the 1970s. Some well known
> > personalities such as Chris Snaith and Greg
> Botten
> > were, in fact, very successful in them if my
> > memory serves me correctly.
>
>
> Garrick I worked for Gregg Botten Do Excise Man
> or Aqua Lilly ring a bell??


Yes they do. But none more so than Cloud Nine - a Top Division horse who 'retired' to jumping and proved almost unbeatable over jumps ( hurdles ).

The demise of this activity was largely due to the gradual decline of the Cape Hunt & Polo. We probably did not fully appreciate just how much of a contribution this club made to equine sport.........

Those Cape Hunt meetings were great with some horses competing in 2 races on the card
Aqua Lily was a half sister to Aquanaut she won her 1st 3 starts with Nigel Page in the saddle and then was beaten in a feature when Dana Siegenberg rode her...she only had the 4 starts and then died

Titch Wrote:

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> Those Cape Hunt meetings were great with some
> horses competing in 2 races on the card
> Aqua Lily was a half sister to Aquanaut she won
> her 1st 3 starts with Nigel Page in the saddle and
> then was beaten in a feature when Dana Siegenberg
> rode her...she only had the 4 starts and then died
>


Do I need to mention the legendary Sandy? She usually contested two events at each CH&P meeting and usually won both! Only reason she never raced on the flat was apparently because there was a cockup with her registration......

I remember the one eyed grey Close Encounters winning a few races in the Cape...Also remember Hawkins turned out to be a decent jumper.

Ricky Maingard used to ride in the jumps races in the late 1970's.

Turffontein brought out UK jump jockey Steve Smith Eccles in 1988, rode a horse called Aced at Turffontein.. took a crushing fall in the home straight.

Was only like 12, got my Dad to put R20 on Aced.

Thats was the first time i did my boots.