SOUTH AFRICA: HORSE RACING: 'Durban July' horse race attracts thousands

Record ID: 454392

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: HORSE RACING: 'Durban July' horse race attracts thousands
  • Date: 2nd July 2010
  • Summary: DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA (JULY 31, 2010) (REUTERS) SPECTATORS AT RACE TRACK SPECTATORS, WOMAN WEARING HEAD LOOKING LIKE FLOWER POT WOMAN WEARING DRESS IN THE COLOURS OF SOUTH AFRICAN FLAG MORE OF PEOPLE AT RACE COURSE SPECTATOR WEARING DRESS IN THE COLOURS OF BRAZILIAN FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) SPECTATOR THEMBEKAZI MOMOZA, SAYING: "During soccer World Cup time, my favo
  • Embargoed: 17th July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA5UE9EC7SYGJ7FZJ9EE0JB1ZIE
  • Story Text: The theme of this year's 'Durban July' horse race in South Africa was "It's a Blooming Great Day" and spectators from all over the country came out in colour to support their favourite horses.
    Every year the event is almost as much about style as it is about betting on the winning horse and fashion designers took the opportunity to showcase their unique designs.
    The event, seen as South Africa's premier horse racing competition, attracts thousands of South Africans every year. This year 50,000 people attended. It had to be postponed from its traditional early July slot to the end of the month, to make way for the football World Cup.
    The World Cup also gave some spectators inspiration for their outfits.
    "During soccer World Cup time, my favourite team was Brazil, so I thought of doing the outfit with Brazil flag. That's what inspired my outfit," said spectator Thembekaszi Momosa.
    Horse racing in South Africa is mostly associated with white South Africans but in recent years there has been growing popularity across black circles. Wealthy black South Africans are now spending thousands on bets and attending the event as a social staple every year.
    For this year's 12 races combined there was a stake of 3 million rand (408,228 U.S. Dollars).
    Muzi Yeni was one of only two black up and coming jockeys at the Durban July this year. He started out after his father suggested that he try a career as a jockey because he is hardly 5 feet.
    Although there are no height limits to being a jockey, most jockeys average around 5 feet and Yeni says it is an advantage for him.
    "As a young black African a lot of us are getting opportunities in this sport and I'm just very proud to be part of it and enjoying every minute," said 23 year-old Yeni.
    Yeni has been a professional jockey for three years but says he is still struggling to break through. Jockeys get paid on the number of races they race and get a share of the stake if they win.
    "It is a career. You do spend five years for the qualification. But in any job that you do, you have to be competitive at it to earn a good living. If you are small and you ride well and you've got the talent for the sport, you can make a good living and especially at a young age," Yeni said.
    The races, which were first held in 1897, are hoped to inject a massive 500-million rand (68 million U.S. dollars) into Durban's KwaZulu-Natal province economy with horse race enthusiasts spending money in the sunny beachfront city.
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