Bushwacking - Grandstanding at the Sport of Kings

This from July last year did anyone attend?


Grandstanding at the sport of kings



THUNDERING HOOVES: The annual Bray July horse race has
plenty of support from jockeys and spectators who travel there from several provinces
and from Botswana. Pictures: Matthews Baloyi


WITH bangs, creaks and shrieks, the starting gates fling open, followed by the thunder of hooves churning up a huge cloud of dust.

Down the dusty racetrack, the cheers from the crowd increase as they scream the names of their favourite horse: Officer Wheels, Bracing Air, Boy Oh Boy, Yellow Taxi, Vonk – each avid fan trying to out-yell the other.

A few, looking through binoculars, stand to see better. It’s a lively audience, with several spectators running up and down along the red track to get a perfect view. Others jostle each other in the crowd, and some remain seated in the steel grandstands.

On the racetrack the jockeys, poised firmly on stirrups and hands tight on their bridles, use their riding crops to repeatedly whip the shiny bodies of their horses, urging them to go faster.
ST BrayJuly666


The animated Afrikaans voice of the commentator rises above the loud cheers, as the horses gallop down a bend, inching closer to the finish line.

When the winner crosses the finish line, there’s a smorgasbord of emotions from the crowd – from quiet joy to screams of excitement, disappointment and even anger. It’s the same for the jockeys. Many walk away disappointed, while the winners saunter across the track to an area where officials weigh them and get their positions recorded.

This is the scene at the annual Bray July – touted by its organisers as the biggest bush race in the country. Full Article

hibs...i tagged you on fb in the elllisras bushracing album.....dont know how to upload it here so your help is needed please.....

(Mac and zoro will love the photos)

What a fun article! Gee, but I'd love to get to watch this event ... and it must be a boon in an entertainment-starved area like this. But even to blase folks from big sophisticated metropolises like Mthatha it would be worth going to as something a bit different.

I hope it doesn't get too well organised though, or it will loose it's charm. Like flea markets ... remember how they used to be informal affairs where you could pick up interesting locally made thingies and even the occasional bargain? But they all started selling factory-made junk from Taiwan and China and most of them faded off the map. If the organisers keep bushracing plain and simple it will thrive, specially as its simplicity makes it possible for it to happen where nothing else is happening on a Saturday, so "Let's go to the races!" "Sure, good idea!" "Pietie, Marie, you wanna come too?" "Let's all go ..."

Nice one Mavs, but I do hope they still have some formal things like vets and doctors..

Ziets, I dont have FB so can't wait to see...

how do phumelela regulate? do they meen jockey club? is their bookies betting?

Remember the fun days at Kylami ?

Ziets and Family

Thank you hibs.....would love to take some clansmen with one new years....
This is how we do it in Ellisras ....value for money experience i promise......
this is where Wallace Tolmay , oom nick joubert , bill human , frits roux , kobus roux , luchelle kruger all learned their trade before becoming "real trainers"
also where Aart van der lingin and Fanie Chambers learn and spend years before becoming professional jocks.

This is the the place passion is everything and dreams become reality for the "nobody"

hope you like it Mac

Great stuff

Not far off from Bingo Park.(

mikesack Wrote:

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> Not far off from Bingo Park.(


Just more fun and lots more people on-course:)-D

Will add to bucket list