De Kock Ponders Future In South Africa

My stable and my family have just experienced three potentially life-changing days.

The grooms’ strike at Randjesfontein has left us contemplating the future, writes Mike de Kock in his blog.



I’d like to believe that we as a family and as a stable have been the most pro-active in the country at improving the lot of our grooms.

Over the last 15 years I have been sending grooms around the world to places like the US, the UK, Dubai, Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong.

Every year I employ a group of South African grooms in the UAE for four or five months.

They live in the Sheraton Hotel with me and get paid a substantial wage as well as still getting their SA wages. They also receive massive bonuses of between R20,000 and R100,000 depending on how good the season’s been.

I’ve seen these grooms improve their lifestyles, buy houses and cars, educate their children and uplift their families.

Admittedly only a select few of my top grooms have travelled abroad, but many of the ones at home have earned good wages and have also benefited from the success in which they’ve played a part.

The key to this sort of remuneration is stakes. Dubai stakes speak for themselves. One can charge a proper fee and race for proper stakes.
Take out there is as follows: Trainer 10%; Jockey 10%, and most notably the stable (grooms and all stable staff) share 5%.
The key to a strong racing industry is stakes!

Apart from Dubai look at all of Australia, Hong Kong Singapore and the USA. In the UK, day to day stakes are not great but big races are very good and the value of horses is off the charts.

SA owners should be paying more but how does one justify that when stakes have stagnated like they have here?
We’ve done many more things to better the plight of our grooms.

My wife Diane’s AIDS programme has saved many lives.

We treat our grooms with respect, they receive perks and bonuses.

Some of our owners are amongst the most generous people I know, they have contributed with added bonuses of their own.

To sit in a meeting with grooms whilst being called a racist who beats his grooms up, left a bitter taste in my mouth and sent my blood pressure through the roof.

To have been confronted by 300 weapon-wielding, threatening grooms left a bitter taste in my mouth.

When members of my family, staff and horses are threatened with death and harm it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. From now on, we’ll be living in fear and uncertainty every day.


To read in a national newspaper that horses hadn’t been fed and watered for three days was shocking, a report unbecoming The Citizen because it was wholly untrue.

I saw some trainers feed and water up to 100/150 horses with little or no help. All of these guys are in the training profession because they love horses, to start. Another bitter taste left in the aftermath.
I am more sympathetic than most when it comes to grooms’ affairs, I’ve seen them uplift themselves and I’ve taken pride from it.

Recently I gave R5,000 to a groom who came to me when his child was kidnapped, I paid the ransom money and we never saw him for two months. The same groom sat on the groom’s committee/EFF and turned on me, threatening violence. Again, this left a bitter taste in my mouth.

My stable employs 80 grooms, and I am personally one of the biggest racehorse owners in South Africa. I have made a long and positive contribution to South African racing and the lives of many grooms.
2002 Gr1 Vodacom Durban July
The experience of the last few days and the affects it had on my own and my family’s lives, coupled with surprise, disappointment and disbelief, has brought me to a stage where I have to say that Mike de Kock racing is now seriously considering our position in South African racing.

I am thinking of the implications, which include unemployment of at least 100 people involved with my stable; the giving up of dozens of racehorses, stallion shares and broodmares; the international ramifications with our number of big overseas owners and the negative publicity it will create and the investment lost to SA.

The recently successful TBA sales was mostly propped up by foreign money. Do these international, racing loving owners need this kind of aggravation?
I am not sure if these factors even matter anymore. It’s enough having to deal with the Jockey Club and Racing administrators who haven’t made life easy. The grooms issue has aggravated matters to a level where team De Kock feels like turning things up. I am asking myself, do we really need this?

South African racing is in for a rude awakening.
I predict that in the next two years the number of horses in training will be reduced by 10-20%.

There will be fewer Licensed trainers, 20% or more.

Overseas investments will decrease, local and overseas owners do not want to be associated with violence and aggression.

Racing is a hobby and a sport for many, when it becomes unpleasant people will simply turn elsewhere.

Reduced figures all round means that hundreds of grooms are on the verge of losing their jobs. I fully recognise the right to protest. I am fully aware that all is not right with our grooms. I am fully committed to correct that but not under the threat of violence.
Personally, I will be reducing my string by 40%. At this stage of my life I’ve been wanting to train the most beautiful animals and really enjoy it along with my son, but the situation racing is in has left me wondering why I do it and questioning my own loyalty to SA racing.

Where we go from here remains to be seen.

PS: A very big thank you to all those who sent messages and well wishes over the last few days . I didn’t realise I had that many friends and am touched by the thoughtful messages sent to show that so many care.

Copy of Sporting posts copy from MDK racing

Many trainers here, including me have said we are not carrying on under these conditions. If the EFF comes here and I get threatened in anyway I am closing. My grooms have been informed. Luckily I have no dependants except my 3 dogs. 13 grooms will be out of work. Mine get paid well, treated with respect and are not overworked hours wise at all. Too old to take this now.

I like the 10, 10 and 5 split in stakes

But for this to happen we would need to cut racing and increase stakes big time

Ps I had a assistant trainer talking to me until 2am this morning and she’s petrified

Wonderful article: I spent may years in manufacturing, providing many jobs and always good to the employees, all my management and supervisory staff were non whites and were looked after before it became fasionable / law .

The masses became unreasonable and unruly before we/I cut our losses.

Had 1400 employees when we closed the plant.

Dave my nephew is heavily involved in the CMT business...employed a staff with his brother in excess of 400...including children of staff who had bailed school and with NO FUTURE. These brats started to intimidate staff and staff eventually joined them and the drama began. He called in his senior workers gave them the necessary paper work to sign for their UIF ......AND CLOSED THE FACTORY.

Result: 450 plus on the streets..

Racing will die a slow death if the OPERATORS DON'T COME ABOARD. They should be the one subsiding the grooms....based on the model: Trainers 2/3 and operators subsidy 1/3. This will help ease the burden on the trainer and make up for the ridiculous stakes on offer in this country.

TO MDK ...you have made an enormous contribution to horse racing in SA and I personally think you have a major role still to play. I understand your family will always take precedence in your final decision and tha will always be respected.

Stables should now work the LIFO method and get rid of their grief......LAST IN FIRST OUT..PERIOD. They can go and ask the EFF and the malema click to make them bread winners!!!!!!!!!

SA in a nutshell :S :evil: Welcome to all our daily lives.

MdK has done more for grooms than anyone. It is really sad when he tells us that they abused him. There is no respect in the youth of today.All about upbringing. Makes me mad when i remember how much we all do and did for their upliftment.

The State of the Nation really...

H&M was no different. EFF vandalised the stores, fighting Racism and Non Equality. Proved their point, at the cost of hundreds of unemployed H&M employees. The very masses, that they claim to "fight for".

Viva the EFF Viva!

I doubt MDK is quickly shaken so the events of last week must have been far worse than we have been lead to believe.
for him to have such a serious review of SA should be an eye opener to all of us.

This story rightly so has made the front page of racing post.com and im sure in hard print as well.

the international racing club currently has 23 UK based owners and i have already taken 7 calls tonight regarding the future of racing in SA and what our position on the matter is.

This is what the powers don't realise , SA racing is international thanks largely to Mike De Kock and in a very minute way to me. The reality is that even though my owners love SA they don't really want to be involved if this is the situation.

I cannot see SA racing lasting much longer if this situation does not get resolved very quickly.

There is no civilised negotiations in SA...intimidation, death threats, assault and destruction of property is the order of the day.

This is how 3rd world mentality operates!