Sport sees tourists besieging village
FARM workers are normally seen as people who have limited options, especially when it comes to entertainment, but in a North West dorpie they can be jockeys.
Farm workers who have interest and passion for horse riding are given the opportunity to race as jockeys. This can only happen at the Bray July, a horse racing competition that was established to stimulate the economy of Bray village and its surrounding areas in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati district.
This bush racing event takes place every second week of July in Bray, a predominantly rural area situated about 200km from Mahikeng. The area has been described as the Texas of SA because the district is known as the country’s largest beef producer.
Inspired by former Springbok star Frik du Preez, Bray July is different from the Vodacom Durban July handicap, where there is pomp and glamour. The closest one can get to fashion savvy at the Bray July is by wearing Timberland boots and a pair of jeans.
People can take time away from the hustle and bustle of city life and enjoy options of selfdrive game viewing, walking trails, horse riding and bird watching while waiting for the main event. As we celebrated World Tourism Day today, Sowetan interviewed Bray July project manager Nimrod Maswabi, who said the event remained authentic to its African roots.
“It has been about the traditional horse race with a natural turf of red Kalahari soil, in the morning people are served fat cakes and soup, cooked by the locals,” he said yesterday.
The idea, according to Maswabi, came about while Du Preez was visiting Bray on a holiday during the hunting season. “He would visit Bray for the holidays because the area is surrounded by gaming sites. After hunting they would feel bored and came up with a hobby that started very small.”
He said to make the horse riding competition interesting, Du Preez and other hunters would call neighbouring farm workers and ask them to race with them. Now their little game has turned into an international attraction for horse racing fanatics from across South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and other neighbouring countries, with 10 races and a whooping prize money of R250 000 up for grabs.
The district project manager, Themba Galeng, said the local communities benefit from the event by providing services such as security, catering, accommodation, cleaning, transport, decoration and tents. He said in line with the North West Provincial Tourism Strategy’s vision to become a preferred destination of choice in 2020, the district had placed agriculture, culture and tourism to be the leading sectors in resuscitating the economic fortunes of the district.
“The Bray July perpetually serves as a vehicle of creating opportunities for employment, alleviating poverty and thus improving ordinary lives in the district,” Galeng said.
North West Tourism Board brand manager Monde Kakula said the event has been consistent for almost 20 years and seen as the biggest desert horse race in the country. She said it was granted a temporary totalisator licence and a special permission to hold a horse race meeting on July 16 2015.
“Since its establishment, the event has also been providing a Sho’t Left experience for tourists and outdoor life and camping fanatics with a life away from everything,” she said.
She said horse owners from all over the country bring their top jockeys to compete in the race. There are several other events that take place on the day besides horse racing. This include potjie kos competition, a beauty pageant, folk dans competition, netball and soccer competitions, craft markets and so many more. Tourism MEC Desbo Mohono said the horse race was recommended to be included in the provincial calendar of events and has an enormous potential to attract tourists.