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The KZN Breeders Awards took place for the third year at the beautiful and scenic Bellwood Stud owned by Willie and Jeanine Messenger – made even more special for the Messengers with their Gr 3 winning filly, Enchanted Kingdom, being a nominee this year.
[ Click here to check out the gallery from the evening ]
A full house attended by Breeders, Owners and Trainers alike, the Chairman of the KZN Breeders Association - Koos De Klerk, opened the prestigious evening by saying that he was very excited about the new challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the KZN Breeders Association. “I would like to think that we could build on what we started - expanding and building even further on the success we have had in the sales ring by promoting KZN bred horses as a brand that we can all be proud of. We enjoyed the most brilliant KZN Breeders day this year – racing for R2.5m for KZN Bred horses only. We seem to have been so successful that we have become the victims of our own success!”
Champion sire for 2013 was once again the great son of Machiavellian standing at Bush Hill Stud – the magnificent Kahal owned by Shadwell Stud. Represented at the awards by six nominees, a number in repeat categories, Kahal is consistently in the top four of the National Sires log and responsible for the outstanding filly voted as KZN Breeders Horse Of The Year – Festival Of Fire, bred by Mr Chris Saunders and Lady O’Reilly. A six-time winner including a Gr 2 and two Gr 3 races, Festival Of Fire descends from the immediate dam-line of another KZN-bred champion in Jet Master.
The KZN Breeders honoured Chris Saunders this year with an Award for Special Lifetime Achievement, which manager Fili Bowles accepted on his behalf: “I am sure that I speak for all the people that have served him in this industry from the early days. We have all been privilege to his loyalty, generosity of spirit and kind and his great wealth of knowledge and wisdom. Words cannot express the time, effort and financial commitment he has devoted to this industry, and so on behalf of Chris Saunders from the bottom of my heart I am so grateful to all present here tonight for honouring this great man.”
Festival Of Fire took home three awards, including Outstanding 3YO Filly, Outstanding Sprinter Female and Outstanding Middle Distance Female. Kahal didn’t stop there however – his Gr 1 winning son Love Struck took home the Outstanding 3YO Colt award, as well as Outstanding Middle Distance Male, with another plain bay daughter in Checcetti being awarded Outstanding Older Female – both of the latter horses bred by KZN’s (and South Africa’s) Leading breeders’ Summerhill Stud.
Glynis Van Der Merwe had the rare honour of having two horses nominated for the evening – an extremely impressive achievement for a smaller breeder. She had previous winner Las Ramblas nominated for Outstanding Middle Distance Female, and Approachable in the Outstanding Sprinter Male.
Seal, bred by Dr Heyns and born and raised at Bush Hill Stud, has had an outstanding year – and fittingly took home two awards – Outstanding Male Stayer and Outstanding Older Male.
Summerhill’s Japanese import, the striking chestnut stallion Admire Main took home the Award for Stallion Prospect of the year. His daughter Admiral’s Eye, Gr 1 placed on Vodacom Durban July day, won Outstanding 2YO Filly, while Joyce and Robin Scott took home the International Achievement Award for the highly successful overseas campaign of The Apache (by Mogok) and Broodmare Of The Year to Apache Rose, the dam of Mogok, who sadly passed away earlier this year in foal once again to Mogok.
Their other Mogok success of the evening was Meadow Magic, the Gr 2 Emerald Cup winner. The Breeders Achievement Award sponsored by Summerhill Stud went to an ecstatic Pierre Du Toit, breeder of Kinematic Countess – for boasting the best average stakes earned per runner for the previous season.
Mick Goss received the Anita Akal Award on behalf of Toni Dolstra, a lady who dedicated 25 years to the administration of the KZN Breeders Premium Scheme – the only one of its kind in South Africa.
The KZN Breeders thanked all its supporters and sponsors for the evening, and especially to Gold Circle for their ongoing support. Koos ended his speech fittingly: “I congratulate Robert Mauvis and his Board – their vision to continually improve the profile of KZN racing and more particularly in their move to ensure Greyville becomes the Capital of South African racing with improvements to the tracks, the centre and the introduction of Friday night racing every Friday night. Please be assured the KZN Breeders Club is right behind you!”
A big thank you to all those who attended and supported our special evening – in particular to our sponsors who helped to make it possible: Odds On Colours, Equine (two awards), Suthile Feeds, Choice Carriers, Epol Feeds, Racing Association, Equifeeds, Kuda, Spurwing, Thoroughbred Breeders Association (two awards), Gold Circle (three awards), Almiray Vet Practice and Balmoral Stud.
Congratulations to all the winners!
See the complete list of Award winners below:
OUTSTANDING 2YO COLT – sponsored by Odds On Colours
Winner: Colour Of Courage
Breeder: Backworth Stud
OUTSTANDING 2YO FILLY – sponsored by Equine
Winner: Admiral’s Eye
Breeder: Mr PAM Magid & Summerhill Stud
OUTSTANDING 3YO COLT – sponsored by Suthile Feeds
Winner: Love Struck
Breeder: Summerhill Stud
OUTSTANDING 3YO FILLY – sponsored by Choice Carriers
Winner: Festival Of Fire
Breeder: Mr CJ Saunders & Lady C O’Reilly
OUTSTANDING OLDER MALE – sponsored by Epol
Winner: Seal
Breeder: Dr IR Heyns
OUTSTANDING OLDER FEMALE – sponsored by Gold Circle
Winner: Checcetti
Breeder: Summerhill Stud
OUTSTANDING SPRINTER FEMALE – sponsored by Racing Association
Winner: Festival Of Fire
Breeder: Mr CJ Saunders & Lady C O’Reilly
OUTSTANDING SPRINTER MALE – sponsored by Equifeeds
Winner: Meadow Magic
Breeder: Scott Bros
OUTSTANDING MIDDLE DISTANCE MALE – sponsored by Equine
Winner: Love Struck
Breeder: Summerhill Stud
OUTSTANDING MIDDLE DISTANCE FEMALE – sponsored by Kuda
Winner: Festival Of Fire
Breeder: Mr CJ Saunders & Lady C O’Reilly
OUTSTANDING MALE STAYER – sponsored by Spurwing
Winner: Seal
Breeder: Dr IR Heyns
OUTSTANDING FEMALE STAYER – sponsored by KZN Breeders
Winner: Salutation
Breeder: Summerhill Stud
BROODMARE OF THE YEAR – sponsored by Gold Circle
Winner: Apache Rose
Breeder: Scott Bros
STALLION PROSPECT OF THE YEAR – sponsored by KZN Breeders
Winner: Admire Main
Breeder: Summerhill Stud
STALLION OF THE YEAR – sponsored by Thoroughbred Breeders Association
Winner: Kahal
Breeder: Shadwell Stud (represented by Bush Hill Stud)
LEADING BREEDER OF THE YEAR – sponsored by Almiray Vet Practice
Breeder: Winner: Summerhill Stud
BREEDERS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – sponsored by Summerhill Stud
Breeder: Winner: Pierre Du Toit
SPECIAL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – sponsored by Balmoral Stud
Breeder: Winner: Mr CJ Saunders
INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – sponsored by Thoroughbred Breeders Association
Winner: The Apache
Breeder: Scott Bros
ANITA AKAL INDUSTRY AWARD
Winner: Toni Dolstra
HORSE OF THE YEAR – sponsored by Gold Circle
Winner: Festival Of Fire
Breeder: Mr CJ Saunders & Lady C O’Reilly
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