The English Thoroughbred in South Africa

Bred predominantly for racing, these horses can also be profitably integrated into other farming systems

- By Dr Mac

There are several hundred Thoroughbred breeding studs in South Africa and many are integrated into existing crop production systems.

The first horse races probably featured crossbred Cape horses. Later, Lord Charles Somerset was the first to organise Thoroughbred races in 1814, after he imported a large number of English Thoroughbred stallions into the Cape Winelands area, which was free of African horse sickness.

Thoroughbreds also flourished in the Cape highlands and parts of Natal because of the green pastures and warm weather. It was mentioned that there were few midges to carry the horse sickness virus along the coast.

Today, we have a vaccine to protect broodmares and stallions against African horse sickness, and it appears that Thoroughbred horses bred in South Africa have developed a partial resistance.

Every year, the Durban July illustrates how popular horse racing remains, centuries after it was first recognised as a sport.

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