HORSE RACE ENLIVENS EASTER HOLIDAYS Esther Mmolai for BOPA Once again, Mascom Wireless, brought excitement to the tourism hub of Maun over the Easter holidays thanks to its annual horse racing event. Held during the Easter Holidays, the popular race, commonly known as The Mascom National Derby dates back to 2006, and is said to be the biggest Easter Holiday sporting event in Botswana, attracting thousands of visitors to Maun. This year the event had attracted participants from places across the border such as Lesotho and Namibia, to clash with local horse riders on the 800m, 1000m, 1200m, 1400m, 1600m and 2400m races. Namibia was represented for the third year in a row, with Lesotho coming in for the first time at this exciting race which had brought together more than 70 Tswana and Thorough horse breeds. The event gave horse lovers from all over the country a rare chance as they had thronged the Shashe Racing Track to watch live horse racing. The event was fun-filled with musical entertainment and draws for various prizes. Meanwhile, the Namibian horses dominated the event as most horse riders got positions one and two. Lesotho, which had brought two horses, namely; Catch that Clutch and Island Fire, also managed to scope positions one and two in the 1600 and 1200 metre races, while the local horse riders came in third and fourth in most races. Namibia emerged the overall winner, followed by Lesotho and in an interview, the Namibian chief horse racing officer, Mpho Shobo excitedly commended Mascom for a job well done. “Namibians excelled because they had brought top breed and I call on the organisers to further improve the event in terms of infrastructure,” he pointed out, adding: “When we arrive we want to find some kraals and water for our horses, as well as rooms for rent. Our government is more supportive because it assists with transport and other logistics; hence we want the event to be of high standard.” He said it was their wish that the derby became the largest event in Southern Africa. However, the founder of the event, who is also the chief organiser, Charlie Mabua, said the event was a thriller and that it had been growing ever since inception and the number of participating horses was enough evidence. He said the event was founded in 2004 and Mascom showed interest in 2006 and volunteered to sponsor the vent on an annual basis. He said this year the event had attracted some officials from the Durban July event who showed interest in partnering with them. “Durban July is the biggest horse race in the world and partnering with them will be a milestone as it will attracts tourists from all over and this in turn is good for the country’s economy as it promotes tourism,” he added. Mabua said they were intending to start dog race next year, adding that they had realised that there was a lot of talent in the dusty area of Ngamiland; hence the need to explore and nurture it. He said the race was not only meant for fun but it also gave small business owners a chance to set up exhibition and food stalls for sale. Briefing the media prior to the event, Mascom chief communication officer Tebogo Sebego said The Mascom National Derby was initially held in Gaborone until finally relocating to Botswana’s cosmopolitan tourism capital of Maun. “Maun is the perfect host for the Mascom National Derby because horses are part of nature in this area reputed to be Botswana’s hard living ‘Wild West Town’,” he said. Sebego said the event, which brings new and exciting avenues of entertainment to the tourism destination and surrounding areas, also gives Batswana horse owners and jockeys the opportunity to develop the standards of horse racing by competing against one another.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Apr 2014 08:53:18 +0000
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