WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES
2010

The South African Eventing team depart for Kentucky in 12 days time.

Reporting on their progress from their training camp in St Jean, on the west coast of France, Paul Hart tells us that they are well on track and he believes that the horses are going to peak at the right time!

Paul says that St Jean is beautiful and they are doing a lot of beach riding for fitness, which started in earnest last Saturday. The going is great and not too soft.

They are training towards their optimum time for WEG which is 12 minutes at 570m/minute. The WEG track is 7km long and they are incorporating a lot of interval training to ensure peak fitness over the cross country course.

Their morning training continued yesterday and Paul had the following to say :

"We went to the beach to do fitness training yesterday again. We got there at seven am to perfect conditions.

We started with 20 minutes trotting and then seven minutes canter at 500m/minute followed by a two minute walk and back to canter for another seven minutes and then another two minute walk followed by a 10 minute trot on the beach and a minute walk in the sea for their legs.

Harry loves the sea and every time he thinks I won't notice he tries to roll in the water! In the afternoon we lunged for twenty minutes and then hand walked them for 30 minutes.

We are also cycling about 25km a day so we can stay fit!"

It sounds like our team are well on track to do us proud and we wish them the best of everything as they get closer to their goal.

The World Equestrian Games start on 25^th September in Lexington, Kentucky. Will you be there?

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The BMW International Polo Series 2010

The South African men's polo team clinched a series victory over Chile at Inanda Club on Sunday.

Having only just won the previous match, 9-7, held at Shongweni the weekend before, the team made up of Selby Williamson, Bradley MacGibbon, Russell Watson and Gillespie Armstrong had another tough contest against the youthful visitors.

In a tightly fought game, witnessed by a capacity crowd at Inanda, the Chileans held the upper-hand for five of the six chukkas. The score remained 0-all until the third chukka when they were quick to put two goals on the board.

The South African's fought back tenaciously and the game proved to be a superb and exciting spectacle of polo.

Three quick goals by the South Africans in the final five minutes of the game secured the second match and the series for the local team.

The Chilean team were gracious guests and it was a pleasure to host them in South Africa.

To the SA Green and Gold team, congratulations from the Vuma Green and Gold team!

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Vodacom Durban July Day
2010

As we've always said, when the chips are down and the big questions are being asked, Vuma won't let you down. Just ask the Champion Breeders, who took home the spoils for the sixth consecutive year, the same weekend.

SALUKI (GB) - Schweppes 2200
HAPPY ARCHER (AUS) - Durban Thekwini Stakes
GOLD ONYX (NZ) - Premier's Champion Stakes

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Vodacom Durban July
31 July 2010

July Day 2010 was undoubtedly the pinnacle of an incredible season for Champion trainer Mike de Kockand we salute him and his team on this fifth trainer's title.

Hot on his heels though, is hot-shot trainer Sean Tarry with a total of 137 winners and R13,907 million in stakes. He finished his season in top style on July day with back to back Grade 1 wins in the Thekwini stakes, with diminutive filly Happy Archer and the Premier's Champion Stakes with the imported Black Minnaloushe colt, Gold Onyx.

Sean is a dedicated and talented trainer and will not be resting on these laurels for very long as the new season gets underway. You can be sure that Vuma will be there supporting him and the team at every finish!

Also on July day, trainer Michael de Beer celebrated a Grade 3 win with Saluki in the Schweppes 2200and Glen Kotzen's Imperious Star ran second in the Grade 1 Garden Province Stakes.

Congratulations to all the connections from the Vuma team - we love to feed your champions!

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WEG 2010 : It's Nearly here!

There are a mere 57 days until the start of the Altech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010, in Lexington, Kentucky.

For Vuma Champions Paul Hart and Heartbreak Hill, what seemed like a far off dream has suddenly become an immediate reality, writes Suzanne Boswell of SCB PR & Communications.

Harry is doing well and is fit and ready to compete in their last preparation event which is Martinvast (Normandy) from the 19th to the 22nd of August.

Paul is busy with all his preparations as he leaves for France next week Thursday to train and prepare and will only be returning to South Africa post WEG. He is feeling very optimistic about the event. All preparations are going well.

"It all seems to have come so fast - it seems like the horses were in quarantine the other day and now there are only 57 days left.  In some ways I don't want this to end as it has been such an amazing experience and I have been overwhelmed by everybody's kindness and generosity. I am sure that Harry and I will do you all proud"

I would also like to say a big thank you to all my sponsors big and small as it is through your commitment that this dream has become a reality." concludes Paul.

Suzanne will keep us abreast of things as they happen and from the Vuma team we wish all the South African riders and supporters a superb Kentucky experience – Hambani Kahle!

You can also follow Paul's progress on Facebook.

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"South Africa's trailblazer in Horse Nutrition"

On a daily basis Summerhill Stud is receiving now, enquiries from around the world, prompted no doubt by the stream of pamphlets, brochures etc which fill your mailboxes with stallion propaganda at this time of year, as to when the Summerhill Sires Brochure will be on the street. It seems it has become coffee table material and archive stuff for many, but as always, it will be out at the beginning of August, and those attending the Summmerhill Stallion Day will be the first recipients.

Following is an insert from the brochure; a piece on Vuma Horsefeeds :

"When we first invested in the horsefeeds business twenty years ago, we made a solemn promise. For as long as it was within our means, our horses would be the best fed in the world.

That we've been true to that promise is plain from the record. A small country mill, hundreds of kilometres from racing’s action, has sustained the yards of seven of the last ten Champion Trainers. In a lifetime, you’d have to say you’d settle for that, but that’s only half the story.

Feeding racehorses is a process. At Vuma it starts long before the foal is born; in its perfect manifestation, it should go on to the grave. Any horse that's known the taste of Vuma, would feel deprived by anything less.

Ask the Champion Breeders. The lads in Mooi River will tell you that Vuma has been central to their six consecutive Equus Awards as the nations' Number One stud farm. The statistics tell us that their horses are healthier, that they run more often, for longer, and that when it comes to big race victories, there are no equals.

Our toughest competition will tell you that Vuma has been South Africa’s trailblazer in horse nutrition. That the loyalties it inspires are unbendable. And that as a brand, it is the envy of the industry.

Another promise we made, was that we would never entrust Vuma’s manufature to anyone else. Unless they make it better than us. That the custodianship of the brand would never be placed in the hands of anyone who did not share our values.

Technology has moved on since we made our first bag of Vuma in a concrete mixer in 1990. Our competitors have worked tirelessly in closing the gap. In the end, in the best interests of the best range of horsefeeds in the world, we’ve handed the torch to the people who’ve earned it. Who’ve worked hardest to compete, and who’ve made the investment to take Vuma to where it’s never been before.

And rest assured : they’ve made the same promises."

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Summerhill Stud, Giant's Castle, South Africa

Summerhill Stud is the birth-place of Vuma horse feeds.

Started as an integral part of the stud operation, Vuma looked to all corners to produce a natural feed that was good for the horse and contained the most superior ingredients to provide a nutrient dense product.

Hand in hand with this was a return to natural farming methods, caring for the environment, allowing the land to re-balance itself and restoring the original integrity of the soil.

This same natural philosophy that Vuma started with is still the philosophy of care and concern that continues to drive the way we manufacture our horse feed.

We use only the very best ingredients, sourced from organic producers where possible, providing a nutrient dense complete ration for each individual horse.

And this is why Vuma has played such an integral role in the success of Summerhill, by providing the 600-odd horses on the farm, from stallions to the youngest foals, with the foundation from which to develop their full potential.

Right now the results of this are evident in the numbers denoting the leading breeders.

Summerhill is looking at a sixth consecutive Champion Breeders title and we are still three weeks from the end of the season.

Vuma will be there – every step of the way to the culmination of another successful day of Vuma fed horses at the Vodacom Durban July.

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"More Champions... More Legends"

I read this article a while back, written by Mandy Haskin, daughter of renowned turf writer Steve Haskin :

Click here to read "All The Pretty Horses" by Mandy Haskin...

Her words strike a chord with all of us who have horses in the blood and it made me think of my earliest memories of reading form with my grandfather (much to my mother’s horror), listening to the results on the "wireless", the absolute need to be immersed in horses as much as possible and in more recent years the incredible horses that I have been lucky enough to see and be involved with.

On two previous trips to Kentucky we saw the likes of AP Indy, Danzig, Unbridled and Storm Cat to name just a few. We also saw Horse Chestnut twice and I have been lucky enough to visit him twice again since he has been back in South Africa, at his new home at Drakenstein Stud.

Sadly, we only got to see the graves of the great Nijinsky, Secretariat and Mr Prospector and yet these legends live on in the stories of their triumphs and the people who were privileged enough to be involved with them.

One just has to read the biography of Vincent O’Brien to be awestruck by the icons that he trained and one can only imagine how Aidan O’Brien’s story will read, particularly after his fifth consecutive win in the Irish Derby.

Our own Champion Trainer, Mike de Kock, wrote a book on Horse Chestnut and at the rate he is going, he will need many more pages to recount the successes and experiences of the other great horses that he has had in his care.

Even our current Summerhill and Vuma heroes from the stalwarts, Kahal and Muhtafal, to the young guns in AP Arrow (son of the great AP Indy), Mullins Bay, Solskjaer and Way West, leave their mark on all those that see them and work with them.

Near the stallion barn is the cemetery where among the greats, lies the hero of Summerhill, Northern Guest, revered in an extract from the soon to be released Summerhill Sires brochure :

"Not long ago, when the farm’s most famous resident, Northern Guest, made his daily way to his paddock, the management gathered on the verandah to pay their respects. He’d paid for most of what you saw around you.

Towards the end, the old horse with his arthritic gait, would announce his presence with a reassuring neigh. He was not about to play the invalid. Like every great stallion, he didn’t look at you, but over and beyond, across the fields of dreams."

Yet, here I speak only of famous Legends when every horse that we are each lucky enough to be involved with has its own special place and leaves its own mark on your soul.

Among my Legends is a horse that came off the track having injured a suspensory tendon. After 14 months off he came back to us, only to get horse sickness shortly afterwards. He collapsed and his condition was so severe that the vet at the time wanted to put him down. After persisting for another day and many hours of close care, he had improved enough that while still lying down he was picking at the grass and eating carrots. To say that he is a character would be an understatement! Eight years later he is still one of my best horses and he is my Legend.

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HE'S NO "ONE TRICK PONY" THIS FELLOW

Last week, Glen Kotzen made the headlines with yet another Group One winner. Imperious Star added to a growing list of Kotzen-trained fillies to make the Holy Grail of racing.

This week, against the odds, he prevailed again. This time with the man Mattafix made famous, in theRising Sun Gold Challenge (Gr1).

Anyone at Clairwood will tell you it was a hell of a race. The only horse with any chance of catching the pacemaker was Big City Life. He had the punch, and he had the reserves.

As we've said before, when the chips are down, Vuma will be there.

We'll not let you down.

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BACK ON TRACK

There were some stirring performances at Scottsville's "Festival of Speed" on Saturday.
Even a few surprises.

What wasn't surprising though, was the outcome of the Group Ones. Not to us, at any rate.
And not to those whose horses know the taste of Africa's finest horsefeed.

As we've so often said, when the chips are down and the questions are being asked,
Vuma won't let you down.

Just ask Sean Tarry, Dennis Drier and Lucky Houdalakis.

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SITUATION UPDATE

Following our notice last week regarding our restructure at Vuma, the response from the market has been overwhelming : messages of sympathy, encouragement and positivity have flowed, and we appreciate all your support and well-wishes.

The good news is that we have been approached by no fewer than 5 organisations (including an international company), and believe we will find a custodian worthy of the Vuma brand, and your valued custom.
 
We are hopeful that the supply of Vuma will not be interrupted, but your contact team for orders and queries may change.

As soon as we have reached finality, we will send you all the details and we are very pleased that the inconvenience to you and the effect on your horses will be minimal.
 
Once again, the current Vuma team thank you for your loyalty and constant support.

VUMA HORSEFEEDS
PO Box 430 Mooi River 3300 KwaZulu-Natal South Africa
Website : www.vumafeed.co.za  Email: info@vumafeed.co.za

I have had to share tough news in my time, but nothing as tough as this. We started making Vuma Horsefeeds 20 years ago, and in that time, even our competitors will concede, we changed the nutritional landscape.

In the past ten seasons, the Champion trainer has been on our books seven times, the Champion Breeders five times, and we’ve fed any number of sport horse champions. On the way, we’ve employed more than 50 people, and we’ve sustained many families. That makes this note all the more painful.

We returned from the National Sales to the news that we’d been the victims of a massive fraud in the procurement of ingredients, and on the farm there’d also been large scale theft of product. For some time, we’ve feared that the eye has been off the nutritional ball. This explains things.

CHAMPION'S DAY
TURFFONTEIN, 1 MAY 2010

Despite the grey skies and soggy conditions that Johannesburg has been experiencing, Saturday’s Champions Day still brought us some sunshine!

Vuma was delighted and proud to shout home Sean Tarry’s Regal Ransom in the Grade 1 Champions Challenge as well as Captain’s Gal in the Camellia Stakes.

Earlier that day the Fillies Nursery Stakes was won by Louis Goosen with a daughter of resident Summerhill sire Way West, Waywest Goddess.

To end the graded races on a Vuma and Summerhill note, the Dominic Zaki-trained Winning Leap (Labeeb x Summersault) showed his stamina by winning the 3200m Gold Bowl.

Congratulations are also due to Mike de Kock who celebrated his 2000th career win by winning the SA Derby with Irish Flame.

SEAN TARRY
"THIS MAN KNOW HIS HORSES"

It wasn’t necessary to display the photo of this fellow. He’s known across the country, and in the past few months, we’ve all got to know him a whole lot better.

Turn on Channel 232, and invariably, there he is. But nobody gets there if he’s not inherently talented. If he’s not singularly dedicated, and if he doesn’t know his horses.

This man, as much as any man, knows his horses. And he knows what’s 
good for them.

At the ‘Big T’ on Saturday, we’ll be there, again, especially at the 400. When the sticks come out and they’re calling for the reserves, Vuma’s legendary ‘turbo-booster’ will be firing up.

"GREAT EXPECTATIONS"

The title of a Classic book but the feeling that the Vuma and Summerhill teams have as the National Yearling Sales get underway.

The Summerhill draft of yearlings has settled in to the TBA complex at Germiston and are strutting their stuff as they get viewed by prospective buyers.

These  are proud and anxious moments for us knowing that they are on the brink of their racing careers and willing them to be successful in every way.

Apart from their impeccable handling and rearing, from a Vuma perspective we know that they have had the best foundations possible. The nutrient dense Vuma Vigour will have ensured that from conception to weaning they have received the best nutrients from their mothers and once weaned, they have had the best possible foundations for optimal growth and development.