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Horseytalk.net Special Interview
Enos Mafokate
South Africa’s first black international riding champion tells of his dream for his pupils to compete in equestrian Olympics
"I have a dream that one day a black child will compete for South
Africa in the Olympics," said Enos Mafokate, founder of the Soweto
Equestrian Foundation, who has just made his first trip to London to
speak at World Horse Welfare's annual conference about the immense
opportunity equestrian sport can provide for young people.
Enos and many audience members were visibly moved by the presentation, in which he spoke frankly of his experiences as an aspiring equestrian competitor - an unheard of ambition in South Africa during apartheid - and his goal of developing the next Olympic hopefuls through his Soweto Equestrian Centre.
The conference, held at the Royal Geographical Society attracted a record attendance and brought together the greats of horse sport to debate horse welfare in the 2012 Olympics and beyond.
Enos gave his talk, entitled ‘Olympic Aspirations', to a prestigious audience including World Horse Welfare's president HRH The Princess Royal, Minister for Sport and the Olympics Hugh Robertson MP, Andrew Parker Bowles OBE, Pippa Funnell MBE and Sir Mark Prescott Bt.
Enos' story is particularly inspirational.
He was born in 1946 in a Johannesburg township. Discovering his passion for horses in the late 1950s, Enos overcame racial barriers in equestrian sport and competed in show jumping in 1962. Recognised by David Broome for his natural horse riding abilities in 1980, Enos went on to complete at the Royal International Horse Show at Wembley as the first black rider to represent South Africa in Europe.
In 1992, he attended the Olympic Games as part of a development team in Barcelona, Spain. Although Enos captained the winning South African team at the All Nations Cup in Swaziland, he always remained true to his heart and at the peak of his international career in 1990, began giving free riding lessons to children from his local community.
Advancing his own equine knowledge, Enos completed World Horse Welfare's farriery training course in Cape Town, where he gained professional shoeing skills and continued to work as a competent farrier.
In 2007, and in partnership with Johannesburg City Council and World Horse Welfare, Enos founded a not-for-profit organisation, The Soweto Equestrian Foundation (SEF), in the heart of Soweto. The SEF is now an affiliate of World Horse Welfare, which has supported various aspects of its development including helping to fund the construction of the further stabling and student accommodation. Having built excellent training facilities within the equestrian centre, Enos has truly been able to encourage participation in equestrian sport and promote the welfare of working horses through hosting World Horse Welfare's farriery and harness-making courses.
The Soweto Equestrian Foundation aims to open the elite world of equestrian sports to people who would never otherwise have the chance.
Over 700 children from the local community, care homes and orphanages have been introduced to horses and horse riding at centre. Every week disabled children from Adelaide Tambo School in Soweto, enjoy the benefits of riding a horse - which acts as occupational and physiotherapy and increases their confidence.
Enos also encourages children with the desire to reach the top level of equestrian sport to compete at national and international levels. So much so that in 2010, the SEF Vaulting Team won a number of classes at the South African Vaulting Championships, with one of the team members subsequently being selected to represent South Africa at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.
Enos closed his account by saying: "I have a dream that one day a black child will compete for South Africa in the Olympics."
The week of the conference has also seen Enos spend time at World Horse Welfare's Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Norfolk, as well as being given a tour of Household Cavalry Regimental Barracks in Knightsbridge, London where he met World Horse Welfare Digger, who was rehomed from the charity by the regiment as a potential drum horse.
World Horse Welfare chief executive Roly Owers said:
"World
Horse Welfare is so proud to be working with Enos and the Soweto
Equestrian Foundation to improve the lives of working horses and
raise the profile of horses in the country. It has been a delight
to host him this week on his visit to London. We were all deeply
inspired at the conference by Enos' passion and commitment to realising
his dream, and were delighted that we were able to help him share
this dream with others.
"At World Horse Welfare we are concerned with the wellbeing of all horses, from the highest level Olympic eventing horse to the working horses that toil day by day in the developing world, in places such as Soweto. Enos' story shows the connection between these two horse worlds, and the opportunity that equestrianism can provide for young people.
Enos' dream is centred on giving people who might otherwise not have been able to the chance to experience all the benefits that equestrianism can bring, reconnecting people to the horse and opening up equestrian sport to all.
The Olympics are a huge opportunity for getting people from all walks of life to engage with horses and we see this as a vital part of the Olympics' on-going legacy for horse welfare."
World Horse Welfare Trustee Pippa Funnell who attended the
conference said:
"I thought Enos' presentation was
one of the most moving and inspirational that I had ever heard. The
world of equestrian sport needs more people like Enos who persevere
through adversity and still find time to bring the sport to the younger
generation. I am proud that World Horse Welfare has helped him establish
the Soweto Equestrian Centre."
Captain Mark Avison of The Household Cavalry Mounted
Regiment said:
"It was a pleasure meeting Enos and showing him
around the Knightsbridge Barracks. He has a deep respect for the
Royal Family and for the equestrian traditions of Britain. He was
pleased to meet another member of the World Horse Welfare family:
Digger, a 19 hh Clydesdale we rehomed through World Horse Welfare
and we hope will become an impressive drum horse."