Kyalami Park to showcase equestrian excellence at annual Easter Festival
The ten-day event concludes with the final of competitions across four categories such as dressage, equitation, showing and show Jumping.
Show jumper, Nicole Horwood, in action. Picture: Supplied.
JOHANNESBURG - The annual Toyota Easter Festival is back as Kyalami Park Equestrian plays host to the event that will bring together the love of cars and the admiration of horses.
The ten-day event concludes with the final of competitions across four categories such as dressage, equitation, showing and show jumping.
The tournament is considered to be South Africa’s premier equestrian event while Kyalami Park Club also uses it to give back. This is done through a development programme that offers assistance to talented riders from disadvantaged backgrounds who would not be able to further their careers in the sport.
Speaking to Eyewitness News, Heather Mpofu, who is Kyalami Park Club event director, says the festival aims to combine the finest horsemanship with quality and keen horses.
"We are talking Toyota cars, interacting with the actual horsepower, which is horses,” Mpofu said on what people can expect when it comes to the festival.
"It’s a family setting where you can bring your children, and you will find everything. You will find a play area for your kids to go into if you need a five-minute break from them. There are bars for dads to sit and there will be HD TV screens for them to watch other sports as well.
"There is also a market. We also have the horses, we have cars that are on display. We will have the Toyota dealership at the festival, showcasing the different kinds of cars. There is quite a lot and over and above that, there are different competitions involving horses."
The continued staging of the festival is a personal triumph for Mpofu, who has risen in the ranks of administration in the equestrian world.
"It was basically me looking for a job and winding up being a receptionist at Old Gauteng Horse Society," she revealed about how she started in the business.
"Then one Easter Festival, I think it was 2015, we lost our secretary during the show, she quit, so we ended up with nobody. And I thought ‘I have the guts to do this. Let me try my hand at it’ and I did. It was a difficult job because I knew nothing, absolutely nothing about the technicalities of the sport and all that. From then on, I was enrolled in training programmes which saw me direct smaller shows and running them. In 2017, I again became show director for the Easter Festival and from then on, that has been my role."
The seasoned Anne-Marie Esslinger, who competes in the 1.50m competitions, has once again signed up for the festival.
It will also feature the African continent’s best, including all previous champions from the last five years, who are set to defend their titles.
As for Mpofu, she has discussed what lessons she’s learnt since becoming show director.
"As all women in corporate and sport will tell you, as a woman you have to fight for your day and you have to fight to be heard and to be seen. You have to make your mark and once you do, people will stop and listen."