National Yearling Sales 2011

RIVERSIDE THOROUGHBRED CO-OPERATIVE

The biggest success of the Thoroughbred Industry Transformation Programme was achieved by Riverside Thoroughbred Co-operative!

Beating all expectation the Riverside Grooms Cooperative sold a Silvano colt, Lot 304, for R1.4m at the National Yearling Sales. One of only 16 lots to make 7 figures at this flagship sale.

The Chairman of the Riverside Co-op, Mr. A. Carelse from Riverton Stud, says that he has been involved with horses for 28 years and knows that this doesn't happen every year. The family (Trinity House, Never Forever and Allocation) came to light in a big way at the right time. They are delighted and thank Klawervlei for selling them the colt as a weanling and buyer, Mike De Kock!

In keeping with the policy to build a viable business, Riverside Co-op has subsequently purchased their first mare from Klawervlei Stud. This Victory Moon out of Shadow Dancing mare has now produced their first foal, an Albert Hall filly.

Riverside has also purchased another Silvano colt by the Russian Fox mare, Dacha and a Casey Tibbs yearling who is a half-brother to English Garden.

THOROUGHBRED INDUSTRY TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME

In 2010 a Grooms Co-operative Scheme was developed in South Africa by Adrian Todd in conjunction with the Cape Breeders Club, Western Cape Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The co-op scheme is tied into the training, in that only grooms that have been involved in the training programmes are currently eligible for the co-op scheme. In its first year there were a total of five co-operatives formed in the Western Cape and 5 in the rest of the country. Adrian Todd is currently in the process of organising another 20 groom's co-operatives.

Riverton Stud is proud that 3 of our grooms have received training and are members of one of the most successful co-operatives, Riverside Thoroughbred Co-operative. In 2011 a further 3 grooms from Riverton have also become members of a new groom's co-operative.

The training is an on-going process. There are only seven grooms per co-op. The numbers need to be kept at this level so that the scheme has financial impact for the grooms. This will give the grooms a direct stake in the industry without the need to invest in the huge infrastructure capital outlay required.

On behalf of the grooms and the thoroughbred industry we would like to extend a special thank you to Adrian Todd for realising his vision and to Donald Mabusela and Thami Klaasen from the DTI and to Minister Gerrit Van Rensburg MEC Agriculture.

Learn more about this Thoroughbred Transformation Programme.