Zebaldt Ngaruka 

Freedom Fighter, one of Namibia’s most celebrated racehorses, will retire from competitive racing as she is set to become a mother. 

This announcement was made by the horse’s owner, Uaraa Tjiho, during an interview with New Era Sports. 

He emphasised that the Nambred horse has made significant contributions to the sport, and it is now time to welcome new talent to the racetrack.

“Freedom Fighter will not return. Despite ageing, my horse won a lot of accolades, and I am proud of her achievements,” said Tjiho.

The well-known horse from Ovitoto began its racing career when it was between four and five years old, accumulating a total of 12 trophies in its collection.

“I am lucky that I have her offspring as she gave birth to a male foal last year, and is currently pregnant. She will give birth in December,” added the owner.

The Nambred horse will be commemorated for its remarkable performance in long-distance sprints, which revitalised the sport of horse-racing in the nation. It competed alongside other notable seasonal horses such as Professor, General and Von Trotha, all of whom were distinguished performers during their prime.

“It was amazing to see the female horse better known as Merry compete against stallions, and emerge victorious. My horse gave special flavour to the horse-racing in the country and had a support base from all corners of the country,” Tjiho recalled. 

He has been asked about the absence of Freedom Fighter from competition, thus he feels he has a responsibility to the nation and that his new horse, Hotline, will take the place of Freedom Fighter.

“Hotline is a young promising horse, it has Freedom Fighter’s character, and it is doing well in both long and short-distance sprints. With time, I can reap fruits from it as the future looks bright,” he noted. 

Tjiho emphasised that he will continue adding value to the horse-racing sport in the country as he loves horses. 

“When horse-racing was revived, they found me already with horses, and will continue to race despite challenges we face,” he said.

He further said providing sustenance for the horses presents a significant challenge, and demands considerable effort. He noted that the ongoing drought in the country poses a major obstacle. 

Tjiho suggested that increased sponsorship could inject additional funds into the horse racing industry.

“If winning bonuses are increased, we will feed our horses properly and pay our trainers decent prices. We are also creating employment, and the government must provide funds for the Namibia Horse-Racing Association to assist us grow,” he stated. 

Tjiho also recommended fair media coverage of horse-racing events on radio stations the same way it is done for football.

“This will be fair and attract more audience to our competitions. 

Thousands of Kapana vendors benefited by selling at our events, which is very good for community development,” explained the veteran horses guru. – zngaruka@yahoo.com