Zebaldt Ngaruka
A rejuvenated horse racing club called Southern Horse Racing (SHR) came with the mission in the Namibia Horse Racing Association (NHRA).
The club is composed of all local horse clubs, towns and settlements in the southern part of the country.
Club chairperson Alberto Poll Mentjies shared with New Era Sports that the Keetmanshoop-based club is here to leave a mark in the NHRA by being one of the strong contenders in racing sport.
SHR currently have 10 imports, better known as thoroughbred, and five locally bred horses.
It registered with NHRA four years ago but didn’t participate in the NHRA events due to some challenges it faced but is now one of the NHRA clubs with many horses.
“After overcoming these challenges, we revived and we started gaining momentum. Now we are part of the big horse racing association,” said Mentjies.
Despite being a new entrant, the club is proud of its horses as they are doing good in all categories.
The club recently participated in top competitions in the country, where it scooped top honours in various categories.
“We took part in various competitions in places like Gobabis, Onderombapa, Rehoboth and Okahandja. That was indeed a good exposure for our club, it was competitive, and we managed to get good places as well,” Mentjies said, adding that he gave opponents a good run for their money.
Asked which specific horses are shining at the moment, he mentioned Royal Stable, which is doing well in the Maiden category and a nambred juvenile horse, Warm Black Night.
“We have another nambred, Fleecy Tibbs, which is a thorn to opponents in Maiden Division, while Grecia is also a big challenger in the Graduation category,” he said.
The chairperson added that another thoroughbred horse named Delboy is doing a fantastic job in the Graduation sprints, while Whisper is making its mark in the import A-Division races.
“We are proud and happy with the atmospheric vibe in the NHRA. Our supporters are behind the club and their support is noticed by many. Our horses showed class and received first places in import maiden, graduation and third place in main races,” said Mentjies.
One of the club’s objectives is to get a good turf, sponsorship or help from NHRA to host a race in Keetmanshoop due to the huge horse racing fan base in the south.
“We have the crowd here, the fans are hungry to experience a race in Keetmanshoop. We have nice stalls here to accommodate a big event. We just need to give some attention to the track,” he said.
On the club’s preparedness for the upcoming MTC Summer Cup slated for Okahandja on 29 November 2025, the chairperson said that all club’s horses are fit and ready to compete.
“We are training very well and all seems to be going superbly according to plan. We will be extremely happy to be in Okahandja for the big event, and we will go there to compete and not just to add numbers,” said Mentjies.
The chairperson has a strong belief that the horses will do well and even win the main race, which is the 2000 metres in the thoroughbred category.
Mentjies is deputised by Johannes Haman as vice chairperson, while Rodward Stephanus is the club’s secretary.
The financial affairs of the club is in the hands of Willem van Wyk as the SHR treasurer. – zngaruka@yahoo.com