Tight security for Dundee July as 20 000 expected to flock to race track
Accommodation is already fully booked in Dundee and surrounding areas. The demand spills over to surrounding towns of Ladysmith, Vryheid, Newcastle, Utrecht, Dannhauser, Nquthu and even Pietermaritzburg.
It’s all systems go for the Dundee July 2018 with the MEC for Arts Culture Sport and Recreation Bongi Sithole-Moloi declaring that “we are ready for the event on Saturday July 21,” at the official launch of this year’s race event earlier this week.
With at least 20 000 race-goers expected, security has been beefed up to ensure nothing mars the fun event.
Provision has been made to reduce the dust kicked up by racing horses; lighting has been improved and there’s a line-up of popular music artists and DJ’s and home-grown fashion. While people often make jokes about the dust on the race-course incremental improvements will one day eliminate this, she Sithole-Moloi.
The Dundee July, which started as a small rural horseracing event for local breeders, has grown into the second biggest horseracing event in KZN over the past 12 years. It now boasts stake money of over R1 million and attracts breeders from other provinces and Lesotho.
But the event, which is uniquely South African, is more than just about horse racing and fashion, It is about the economic development of the area and the creation of jobs.
Accommodation is already fully booked in Dundee and surrounding areas. The demand spills over to surrounding towns of Ladysmith, Vryheid, Newcastle, Utrecht, Dannhauser, Nquthu and even Pietermaritzburg.
Although new research is probably needed the Dundee July pumps over R15 million in direct spend into the local economy over two days, creates well over 300 temporary jobs, encourages and trains youth to get involved in fashion design and production and encourages youth to take up horse riding and horse care.
Like all race horses, the Dundee horses are kept fit, fed a special diet and have to pass a veterinary test for fitness among other things, overseen by the Coastal Horsecare Unit and private vets, before they will be allowed to compete this weekend
The theme for this year’s Dundee July is Leaving a Legacy and it celebrates the centenaries of Nelson Mandela and Albertina Sisulu.
The fashion design competition is open to all experienced and inexperienced fashion designers from across the province who are being encouraged to interpret this theme and enter. This year the prize money for the winning fashion design is R15 000.
With the promise of galloping horses and glam Sithole-Moloi took time to point out that this event was a rural event; one that was part of the country’s heritage and people should not be dictated to about what they should wear. “If you want to wear traditional clothes, wear them,” she said.
Sponsorship boosts for Dundee July
Bumper Dundee July gears up for prize money valued at R500 000 …
He also assured that the trophies for the main race and the grade 2 international race would remain in KwaZulu-Natal.
He is absolutely confident that KZN will wipe the board. “I am 100% sure we will take positions one to five in the main and the grade 2 international races. We are used to participating in events with Mpumalanga and Lesotho and they do not give us a problem,” he said.
Like all race horses, the Dundee horses are kept fit, fed a special diet and have to pass a veterinary test for fitness among other things, overseen by the Coastal Horsecare Unit and private vets, before they will be allowed to compete this weekend.
“We expect horses like Isgwebo Sentambo, Computer, AK47, Majayvane, Inxakanxaka, Mfulongashi, Isgemegeme and many others to represent our province well again this year,” he said.
