Thoroughbred Groom's Co-operatives

As a true champion Vercingetorix was not only a wonderful ambassador for South Africa, but his amazing story captured the hearts and minds of the racing public  and the humble grooms who pin-hooked him were interviewed by Paris Turf and the New York Times.

A sustainable business model

In keeping with the transformation policy to build a viable business, Riverside Co-op subsequently purchased their first mare from Klawervlei Stud. This Victory Moon out of Shadow Dancing mare produced their first foal in 2011. They have also successfully pin-hooked a few other weanlings for resale and purchased a share in the stallion GimmeTheGreenLight which they subsequent sold in 2017 for a handsome profit. It was with great excitement that their mare Victory Dance produced a colt by Vercingetorix in 2016!

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 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. Since then another 20 groom’s co-operatives have been established with more in the pipe-line.

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. Horsemen like John Kramer have assisted with pin-hooking weanlings, breeders have offered to sell their weanlings and some breeders have boarded weanlings at cost. The list of people in the industry who have all played a role are too numerous to mention. Suffice to say that the will of the thoroughbred industry is behind this initiative to succeed.

Riverton Stud is proud of our 3 grooms who received training and became members of one of the most successful co-operatives, Riverside Thoroughbred Grooms Co-operative. To promote the scheme at national level the Thoroughbred Breeding Association in conjunction with BSA have taken over the running of the programme and a further 3 grooms from Riverton have now received Eqasa module 1, 2 & 3 training at Elsenburg and also become members of a new groom’s co-operative, Rivervlei. We wish them every success with their business endeavours.