Soweto Equestrian Centre - Enos Mafokate

Enos Mafokate – South Africa’s Equestrian Pioneer

Soweto is not a place one normally associates with horse riding, or any equine activities, in Johannesburg, but South Africa's most successful black rider, Enos Mafokate, started the Soweto Equestrian Centre in 2007.

Enos is an accomplished horseman who has ridden all over the world, and his philanthropy is world renowned. The children who he teaches Vaulting to, have won both provincial and national championships, as well as competed at the World Equestrian Games.

LIST OF ACHIEVEMENTS OF ENOS MAFOKATE:

1976 – Placed 2nd in the Rothman’s Show Jumping Derby

1977 – The first black member of the Transvaal Horse Society

1977 & 1978 – Won the Championship Class at the Constantia Show Grounds in Cape Town

1978 – Became the first black rider in 127 years, to compete at the Royal Agricultural Show in Pietermaritzburg, where he was Reserve Champion in the King George’s Championship

1980 – He was the first black rider to compete overseas, and the first South African to compete overseas for more than 20 years, when he went to the UK to compete in the Royal International Horse Show at Wembley

1992 – Attended the Barcelona Olympic Games as part of a development team, as a Sports Ambassador to South Africa

1997 – Completed a Sports Management course in Belgium

2007 – Founded the current Soweto Equestrian Centre in Rockville, Soweto.

2008 – Awarded he Sports Volunteer of the Year, at the SA Sports Awards

2010 – Accompanied one of his Vaulting pupils, Khensani Maluleke, to Kentucky in the USA, where he competed at the FEI World Equestrian Games

2014 – Accompanied two more of his Vaulting pupils, Karabo Mafokate and Bongani Mvumvu, to the FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France.

2015 – He was awarded the Steve Tshwete Lifetime Achievement Award.