4-time winner Horwood evokes philosophy of Wabi-Sabi as she says SA Derby is still beautiful despite Covid scars
Fence 3 at the Tokyo Olympics showjumping competition was called Kintsugi, “the golden splice”, celebrating the beauty of the scars of life or the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-Sabi.
Below the two poles were placed fractured ceramic discs and Kintsugi is a centuries-old technique in which these cracks are filled with an enamel sprinkled with gold, silver or platinum, turning the ‘scars’ into something beautiful. It is meant to evoke how imperfection can still be beautiful and valuable.
For leading South African showjumper Nicole Horwood, the United Aviation Group South African Derby that ends at the Kyalami Equestrian Park on Sunday has not been as perfect as the unmatched four previous editions she has won due to the Covid restrictions, but it is still nevertheless beautiful.
“It’s one of the events that every young rider aspires to win, and it always used to be a big social event too, it had plenty of appeal for the public. Winning it gave you the most exposure and it’s one of the titles I most cherish,” Horwood told Saturday Citizen.
“It’s usually quite a spectacle, but with limited tickets and no big crowd, it’s not quite the same. Normally there’s an electric atmosphere and the crowd carries you over the fences, they seem to ride every jump with you.
“But the United Aviation Group have put so much into the Derby, getting it live on SuperSport, so in terms of public exposure it’s probably the biggest and best ever, and UAG have had a lot to do with that.”
Three of Horwood’s four SA Derby titles came in consecutive years – 2012-2014 – joining the legendary Mickey Louw as the only other rider to pull off a hat-trick of titles in one of South Africa’s showjumping Majors. Horwood won the Triple Crown of the Derby, SA Championships and SA Outdoor Grand Prix in 2013.
The real estate agent’s steady flow of titles mostly came aboard Capital Don Cumarco, considered one of the great horses in South African showjumping history, but the famous stallion retired a year ago. Horwood is riding United Aviation Group Capital Hitoshi and United Aviation Group Capital Kronos this weekend at Kyalami and, while they are inexperienced and have just put one figurative foot in the water compared to Don Cumarco wading through the rivers of success, she has great expectations for both rides.
“I have very high hopes for some of the young horses I’m riding now. Showjumping is about constantly developing horses, and in a few more years I’ll be grooming ones to take their places. That’s my motivation to keep competing, to bring good young horses up to that level.
“Capital Don Cumarco and myself were like a team though, we really understood each other, we had a great bond. He was a legend who put me on the map, I rode him from when he was five to 18 years old, it was like he was living my life with me, and he is the only horse to win the Derby four times. Now he is enjoying the sun at Summerhill Stud,” Horwood said.
The 48-year-old Horwood says enjoying developing a relationship with your horse is a critical part of showjumping success because it is not all sunshine and roses.
“I had nothing but a pony growing up and I don’t own any horses, they are all sponsored. But to succeed you have to work hard and show your talent through your work ethic and motivation. You need to learn from your mistakes, take your ego out of it.
“You have to be passionate about it because it is a lot of work, but the journey is worth it. It takes a bit of talent too, you need skills and horsemanship and a bond with your horse,” Horwood said.
While her rides are officially just rentals, the one permanent feature in Horwood’s career has been her coach – the legendary Gonda Betrix, whose immense career saw her win 10 Majors and represent South Africa at the 1992 Olympics.
“Growing up in Durban, I only rode recreationally on a horse my Dad bought off the track at Kings Park Stables. I only started competing when I came to Joburg when I was 18 years old. All those years I have spent with Gonda and 30 years later she is still my coach. She taught me everything – the basics and especially work ethic,” Horwood said.