Premier Sondella Horseback Archery Tournament 2019: A Historic Event
The Premier Sondella Horseback Archery Tournament, held on June 1st and 2nd, 2019, was the first-ever Horseback Archery competition hosted by the club. To make it truly special, we integrated it into the Endurance Festival at Sondella Nature Reserve & Spa, near Bela Bela—a prestigious FEI 3-star event. This meant the archery competition had to meet world-class FEI standards.
With the vast space of the reserve, we built a world-class archery track, featuring a long start and stop zone to enhance performance. The tournament introduced a unique format, blending five distinct Horseback Archery styles:
- Hungarian (6 runs)
- Korean 3 (2 runs)
- Kazakh (2 runs)
- Serial Qabac (2 runs)
- Korean 5 (2 runs)
Each rider had only two warm-up runs and completed 16 total runs, pushing their mental stamina to the limit. Unlike traditional formats, unused targets remained in place, requiring competitors to focus on their designated shooting style for each round.
A Legacy Trophy for the Champion
The overall champion of the event was Jacques Horn, earning the honor of receiving the Nick du Toit Floating Trophy. Originally the Radloff Floating Trophy, awarded to Nick du Toit in 1973 for winning a tennis tournament, it was revived and repurposed 46 years later for this prestigious Horseback Archery event.
The trophy’s base was handcrafted from wild olive wood from Nick’s retirement farm, while the re-plated cup was adorned with a Centaur-Pegasus cross, symbolizing the harmony between horse and archer. In a special moment, Nick du Toit himself, now nearly 80 years old, presented the trophy to the tournament’s top competitor.
The Premier Sondella Horseback Archery Tournament was more than just a competition—it was a landmark event, setting a new standard for the sport in South Africa.
