Leon Govender, who was the KZN Apprentice Champion in the 2002-2003 season, is back in his home province and available to ride having spent most of his years as a qualified jockey riding overseas.

In 2003 Govender, then in his final year at the South African Jockey’s Academy, impressed a visiting Mauritian owner, Dan Soorathan, who was on a visit to South Africa.

He was consequently invited by the Mauritius Turf Club to ride for them as an apprentice for the rest of the season as part of an apprentice exchange program, thus fulfilling a dream, as it had always been a goal of his to ride on the island.

In this first stint in Mauritius Govender rode chiefly for the famous Gujadhur family, who are one of the oldest racing stables in the world.

He also represented South Africa in an international apprentice race, an annual event that takes place during the two day International Jockey’s meeting roundabout the beginning of December every year. He ended his three month stint there with seven winners.

Govender completed his five year apprenticeship in South Africa at the end of 2003. Up until that point he had ridden 67 winners in South Africa and shortly thereafter was invited to ride in Mauritius for a season by the Raj Ramdhin stable.

He rode a few winners during the season and, shortly after returning to South Africa, landed an invite to ride in Kuwait, where he soon became a retained rider for the big stable of Sheik Abraq.

Govender was third in Kuwait’s Jockey’s Championship at the end of last season and during his seven year stint there won many feature races, including the Kings Cup and the Kuwait Derby.

He has also competed against the likes of Frankie Dettori, Christophe Soumillon, Richard Hills, Mick Kinane and the current Mauritian Champion jockey Robbie Burke.

“I was lucky to be kept aboard by my stable when the top international jockeys came over for the big racemeetings,” he said.
Kuwait racing takes place five days a week on various dirt tracks and attracts big crowds despite gambling being illegal.

Various branches of the country’s royal family race against each other, so the crowd get close to royalty and entertainment such as marching bands is provided.

The stakes are “quite good” according to Govender and jockeys get 10% of the winnings, although on occasion they race for cars and the percentage is calculated on the value of the car.

Although racing is still held privately at present, plans are afoot for the formation of a registered jockey club in Kuwait.

“It’s a tough life as it’s a strict Muslim society and you are usually living out of a suitcase,” he said. “You have to get up early in the morning to ride work and then travel to wherever the racemeeting is that day. The competition is tough as you are mainly competing against international jockeys, but the jockeys are well accommodated and well retained and the racing is pressure free as there is no punting.”

Govender also rode in the recent Winter Carnival in Dubai for three meetings, which included turf racing, for Rashid Boursely, where he rode a few places. He has also ridden in Saudi Arabia, which is four hours drive from Kuwait, and where racing is conducted in a similar private style by the royal families.

Govender has been riding work in KZN since his return about a month ago and having ridden some top Champions Season horses in work at Clairwood on Tuesday is raring to get back into racing.

He has been applying for rides from last Friday’s list of nominations, so should be back in action on the racetracks next week.

“I want to try and get more involved in South African racing again,” he said.

“The doors opened for me as the KZN apprentice champion and I took them, but I have been away for seven years, so must now start at the bottom again and will need the support of owners and trainers to get going.

“But if there is one thing I have learnt from my overseas experiences it is that you have to go out there and make things happen for yourself.”