One winner at the much-anticipated Berlin November will go to the event on a horse and come home driving a brand new bakkie.
Berlin November founder Luthando Bara made the announcement at Buffalo Toyota in Beacon Bay on Tuesday.
Adding extra incentive and excitement to this weekend’s race is now a Toyota Hilux single cab bakkie worth a quarter of a million rands as the prize for the new main category called umhambo.
This has raised the total prize pool for the event to over a R1m as the cash prizes on offer stand at R750,000.
“Since the beginning Toyota has become part of this event’s architecture and feel.
“Your support has contributed immensely to our growth and stature, and for that we are ever grateful,” said Bara at the briefing.
“This is now a signature event that provides socioeconomic benefits to horse breeders, owners, jockeys and trainers who directly benefit from the total prize money of R750,000.
“Our two main races pay an amount of R100,000 each for both the thoroughbreds and traditional/crossbred sprinters.
“This means that the most traditional race, umhambo, has been left without the main R100,000 prize.”
The bakkie will go to the horse owner/breeder.
“The reality is we look at the horse and the assumption is that the breeder will have made investments in appointing and training the jockey, training the horse, breeding the horse and transporting the horse to participate, so he must get the prize,” said Bara.
The umhambo race will now become a regular feature as a main event going forward.
However, the annual prize for that race will be discussed again before next year’s event, as the Toyota bakkie is just for this year’s fifth anniversary.
“The reason we chose the umhambo race for this prize, and not the thoroughbreds, although one would have thought that because they are the most exciting they should get it the reality is that people are buying retired horses from well-established stables, so it doesn't reflect the spirit of the event.
“The Toyota must go to someone who has spent time breeding and developing a particular horse so that it can come and compete.
“So for that reason we felt ‘let us limit that prize to this particular race’.”
In total, this year will see three main races.
In two, R100,000 in prize money will be won while the umhambo race will have the Toyota bakkie as its grand prize.
The other R550,000 in cash prizes will be spread between the different divisions and races before the main events.
“We are truly very humbled and excited to have been part of this spectacular event for the past five years,” Buffalo Toyota sales manageress Claire van der Vyver said.
“We always pride ourselves on the fact that we jump at the opportunity to uplift our community.
“It is a very important aspect of our business, so once again just a very big thank you.
“We are truly excited to share this moment with you.”..