Youth Month
In celebration of Youth Month, we are thrilled to highlight Dean Smith, a rising star in the horseracing community in the Eastern Cape. With his youthful energy and forward-thinking approach, Dean represents part of the future of this storied sport.
Dean is 23 years old and is currently an assistant trainer at Gavin Smith Racing Stables. He was born into horseracing, his grandfather Andy was a trainer and his father, is the multiple time Eastern Cape Champion Trainer, Gavin Smith.
Dean acquired his first horse in 2021 through a close friend, Nick Botes. The horse ran second first time out over the 1400m trip, he came flying through late losing by a nose. They decided to step him up to the 1600m which was a touch too far. They then received an offer from Mauritius which was accepted and off the horse went. Since then, he has become a proud owner of shares in four horses under the Super Smith Syndicate. He believes that syndication is crucial for engaging the younger generation, adding fresh excitement into the sport and making ownership accessible to more people.
Dean has a few hobbies outside of racing. Weekends often find him playing padel as his love for this surpassed that of playing golf. He also enjoys wakeboarding and leisurely outings on the river in St Francis, where he cherishes time spent with friends and family.
Dean believes that with the growing number of syndicates, a huge opportunity has been created for the younger generation to become involved in ownership and it seems to be a step in the right direction to provide the excitement of owning a horse. Dean has an array of suggestions to encourage this, one being that the industry could buy a share in a new syndicate each month and then have a giveaway to a targeted age group, this could be of interest to them. He also suggests that advertising flyers at the universities could also attract younger crowds to race days.
Dean’s favorite racing memory to date is the last win from 2023 Eastern Cape Champion colt, QUESTOR, in the Champion Juvenile Cup Listed race on 28 July 2023. This is a Super Smith Syndicate horse with over 20 members and Dean recalls that there was something special about this win, along with the goosebumps he felt as the horse stormed down the inside rail from being second last in the race. He continued to explain:” Smanga dropped his stick at the 150m mark which wasn’t a problem at all! It was a super ride. The 3 owners on course Christo, Louw and Johan could be seen on screen running through the parade ring hugging each other, it just gives you a warm feeling inside! That is what racing is all about, the excitement and joy of winning. The atmosphere was buzzing, and everyone cheered him home. It was a super moment and a memory I won’t forget”. Dean enjoys attending the L’Ormarins Kings Plate event as he enjoys the blue and white only theme, he commends Cape Racing on what they have done with the event and hopes to experience the feeling of owning or training a horse on that day.
