Owner of the Month – July – Kelly Hadden

The month of July has been quite special for Members of the Racehorse Owners Association. The Hollywoodbets Durban July Day in particular showcased exciting racing and a sparkling moment was celebrated when Diani (Ideal World (USA) x Mombasa) was victorious in the second race, the Omoda MR 96 Handicap run over 1400m on the polytrack at Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse. The ROA is delighted to present Kelly Hadden as our Owner of the Month.

Growing up, racing has been in her family for years, however, she was not the biggest fan. She laughed and said: ”my dad actually tormented me with racing, I remember as a kid at the age of around 12, after getting picked up from school we would go to the tote and I would have to sit in the car and wait for him, and boy did I hate racing”, this has certainly changed throughout the years in the most positive way and Kelly has been actively involved in racing now for four years. Kelly has her horses stabled with different trainers including Dennis Bosch, Wendy Whitehead and Michelle Crawford. She also owned horses who were trained by Ashely Fortune which she really enjoyed.

One of Kelly’s favorite aspects of the racing industry is witnessing the transformation of horses. From being foals, then growing into yearlings and becoming racehorses, to running their first winner. She describes it as a memorable journey which she enjoys following. Kelly is proud of each and every one of her horses, whether they win or lose, and added that when she feels the time is right, she retires her horses and believes that their journeys after racing are just as important.

Kelly’s favorite racing memory to date is the most recent win from Diani on July Day and hopes for more special wins like this.

Outside of racing, Kelly is a successful professional in the hair and beauty industry. Her husband and their daughter mean the world to her. Due to work and school commitments, the Hadden family cherish time spent together. Despite their busy schedule, they maintain a simple yet fulfilling lifestyle. They thoroughly enjoy being outdoors and taking a drive to the Summerveld Training Centre to visit their horses when they are able to. Their daughter, also with a budding passion for horses, regularly takes riding lessons and dreams of becoming a jockey one day, and we certainly hope to see more female riders in the industry. The family’s bond is strengthened through shared activities, such as watching movies together and making the most of their family time.

We wish Kelly and her family all the best for the new season, filled with many more special winning moments!