Owner of the Month – September – Bryan & Taryn Spong
The Racehorse Owners Association is thrilled to present Bryan and Taryn Spong as our Owners of the Month for September.
Bryan and Taryn are passionate supporters of the horseracing industry, owning an impressive 32 horses, 22 of these horses owned outright, this includes 8 yearlings, 8 horses in partnerships, and 2 broodmares. Bryan has been involved in racehorse ownership for about 15 years and Taryn has been an enthusiastic owner for the past 4 years. Together, they often joke about how, once the racing bug bites, it never leaves you. Both Bryan and Taryn’s fathers were avid supporters of racing and this by default caught their interest growing up. Their oldest son, Brhys, is following closely in their footsteps, having turned 18 in May, he has just registered his racing colours and is eagerly awaiting the debut of his own horse which will hopefully run soon. Taryn proudly mentioned that Brhys will also soon be a member of the Racehorse Owners Association in the coming months.
The majority of the Spong’s horses are stabled in Johannesburg with Paul Matchet and with whom they have had great success thus far. They are also involved in partnerships with two horses trained by Fanie Bronkhorst. Taryn made mention of being successful with one of their partners, with a horse trained by Lucky Houdalakis, then being sold to Hong Kong and have now acquired another yearling in the same partnership, to be trained by Lucky. The Spong family equally enjoys racing in the Eastern Cape, having a few shares in partnerships with horses trained by Kelly Mitchley and they have recently also sent one of their fillies down to be conditioned by Duncan McKenzie. Broadening their horizons, they have now acquired a few shares in a horse in the Western Cape and sent one of their yearlings to the Glen Kotzen stable.
When asked about their most memorable victory, Bryan mentioned Sassy (Bezrin (USA) x Speech Time) as being his favorite filly and was extremely proud of her win at Fairview Racecourse, after quite a few attempts in the maiden races. On 1 September 2023, Sassy was the smallest on the track, took on all the boys in the race and was victorious under the guidance of Muzi Yeni. Taryn’s most memorable victory was the second win from Mount Pilatus (Pomodoro x Covered In Snow) and the thrilling race run at Turffontein Racecourse on 13 July 2024. Running a gutsy race to the finish line, it was very close between Mount Pilatus, Passage Of Power and Chyavana, but the 4 year old gelding and Muzi Yeni showed great tenacity and fought right to the line. She added that this horse is truly deserving and runs with his heart each time he races. Bryan and Taryn cherish the process of buying yearlings and watching them transform into magnificent athletes, whether the horse becomes a feature race winner or just wins a maiden race, they love each of their horses equally. In addition to the sport itself, the camaraderie and banter with fellow owners and trainers is something they truly enjoy. Though racing is a competitive environment, the fun and light-hearted nature of their relationships keep them coming back for more.
As a family, horses and racing are a big part of their lives and they have recently moved to the Randjesfontein Country Estate to be closer to their horses and to have fun riding too. While racing is their shared passion, they also have thriving careers, Bryan being in the lighting industry and Taryn being in the aviation industry, where the couple first met.
Bryan and Taryn have been part of the ROA since 2021, they have had many successes and noted that the are fortunate to have won some of the ROA Bonus races, with horses which include Sassy, Gold Agent and Pearl In Her Crown up on the Highveld. Fire Chaser won in the Eastern Cape and Hawk Circle, part owned by Brenden Fegen, earned the partnership a Super Bonus on Algoa Cup Day, the 3rd of November 2023. They have expressed gratitude to the ROA, adding that it is truly a great incentive and is highly appreciated by owners. They also credit Charlie at the ROA for always going above and beyond to assist them on raceday.
We thank Bryan, Taryn and the entire Spong family for their continued support and wish them the very best for the racing season ahead.
