An Introduction to the Host of the 2025 General Assembly

The Society operates under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture and not the South African National Equestrian Federation (SANEF). It is directly responsible to the Registrar of Livestock Improvement. The SAWHS is the founding member and operator of the registering authority called the South African Federation of Horse Breeders Societies. The SA Warmblood Society (SAWHS) was founded in 1989 following their steady influx of European Warmbloods into South Africa that began in 1965. The imported European Warmbloods were crossed with local horses, mainly thoroughbreds, and this crossbred population formed the base generation of the SAWHS. This crossbreeding aimed to produce a larger, healthier, more athletically built horse, bred to successfully compete at an international standard in the three Olympic disciplines - showjumping, dressage and eventing. The Society's selection efforts were, and still are, directed at improving the South African Warmbloods' conformational correctness (due to its direct link with soundness and longevity in sport) and sporting performance specific to each discipline. A trip down memory lane includes a list of the first inspectors who travelled South Africa to evaluate the Warmbloods reads like an equestrian hall of fame: David Stubbs, Gerrie du Toit, Theo Laros, Ernie Davenport, Charmaine Watts and Ernest Holtz. These individuals invested significant time in educating breeders, ensuring good quality horses were used and encouraging breeding for conformational correctness. Currently the SAWHS team lead by Kostas Kontos includes: Frances Cheboub, Pieter Keeve, Rebecca da Silva, Lisa Agbenafa, Kelly O'Connor, Bronwyn Cheboub, Mandy Prince, Melanie Lustgarten, Claire Martin, Sheryl Pote, Maxine de Villiers & Mandy Clark.