Drag Hunting and Safari in South Africa
Nine Days Special Drag Hunt
Joint Master of the Cape Hunt
The Cape Hunt has followed a tradition of riding to hounds for over 180 years
www.capehunt.co.za
It holds the distinction of being the oldest of the ‘New World’ Hunts, dating back to 1822, when the Governor to the Cape, Lord Charles Somerset, first imported foxhounds from the Beaufort Hunt. Until around the Second World War the usual quarry was wild jackal, once a prolific scourge in the Western Cape. Today jackals around Cape Town are rare so the Hunt converted to Drag-Hunting. The Hounds (approximately 15 couples) hunt a pre-laid scent over 6 ‘lines’ of up to 2 miles, each interspersed with checks for refreshment. The riders have a choice to ride in the first field at a gallop or in the second Field at a steady canter. Each is led by a Field Master and jumping is optional. At each check a change of Fields is permitted. The dress code is similar to the U.K. and you are therefore invited to hunt in your club’s hunting attire. The Hunt Season stretches from beginning of May to mid September, which is our Green-Season with some occasional rains (in most areas below 8 Inches per annum) and day temperatures ranging around 20 Centigrade.
The tour is led by a THETA (Tourism Hospitality and Sport Education and Training Authority) tourist guide and longstanding, active member of the Cape Hunt, Carl Schwinges, who specialises in organising up-market Horse Safaris.
DAY 1 – Saturday
Your Host, Carl Schwinges
On your arrival at Cape Town International Airport you will be met by Carl and driven to the ORCHARD COUNTRY HOUSE www.orchardhouse.co.za in Malmesbury, close to the country base of the Cape Hunt where the Hounds are kennelled. After lunch, get acquainted with your hunting horse on a two-hour hack from Hunt’s stables, including some optional practise jumping. Weather permitting, an evening braai (barbeque) will be served at the stables.
DAY 2 – Sunday
Goedvertouw
This morning we return to our country base ‘Hunters Valley’ for the Grand Opening Hunt, followed by a ‘hunt breakfast’. In the late afternoon we depart on a scenic drive through the famous French Huguenot settlement of Franschhoek, to the charming Wine Farm of Goedvertouw, where we stay for the next three nights.
DAY 3 – Monday
We drive about 30 km towards Kleinmond for a full-day ride along the pristine beach between the ocean of the South Coast and the Kleinmond Lagoon Nature reserve. Here we can enjoy long canters along the beach. In the lagoon we are likely to see wild horses, flamingos, pelicans and sometimes fish eagles and seals. Lunch is in a seaside restaurant. After the afternoon ride we return to our lodging for some wine tasting before dinner.
Day 4 – Tuesday
We ride the same horses that we rode the previous day, along an ancient ox wagon trail that follows the old railway line as it winds itself up the historic pass to the Houw Hoek Inn. We continue riding through pristine mountain “fynbos” (indigenous shrub land), up a mountain trail before stopping to enjoy the view. We ride back down, taking a different path to the Houw Hoek Inn for a late lunch. In the afternoon we return to the stables, riding down through the old pass.
DAY 5 – Wednesday
Riding the same horses again, today we ride through rolling hills of wheat, wine, cattle and sheep farms, with a lunch stop in the restaurant of a wine farm before completing our circular route. In the late afternoon we drive for 1½ hour to the remote 36,000 ha, De Hoop Nature reserve. We stay for the night in the environmental, conservationist, Buchu Bush camp www.buchu-bushcamp.com in very comfortable, rustic chalets.
DAY 6 - Thursday
White sand dunes of De Hoop
We first ride alongside the De Hoop Vlei. Expect to see antelope such as the bontebok, springbok, and eland, as well as Cape mountain zebras, baboons, wild ostriches, and many different water-birds. We continue over huge, bright, white, sand dunes (up to 85 meters in height), for which this national park is famous, down to a beach at the Indian Ocean. This totally uninhabited, coastal stretch has the highest concentration of whales sighted anywhere in the world during the mating season from end May to end November. The Whales can be viewed at close proximity from the high vantage point of the saddle! After some 8 kms riding along the shore we stop for a picnic lunch. Afterwards we ride on different tracks, back through the coastal ‘fynbos’, viewing game all the way.
We drive on a dirt road to the Breede River, crossing it on the only hand pulled ferry in S.A. We stay for the next two nights at the Zoutpan Struishuis Guest Farm www.zoutpan.com , a working ostrich farm. An evening braai is prepared on an open fire and we spend the evening with the farmer and his family.
Day 7 – Friday
Today we ride on Arab horses, which the farmer’s son’s breed for export sale to the Middle East for endurance riding. Our ride is through areas of reeds - harvested for roof thatching, and on sandy tracks through bush land. There are plenty of opportunities for long canters on these horses, which will keep going all day. A picnic is served in the bush before we finish the trail back at the farm. In the afternoon we have a tour of their ostrich farm. Dinner at the Guest Farm.
DAY 8 - Saturday
Today we drive over some breath taking passes, through the semi-desert Karoo and stop for lunch at the quaint Victorian village of Matjiesfontein www.matjiesfontein.com. Dinner and overnight at the Orchard Country House in Malmesbury.
DAY 9 – Sunday
We drive to the hunt and ride the same horses as on previous Sunday. Happy hunting is followed by a braai by the side of a small dam with fabulous mountain views. In the late afternoon we drive to Cape Town International Airport where you check in and can have a shower and change before boarding your flight home.
The entire nine day trip covers approximately 1,200km by car through beautiful countryside and approximately 180km on eight different rides, using three different stables. An alternative programme for non-riding partners can be organised.
Accommodation for this trip is in four carefully selected accommodations. Every effort will be made to follow this itinerary, however this programme is subject to change or substitution for rides and accommodation to the same high standard without prior notice.
We will gladly advise or assist guests who wish to extend their stay in Cape Town to visit some of the other truly unique, tourist attractions the Cape has to offer. Suitable Accommodation for an extended stay can be arranged on prior notice.
For more information email Carl Schwinges: info@kapritt.co.za
Testimonials
Judy Large, who lives near Manchester in England, spends regular extended riding weekends in Exmoor and on the Spanish coast. She also goes on two week long overseas trail rides per year and has ridden in four continents. Although Judy does not usually repeat overseas tours, she has just finished her third visit with us, this time to go HUNTING. This is probably due to the fact that we offer three very distinct tours.
Dear Carl,
I just wanted to thank you for the best riding experience of my life – the opening Cape Drag Hunt Meet of the season at Rondeberg Farm on Sunday May 23rd. It was such an exciting day - the weather was beautiful, the horses and riders were beautifully turned out, everybody was so friendly and welcoming, and my wonderful horse and I thoroughly enjoyed following the route with all the other riders and taking the jumps in our stride. As you know, it was my first Hunt and I had been a little concerned about the jumping, but was so glad I listened to your advice that the jumps were fairly low and anyway were not compulsory as it was always possible to ride past them and still have the fun of following the hounds at speed. The Hunt 'Breakfast' afterwards was also a lovely occasion – wonderful food and company in a 'Garden Party' atmosphere. The day could not have gone better.
The riding during the week was wonderfully varied, and gave us a real feel for the different landscapes within the Western Cape: Kleinmond lagoon nature reserve with the wild horses and the ride along the beach; ox wagon trails through the mountain passes; rolling hills of wheat, wine, cattle and sheep farms; game viewing from horseback in the De Hoop nature reserve; the excitement of riding through the huge sand dunes to a beach on the Indian Ocean for a wonderful long gallop at the water's edge, where we were lucky enough to see a school of dolphins and a whale spouting; and riding Arab horses along the Endurance riding trails on which they compete.
The following Sunday we had the excitement of another Hunt in beautiful weather, this time at Corona Farm, with a tasty braai (barbeque) afterwards, held at the side the lake where the Hunt finished. What a lovely finish to our 'tour'!Not only did we have wonderful riding, but friendly and interesting hosts, good company and excellent meals giving us a taste of local recipes, particularly at Elrida's wine farm Goedvertrouw. Crossing the Breede River on the only hand pulled ferry in South Africa was rather special, as was the drive over the passes and through the semi-desert Karoo, with lunch at the Victorian village of Matjeisfontein. I think you thought of everything, Carl, to show us so much of the wonderful Western Cape, and I must pay tribute to your excellent organisation and the thought you put into the itinerary.
With my very best regards to you, the Members of the Cape Hunt and to all our hosts. I hope it won't be too long before I am able to return to the Cape.
Judy Large