GEORGE NEWS - The chance of a lifetime. That is what Herold locals Thys du Toit (28) and Reagan Makwena (22) admit has been given to them. And they are grabbing it with all four hands!

‘Discovered’ by the The Ride series creator Barry Armitage and expedition producer, Mark Samuels, during their rekkie of the proposed route of The Ride 2 to Grahamstown (see George Herald, 19 May), doors have been opening for these hardworking young men.

But it has not been an overnight success.

After matriculating from Hoër Landbouskool Oakdale, Thys pursued a rugby career whilst farming on the family’s Du Toit Broers farm, Grootfontein. It was not long before his love for horses took up most of his spare time.

With money earned from selling horses he broke in, Thys was able to buy his first Saddler, and has not looked back since.

Reagan can’t remember when he started riding but his talent has earned him many accolades. Member of the SA Boerperd Amateur Union by the age of 16, he obtained his colours in Boerperd riding from 2004 to 2007 and for Saddlers in 2006 and 2007. In a 2005 article in The Show Horse he knew he "wanted to become a full-time horse trainer after matric".

Ironically, the reason that Thys and Reagan met at all is due to Valentine, the horse with which Reagan won the Saddler Champion five-gaited competition at the George and Beaufort West shows this year.

Written off as a young horse, Valentine had Thys knocking at the Beaufort West door of Reagan’s uncle, Willem Makwena, for help. Little did he know about the enduring friend that he would meet in Reagan.

That was seven years ago.

Reagan moved to Herold just over a year ago to focus his attention on training and showing horses. Currently Willem’s son, ‘Sox’, is helping during his gap year before he heads to Stellenbosch to study science. Good horsemanship definitely runs in this family.

Samuels secures the horses, sponsorships, logistics and shooting of The Ride, a documentary-adventure series. He says the two young men have "been valuable members of the team in all aspects".

They serve as the horsemen and farriers for all the expedition’s Boerperde and Arab horses, under the guidance of horse master, Spud Murray, and equine vet, dr Helen Tiffin.

Due to the restrictions on horse movement after the horse sickness outbreak, all horses used for the route from Swellendam (where the restrictive boundary lies) to Grahams-town are being kept and looked after at Grootfontein. Here you can meet Flyer and Pat, just two of the seven star horses from The Ride’s first series. It is scheduled to air on local television in October.

According to Reagan and Thys, who describe themselves as farriers, trainers and breeders, the toughest part of the whole experience was "boxing" the horses into horse boxes. Running on a tight schedule, they would meet the two riders, Jo and Barry, at allocated points along the journey route, usually 30km apart.

Here they ensured that each horse was sound, fit and ready for their leg of the route. They also took the horses who had just completed a leg in hand, cooling them down, feeding and watering them, before loading them to move to the next meeting point.
Although it might be "very hard work" and sleep is a luxury, both agree it is very "lekker". They also appreciate that in the series’ 26 person team, "everyone does their part" and the senior members ensure they cope with responsibilities.

Until The Ride 2 starts on 9 July at 03:00 in Cape Town (finishing in Grahamstown six days later) Thys and Reagan will continue training the 13 horses starring in the series, including newcomer and SPCA rescue, Sweetie.

Watch this space for the exciting adventures that lie ahead for Reagan and Thys.


Reagan shows the five gaits that Valentine can execute, a gift that Saddlers are born with still a gift that must be developed.


Thys, Spring Parade (3) and cousins Reagan and Ray ‘Sox’ Makwena.

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS: LEEANNE PRATT, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST.