Speedbreaker is the horse that broke the speed limit on a Johannesburg Road and ran away from the traffic cops in a stunt last week. He is also the face of an exciting innovation in the horse racing world called GTH (Global Team Horse Racing).
In case you haven’t caught on to this re-imagined version of a conventional sport, GTH introduces a colourful, exciting, family-orientated event where magnificent racehorses take centre stage. This re-imagining is in line with what the recently launched SA20 cricket tournaments did, taking a sporting code into a whole new dimension and attracting an entirely new audience.
Packing a whole day’s racing into just 2 and a half hours, GTH is a fast, team-based, exciting spectator sport aimed at a new generation of fans. It merges live and digital elements into an entertainment product that is broadcast across multiple platforms, attracting, and engaging a younger, more diverse, and globally connected fan base.
After staging the inaugural GTH Live Series in 2022, GTH walked away with the prestigious Event of the Year accolade at the Hollard Sports Industry awards ceremony, beating events like the Rugby World Cup Sevens final in Cape Town.
GTH is changing the narrative of live horse racing to make it a more family-centric event, as our post-Covid world has brought a new demand for fun, safe, outdoor family entertainment.
It is also having a huge impact as it introduces new, modern revenue streams to the sport. GTH is helping to re-invigorate an industry that has been under severe strain in the last three years and in doing so aims to create and saves jobs in the industry.
Horse racing’s value chain is vast – from farm workers to farriers, trainers to jockeys. The industry already contributes in excess of R300 million to South Africa’s GDP, and it is 20 times more labour-intensive than the casino industry.
We are a proudly South African initiative wanting to change horse racing globally. We want everyone to experience the raw power and drama of magnificent racehorses competing as teams and to breathe new life into an industry that has had to face some challenging times.
This format is also a great platform for advertisers, as it taps into the needs of multiple generations – from Gen X who want an event where the whole family is catered for, to Gen Z who are all about technology, selfies, and influencers. It’s time for a horsefluencer! We believe for racing to survive in a world of tech and online attractions for adults and children, our innovative and inclusionary events are just the thing to do it.
