Peter Kannemeyer
There are few men more steeped in the history of South African horseracing than the legendary retired champion trainer and heavyweight jockey Peter Kannemeyer. It is difficult to believe that the man who handed the reins to his son Dean at the turn of the century after fifty years in the game, will celebrate his 80th birthday on 7 August.
There is something tangible in the charm and genuine warmth of the man affectionately known as Peekay, that just seems so old fashioned in this techno crazy world.
Young
Relaxed in the lounge of his comfortable Milnerton home, the Cape Hall Of Famer doesn’t look a day over sixty.He accepts the compliment with grace and changes the subject with a loving pat for his dogs. “They are our children,” he says. Peekay was quick to convey congratulations to the Snaith Racing Team on their outstanding achievement of a few weeks ago.
“I know how the young man feels. I won many Gr1’s, but one of my career highlights was my six winners on an afternoon. That takes some doing and it is a rare and truly satisfying experience. Justin can be very proud of his seven winners,” he remarked.
Peekay is a man who has been around the block in horseracing. From the trials of life as a heavyweight jockey, to the glamour and success of being a celebrated trainer who hobnobbed with the wealthy and elite,he has seen it all and there seems nothing he doesn’t know or is unable to talk about intelligently.
Decisions
Peekay decided at age 16, to become a jockey. He started with Spike Lerena’s grandfather, Bob Lerena, and over a period of 20 years rode successfully for Stanley Gorton, and then 3 years for Terrance Millard and 11 years for the late Theo de Klerk. A conversation one day in 1969 changed his life forever.
His mentor Stanley Gorton took him aside and said: “Son, I am going to retire soon and you need a new lifestyle. You can’t go on bringing up your food. You are going to kill yourself. I want you to take over my stable. I will give you 80 years of experience, 40 years from my father and 40 years from me.’’
Peter’s first runner was a winner and his first smart horse, Prairie Prince, followed not long after that. He was a 1400m specialist and won nine races, including the Cape Flying Championship, the Diadem Stakes twice and the Clairwood Merchants. He is not keen to boast about his achievements though. They don’t make humble and such vastly knowledgeable men like Peter Kannemeyer anymore.
Supporter
He still maintains an interest in horseracing and follows Dean’s fortunes. “My son has made me proud. Training racehorses was tough in my day and even though the dynamics may have changed, it is still tough today. He has done very well and I would race with him if I were to race horses,” he says matter of factly. Has the game changed?
“Yes, indeed. That goes without saying. It is called progress. Life has changed,” he remarks. “In my day the Stipes took no nonsense. Dennis Drier’s Dad Ginger was our starter down here in Cape Town. There were six tapes across the manual start. If you took a chance and jumped early you were hammered with a fifty pound fine then and there. No questions. No nonsense. And you got yourself a few burn marks on your neck for the overzealousness!” he laughed.
Masters
On top trainers he recalls Terrance Millard on that master horseman Cookie Amos: “Terrance summed it up well. He said Cookie could turn a good horse into a great horse.” That is probably the fundamental hallmark of a good trainer. On betting and gambling: “We make a lot of fuss about the betting aspect today, but in those days punting was a serious matter.
Today there is a healthy supply of information. In the early years nobody spoke out of the yard and if a jockey rode work, he didn’t talk about it as the owner got first bite at the price, as he paid the bills,” he said.
Fond Memories
On his colleagues, Peekay said that Alan Higgins observed just the other day that ‘we are the only two left!’ “The camaraderie in days gone by was fantastic and I was privileged to train alongside some of the legends of the game. Men like Syd Laird, Cookie Amos, Willie Kleb and Jackie Bell.”
They don’t make salt of the earth souls like Peter Kannemeyer anymore. One really needs to spend a week chatting to him. His closing line as we bade him farewell: “My doctor told me the other day that I will live to see 100. That’s good news.But Son, I am not sure that I have budgeted to go that far!”
