Involved with horses since childhood, Rosanne Labuschagne learnt the pre-training and spelling ropes from her ‘great mentor’, Ambleway’s Jane Trotter.
Rosanne has now realised her dream and passion and runs her own show at the family-owned Homeleigh farm.
The magnificent estate is centrally situated between Summerveld and Ashburton and is set on beautiful tranquil farmlands of 100 acres , with 30 stables and more in progress .
“We are proud of our facilities! We have an all- weather lunge ring , a large sand arena for schooling the young horse before track work starts on the 600m grass track, and multiple farm land tracks for hill work , fitness or just a nice long walk. We are very lucky to be so close to all amenities yet so far from the hustle and bustle,” she says enthusiastically as she talks to the Sporting Post on day 40 of the lockdown.
Horses have been Rosie’s life.
“It’s taken time, as dreams inevitably do, but we are up and running and ready to welcome more guests. Racing and horses has always been my passion and in my blood. My sister Janene is an Assistant Trainer to Justin Snaith and the dedication and passion originated from our late parents, who both loved these beautiful animals.”
In 2018 Rosanne purchased some broodmares and started her own stud. The former Scott Bros semi-retired sire Mogok also lives there.
“This was my way of slowly coming back into the industry and enjoying the thrills and joy of breeding, foaling , growing and prepping my own babies for the sales . Whilst having the stud on the side, it’s always been my ambition to start the Pre-Training side. Our aim is to produce a happy relaxed mentally and physically conditioned horse who is ready to take the next step into the demands of training.”
Rosie concedes that it’s currently ‘a very uncertain time for us all’.
“I feel the despair for everyone in racing and beyond. We have to remain positive and stand together and do what we can to help each other. The Pre-Training & Spelling was meant to come into operation from April – however lockdown delayed things and made the industry uncertain in which way to proceed. So my facility is still very new on the block. Having said, that my rates are very competitive for Pre Training , Spelling & Sales Prep. And I’m offering a further R500 monthly discount for the next 3 months.”
The Homeleigh team have been hard at work during lockdown.
“Our wonderful team all live on the property and absolutely nobody is allowed out. We all wash our hands and sterilize before we start working together and then throughout the day. We all have custom made fabric masks. We are also fortunate to have a resident nursing sister on the farm to attend to any concerns and keep a check on our health. We buy groceries and supplies for our staff , to make sure they have everything they need without putting themselves at risk.”
Rosanne can be contacted on email [email protected] or mobile 082 460 3554
- If you are an existing regular industry service provider and have a service special that you feel may be of assistance and benefit to stakeholders at this time, please feel free to email details to [email protected]
