“I can’t say that I would recommend my bloody age to anybody,” mused Cape Hall Of Fame trainer Peter Kannemeyer when we phoned to wish him a happy birthday for today.
Peter Kannemeyer
The evergreen legend of South African racing has turned 83 and when asked how he was feeling, he suggested that there was very little ‘a few pills couldn’t sort out’.
Peekay, who is still resident in Milnerton, is on record as saying that his bedside table resembles ‘a pharmacy’, busies himself with walking his dog, shopping at Woolies and popping in at his son Dean’s yard.
The man who decided 67 years ago that he would become a jockey has walked a long road in this game.
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 Dynasty. Peter with his son Dean
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 Kannemeyer
Peter trained for 30 years winning most of SA’s big races before handing over the reins to his son Dean in 1999.
Asked what he would be doing to celebrate today, he said:”Irene (Rudden) and I will go out and have a lunch later. Everybody is busy with their own things you know. And , hey, it’s just another day, isn’t it?”
Happy Birthday Peekay – we wish you many more happy, healthy years!
