‘The best race of their lives’: A day with the Wild Coast’s traditional jockeys
As a strong southeasterly wind whips through the small village of Cebe, George Gibson takes one of his prize racehorses by the reins and walks it across the soft, gray sand toward the Indian Ocean.
With the incoming tide washing around their ankles, Mr. Gibson pauses, lifts his head skyward, and calls on the spirits of his ancestors in his native isiXhosa, punching the air with a clenched fist and raising his voice above the roar of the waves.
“The final judgement will be made! The final judgement will be made!” he shouts.
“We have come to ask for you to bless our journey, and we have come to ask for success in today’s race. May our horses race the best race of their
Four generationsPut to the test
