A Little Bit of History
The area has always been quite horsey and the Cape Hunt holds the distinction of being the oldest of the ‘new world’ hunts dating back to 1822. The first Cape Hunt foxhounds were imported by the Cape Governor at the time, Lord Charles Somerset. They originated from the English Beaufort Hunt and were originally kept in kennels at Lord Charles Somerset’s Hunting Lodge (now Somerset House Primary School). The Durban Hunt Club held its first outing under the name Cape Hunt Club in 1843.
Horse racing was staged at Durbanville from around 1898 and officially became known as the Durbanville Gymkhana Club in 1922. Races were held partly for fun and recreation but also to finance the accommodation of the hunting club’s dogs and were open to all horses and riders. The last amateur Durbanville Gymkhana Club race meet was held in December 1955. It was then renamed the Durbanville Turf Club and finally the Cape Hunt and Polo Club. It amalgamated with the Milnerton Turf Club under the umbrella of the Cape Turf Club and now forms part of Gold Circle.
The Cape Turf Club used Durbanville as a winter course and also staged around 20 Cape Hunt meetings there per year.
