“I love the thrill of going racing”

Deon Jacobs

Born in Johannesburg, Gold and Green Crowd member and owner of shares in several Deon Jacobs is no stranger to horseracing and his passion transcends international boundaries and cultures. Growing up, his local racecourses in South Africa were Gosforth Park, Newmarket and Turffontein which are all homes to some outstanding horse racing, and understandably can ignite the imagination of younger racing fans.

Deon has embraced racing on these shores since moving to the UK but it is no surprise that he has noticed a significant number of cultural differences. 

A key difference being no jump racing in South Africa, the Southern Hemisphere is strongly flat orientated, and Deon’s first experience of a jumps race was when he arrived in the UK.

Also, experiencing the banks of on-course bookmakers on UK racecourses was a new sight for Deon to take on board. In South Africa, the Tote system is the dominant way to bet, so hunting for value amongst the crowds trying to get a bet on was an art that he needed to learn.

Deon joined Gold and Green Crowd around two years ago, primarily because he was drawn to the community philosophy of the Crowd and despite the large range of horses they had available, he felt no pressure to choose which he preferred as he had immediate involvement with them for the one cost.

This allowed him to take his time and look at breeding when choosing which horses he wanted a deeper involvement with. He could use his knowledge and personal opinion on each potential horse whilst still within a group environment. 

Since joining, Deon has been involved as a share holder in a number of the Gold and Green Crowd horses. He has also had the chance to visit stables or to go racing with the horses he only has a club involvement with, as well as the ones he has taken a deeper interest in. 

Deon holds the greatest admiration and affection for Camilla Poulton, trained Aced It because “although he cost so little and doesn’t owe us anything”, he has exceeded everyone expectations by “always giving his best and having a lovely attitude”.  

An £800 purchase, Aced It has won twice and been placed on a further 9 occasions from just 14 starts!

When asked what draws him to horseracing and not other sports, his answer was clear, “I love the thrill of going racing; the sound of the commentator, the cascade of colours, the bravery of the jockeys and buzz from the spectators” 

This perfectly encapsulates the vibrant atmosphere which a day at the races provides. His respect for the courageousness of individual jockeys that thrive in the sport was emphasised, when he stated that his dream dinner party would be heavily influenced by an all-star jockey cast including the likes of Ruby Walsh, Tony McCoy and Frankie Dettori joined by legendary trainers Willie Mullins and Roy Magner 

When asked about the state of the future of horseracing, Deon focussed much on the latest crop of young jockeys coming through the ranks. He believes that Ben Coen will excel because of the young jockey’s tremendous attitude complimenting his raw ability. Deon also upholds the utmost appreciation for leading ladies; Hollie Doyle and Rachael Blackmore because of the fact, as Deon put it, they are “females achieving in a male world”, shattering the status quo. Female jockeys are still utterly outnumbered by men in the sport and but no longer dismissed. In fact, the days where a jockey is defined by their gender are very close to being left behind. The Gold and Green Crowd have never considered the gender of a jockey and Deon respects this approach. Nicola Currie, Hollie Doyle, Jo Gordon and Amelia Glass have all ridden in the Gold and Green stripes and they won’t be the last.

Horseracing like many other sports has been criticised in the press for being an ‘old boys club’ but hopefully the recent Bryony Frost allegations will provide a much-needed catalyst for change. There is much within the racing world that needs modernised and there is a desperate need for fresh eyes and voices to have an impact and Deon is hoping to see this start to be visible sooner rather than later. 

Despite being more than happy watching a lower graded runner at a quiet track midweek, it is clear what Deon’s real ambition is for his racing involvement. 

His favourite race days are the Epsom Derby and what Deon would depict as ‘the World Cup of racing’ The Cheltenham Festival, because of the almost unique atmosphere they exude. He illustrates the majestic ambience of the Derby in detail, “it’s all about the atmosphere, dressing up for the Derby, being in the presence of the Queen and the great racecourse”

His ultimate ambition in racing is to lead a successful horse to the winning enclosure at Ascot and Cheltenham, a dream that I’m sure is shared by many of his syndicate counterparts. 

About the author - Camilla Foster

Camilla Foster is a member of The Gold and Green writing team. A final year Journalism undergraduate at Cardiff University who's hoping to start a Broadcast Journalism Masters in September.

Currently, I write for a student current affairs blog called ‘R3trospect’ and a university arts and cultural magazine called ‘Quench’. In the future, I would love to work for somewhere like the BBC and be involved in making documentaries.

In my spare time, I love writing, travelling, and hiking. I am originally from Gloucestershire and enjoy going to Cheltenham Racecourse with my friends. I have a few family members in the racing world, so this job really interested me. The Gold and Green Crowd community is so inclusive and inspiring, so I am really excited to start writing some of your stories about your involvement in the racing world.

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