Legendary South African showjumper Enos Mafokate is using his passion for horses to help children in Soweto by offering free horse riding lessons to keep them off the streets and give them a purpose. Starting with just one borrowed horse and two children, Mafokate now owns 25 horses and trains over 40 children every weekend at the Soweto Equestrian Centre, which he launched in 2007.

The children at the Soweto Equestrian Centre are taught horse riding basics, horse care, grooming, advanced techniques for competitions, and riding discipline by experienced trainers like Tshepo Masemola. Three young riders from the centre are even preparing for the 2028 Olympics after competing in cross country events last year in Nelspruit and Cape Town.

Despite financial challenges, Mafokate never turns away a child who wants to learn to ride and care for horses. To support the centre, he rents out his horses for events, offers pony rides at family days, provides therapeutic riding sessions for autistic learners and senior citizens, and even offers rides to inmates at Sun City prison on family day.