Nic Jonsson

The Gold Circle Owner Award for the month has been bestowed on Nic Jonsson

The son of the late Benji Jonsson, an iconic member of South Africa’s racing community particularly for his support and service to the Jockey Academy, Nic is a member of a South African racing dynasty that stretches back to 1897 when his great grandfather, Frederick Lennard (F L) Jonsson, was one of the 15 founding stewards of the Durban Turf Club.  His grandmother, Betty Jonsson, a farmer in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, was a popular and well-known owner-trainer.

Surprisingly, says Nic, in spite of the Jonsson family’s involvement in racing, “I am the only one of Benji’s children who is interested in racing. He took out his racing colours in 1990 and now has about 50 horses in training in the Cape with Justin Snaith, KwaZulu-Natal with Dennis Drier and Michael Roberts and in Port Elizabeth with Allan Greeff. During the past season he has 38 winners.

But it was in July that he had what he calls “a lucky day” when Do It Again, that was recently declared the three-year-old colt of the year at the Equus Awards, won the Vodacom Durban July and his other runner in the race, Made To Conquer, ran second – an incredible feat that came after the biggest race meeting of the year in Africa had begun with Nic’s Pathfork filly, Township Melody, winning the first race of the day.

To add to Nic’s “month to remember” was the victory in the Grade 2 Kuda Gold Bracelet at Greyville on eLan Gold Cup Day of his Silvano filly Miyabi Gold.

Of the sport of racing and his involvement, Nic’s comment was simply “I love it.”

Congratulations and well done Nic.