For the first time, the Annual Meetings are taking place in South Africa, a vibrant and diverse country famously known for its Rainbow Nation, warm hospitality, and breathtaking landscapes.
Nottingham Road is situated in the heart of the beautiful KwaZulu Natal Midlands, in a scenic landscape of rolling hills. It lies approximately 60km north of Pietermaritzburg.
The Midlands - An equestrian destination
Tucked away in the heart of the picturesque KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, Nottingham Road is more than just a charming village — it is a vibrant hub of equestrian excellence, from elite breeding to world-class equestrian sport and horse racing.
This region offers multiple disciplines, including Racing, Showjumping, Dressage, Eventing, Polo, Polocrosse, and Western Riding. Polo in particular, has deep roots here — dating back to 1886 with the founding of the Dargle Polo Club, South Africa’s first civilian polo club. The tradition continues through the esteemed Lions River and Karkloof Polo Clubs.
The Programme
The annual meetings kick off with a welcome reception at Highveldt Farm, on the evening of Friday 10th October 2025.
The coming days we will be based at the newly established facilities of Stud 334. With a focus on both superior genetic material and training, the stud strives to create sport horses that embody the grace, power, and precision that define the sport of show jumping. The program will be filled with seminars and presentations covering a wide range of topics, such as horse welfare, modern technology and trends in equine reproduction, artificial intelligence and the presentation of the State of the Industry Report 2025.
A round table discussion in conjunction with the seminar on latest technology and trends in equine reproduction will take place to explore their potential impacts on breeding. We are securing an exciting panel of experts, that are leaders in their respective fields of the industry.
And of course, there will be opportunities to network during the various cultural activities, such as an exhibition focussing on South African sport horse breeding, and visits to the Nelson Mandela Capture Site, Ardmore Ceramics, Hartford House Hotel, situated on Summerhill and home of Capital Stud Warmblood Sport Horses.
Accommodation
There are various options for accommodation, at a selection of guest houses in the vicinity of the conference venue. Regular shuttles will transfer delegates between their accommodation and the conference venue.
NOTE: There is no other accommodation in the area, and accommodation capacity is limited therefore booking early using the Registration Portal is advised. Once capacity has been reached, no more registrations will be accepted, even if this is before the registration deadline.
Registration
Online registration opens on Tuesday 29th April 2025. Registration closes on 29th August 2025. No registrations are possible after this date.
There is a limited capacity for the annual meetings and the accommodation. Once the maximum number of registrations has been reached, no other registrations will be possible, even if this is before the registration closing date.
The online registration portal includes the accommodation booking process.
