The farm was previously owned by acclaimed novelist Wilbur Smith. In April 2000 Altus Joubert, an advocate from the Johannesburg bar, purchased the land from Smith and developed it into a stud farm. At that time Joubert had already been breeding thoroughbreds for some 10 years, boarding mares at various farms. As a consequence the horses were bred in the name of “Adv A.P. Joubert”. All such horses referred to herein reflect the breeder as “Riethuiskraal Stud”.
The stud is the source of several champions and other outstanding horses. By the beginning of 2013 the stud had produced horses that have won more than 400 races. The most notable are National Colour, Crimson Palace, Flirtation and Lambarina.
National Colour. Equus Champion Horse of the Year in 2006. In a single racing season she won the Gr.1 Computaform Sprint, the Gr.1 South African Fillies Sprint and the Gr.1 Mercury Sprint. In the Gr.1 Computaform Sprint she beat former champions Nhlavini and Cataloochee by some 9 lengths and more, earning the highest Timeform Rating of any filly in the Southern Hemisphere. On the International Stage she won in Dubai and ran a short head second in the Gr.1 Nunthorpe Stakes at Newmarket, England, both she and the winner breaking the course record on a track that has seen racing for more than two centuries. She might well be the fastest filly ever bred in South Africa.
Crimson Palace. The first South African bred filly to win a Gr.1 race in USA, taking the Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington Park, Chicago in the Godolphin silks in 2004. She also became the first South African bred filly to win a graded race in England – winning the Gr.3 Middleton Stakes in 2004.
Flirtation. Only the 12th filly to win the Gr. 1 Summer Cup (2010). The Summer Cup is one of South Africa’s three “Majors” first run in 1887. The “Met” was first run in 1883 and the “July” in 1897.
Lambarina. Champion Highveld 3 year old filly in 1993 for winning the South African Oaks and the SA Oaks Trial.
