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Johannesburg, South Africa (AP) — Enos Mafokate, the country's first Black show jumping champion and renowned equestrian, passed away at the age of 80, according to a family announcement on Thursday. Mafokate shattered racial barriers in a sport dominated by white riders during South Africa's apartheid era. Known as "Kgosi ya Dipere," which translates to "King of Horses" in Sesotho, his journey was shaped by influential figures in South African equestrian sport who recognized his exceptional talent and supported him during critical moments in challenging racial barriers.

Mafokate commenced his career as a stablehand, securing his first riding competition victory in 1963. However, apartheid laws barred him from participating in further competitions until 1975. In 1980, he became the first Black South African to compete internationally as a show jumper, finishing fifth among 31 riders at the Royal International Horse Show at Wembley.

Following the dismantling of apartheid in 1991, his contributions were acknowledged when he represented South Africa at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics as a sports ambassador. "His journey took him from the harsh realities of apartheid South Africa to competing internationally as a showjumper, " his family noted. Beyond his own accomplishments, Mafokate dedicated his later years to nurturing young Black riders in Soweto through the Soweto Equestrian Centre, a horse riding school he founded in 2006.

This institution trained hundreds of young individuals in horse riding and animal welfare, earning him the lifetime achievement honor at the South Africa sport awards in 2015.