IN HAPPIER TIMES: Murdered horse trainer Jannie Borman, 73, pictured with his three children. Behind him is his son Jan-Hendrik, 34. To his right is daughter Jolandie, 42, and to his left is daughter Rozane, 39
Image: SUPPLIED
Just two hours after sending his children a photo of a strawberry and chocolate cake he had proudly baked, well-known horse trainer Jannie Borman was beaten to death with a spade — allegedly by a man who had worked for him for years.
As the 73-year-old's lifeless form lay at the Vaal Racecourse, where he had lived and worked, his three children — hundreds of kilometres away and just told their father had been murdered — were almost certain it was a belated April Fool's gag.
And how could they have thought otherwise? Their dad, they said, was after all "the second Leon Schuster".
"But unfortunately, it was no joke," Borman's youngest, Jan-Hendrik, 34, told IOL.
"Though it still feels very much unreal, it sadly is.
"My dad was an affectionate giant, a true teddy bear, and to lose such a great man is just the saddest thing ever."
COLDLY KILLED: Jannie Borman, 73, pictured at the Vaal Racecourse, where he lived and worked until he was bludgeoned to death with a spade
Image: SUPPLIED
Police spokesperson Sergeant Josephine Rani said the incident happened just after 8pm on Saturday.
Borman and the suspect, who lived together on the premises of the racing venue in Viljoensdrif, near Vereeniging in the Free State, had reportedly been drinking when a verbal argument broke out over horse racing winnings.
"The argument escalated, resulting in the suspect allegedly assaulting the victim with a spade," Rani said.
"The suspect later reported the incident to a security officer, who immediately contacted emergency services."
Borman, a grandfather of five, was declared dead at the scene, while the 53-year-old worker was arrested.
He is expected to make his first appearance at the Sasolburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
The family, however, said they were not yet ready to come face to face with the suspect, whose name can only be published once he has appeared in court.
"My dad and this man would eat at the same table," Jan-Hendrik said.
"My dad looked after him for about 20 years."
Borman's first-born, Jolandie, said the man was very much part of the family.
"Our kids knew him, everyone knew him, so he was not a stranger," she said.
"We are angry, we are frustrated, and that is why we won't go to court because it will only upset us even more.
"We are not ready to look him in the eye. My dad did not deserve to die like this."
She said her father’s life revolved around his horses and his family.
She said he had been training racehorses since 1997, starting on a farm near Postmasburg with his stepfather Henry Sham, before moving to Bloemfontein and later Kimberley.
He relocated to the Vaal in 2020 during the nationwide Covid-19 pandemic.
Jan-Hendrik said his father had an extraordinary talent with horses.
"He was a horse whisperer," he said.
"People would say a horse would never become anything, and he would prove them wrong. He just had a gift."
LAST IMAGE: This strawberry and chocolate cake was the final photo Jannie Borman sent to his family before he was allegedly murdered with a shovel
Image: SUPPLIED
He said it was often the small things in life that showed who his beloved dad really was.
"He loved baking," Jan-Hendrik said.
"He would bake bread and cakes for us, send photos of them.
"That’s how he showed he loved us."
At about 6pm on Saturday, Borman sent his children a photo of a chocolate cake topped with cream and strawberries.
They were on a fishing trip in the Northern Cape, where Jan-Hendrik farms, and had little to no signal.
"He sent it to show he was thinking of us, that he loved us," Jolandie said, adding their other sister Rozane lives in Cape Town.
"It was just so him — very thoughtful, kind, and full of love."
Jan-Hendrik said because they had limited cellphone signal they did not reply immediately, but the gesture spoke volumes.
"It is the last thing we will ever see from him," he said.
By around 9pm, they received the devastating message that he had died.
"At first we thought it was his heart," Jan-Hendrik said.
"But when they said 'there was an incident', we knew something was wrong.
"We were in disbelief."
They shortly thereafter learnt he had been murdered.
They have since travelled to the Vaal to pack his belongings.
Jolandie said they would remember him as larger-than-life and full of humour, and that the cake photo was a bittersweet reminder of his love.
"He was like a second Leon Schuster," she said.
"There was always music, always jokes. He had a big heart. He made everyone feel welcome."
Jan-Hendrik added: "Even if we just went to town, he made it fun.
"He was stubborn at times, but deep down he was a teddy bear. He loved his grandchildren more than anything.
Racing portal SAHracing.com said Borman’s death has left a void in the local racing world.
"Borman’s contribution to SA racing, built on resilience, quiet determination, and a deep connection with his horses, will not be forgotten," it said.
"Within the Vaal training ranks, he was widely regarded as both a capable horseman and a well-liked colleague whose presence added character to the community."
Rani said the murder investigation was ongoing.
IOL