Every year, scores of horses and their owners come together outside of Mamre, 60kms from Cape Town. They race on a public gravel road to see who has the fastest horse. The Mamre Wild Flower Festival draws riders from the surrounding areas such as Atlantis and Malmesbury. But animal rights groups and the SPCA have raised concerns over the safety of the horses during these events. A greater fear is that notorious bush racing involving gangsters and illegal gambling has infiltrated the event and horses are being abused. But locals say there is no criminal element and the horse races are a tradition.