Vikki’s Turning The Beat Around! 

Former jockey Vikki Lerena (nee Badenhorst) hails from a family steeped in equine excellence. With the support of her champion jockey husband and two beautiful children, she is ready for a new challenge at the age of 38.

The dream is called Effect Equestrian & Pre-Training and is based in Eikenhof just across the road from Eye Of Africa.

“I really want to do something where I can be involved with horses. It’s my passion and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. I have conceptualised and established a facility in Johannesburg, where we can break in youngsters. It’s not far for trainers and owners to travel and see how their future champions are going. We would also be doing spelling and rehabilitation and there is also an AHS Vector Protected Quarantine facility,” she says excitedly, as she tells that she has put together a good team of people who are well accomplished equestrians.”

The team includes Ashleigh Leedo, who has plenty of experience and worked for Johan Janse van Vuuren and now works for veteran conditioner St John Gray in the mornings.

Once the thoroughbred gallops into one’s heart, they never leave and the petite Zimbabwe-born Vikki started riding at Yvette Bremner’s yard when she was 13.

“I knew nothing about horses until we started going to Yvette’s yard. I fell in love with horses straight away and never looked back. I was admitted to the SA Jockey Academy when I was 15. It was such an exciting time,” she recalled as she remembered fun times, good friends and academy-mates Ian Sturgeon and Charles Ndlovu, amongst others.

One of five children and the daughter of jockey Kleintjie Badenhorst with Mom Janet also employed in the industry, the Gqeberha-schooled Vikki hails from a clan deeply invested in racing.

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“My sister Sandra is married to ex-jockey Barend Vlooh. My bother Wayne and sister Barbara are training in partnership in Durban together. Barbara and her husband, SA Champion jockey Warren Kennedy are due to emigrate to New Zealand next month,” adds Vikki as she talks proudly of her family.

Vikki reflects back on her brief career as a jockey. She has no regrets and is honoured to have ridden as a professional.

“I loved being a jockey. It was very tough being a female in the sport of kings. I worked so hard and would battle to get a ride a meeting. I rode initially for Clodagh Shaw and then it got a bit easier when I moved back to my hometown of Gqeberha.  I started getting good support from trainers and my hard work really started paying dividends. And the winners started coming too. That’s when I fell pregnant with my daughter, Emily. That lifechanging and very special event put a stop to my riding. I came back afterwards but it was never the same,” she muses as she recounts why she eventually called it a day.

“I was really battling to get rides and I thought that it wouldn’t get better. So I handed in my licence and moved to Johannesburg where I was a work rider for Sean Tarry and then Charles Laird for many years. I also rode for Scott Kenny who taught me a lot. I was also an assistant to Dylan Cunha for a couple of years. That’s before Gavin and I decided to start our little family.”

Today, Vikki is content and ‘supremely happily married’ to Gavin Lerena, her ‘amazing husband’, the ‘love of her life and the best Dad to their beautiful children’, Ashton and Ava.

“I help Gavin with his rides and try my best to get the best opportunities possible. So far it’s working well and we are a great team. My husband is the most dedicated person I know. His love for the game and the horse has no boundaries. Ashton and Ava are the light of my life! They keep me very busy and very entertained. I love being their mom and wouldn’t change it for the world.”

The new businesswoman is all set to establish new benchmarks of professionalism.

We asked her what will make her new project different or unique? 

“I believe that Effect will be unique as I will be breaking in all the babies myself. Ensuring that each horse gets the correct grounding and building the correct foundation for a bright future. I believe that the breaking-in process of a young thoroughbred is the most important part of their whole career. I want all my babies to be strong and confident forward race horses. It takes oodles of love and loads of patience! I have both!” she smiles confidently.

Vikki will be creating a Facebook and Instagram page soon. Watch this space!

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