It was a case of try, try and try again for the nimble and modest jockey Rachel Venniker, whose efforts paid off when she got to ride in the 128th running of the Durban July this year – making history as the first woman to ride in this iconic race.
At the age of 23, it’s been no easy ride to become South Africa’s first female jockey. Applying four times to get into the South African Jockey Academy, Rachel Venniker finally got to ride in the Durban July, after drawbacks the previous couple of years.
We caught up with Rachel, who’s been on the back of a horse since she was four, at her home in Summerveld, which she shares with her equally horse mad parents, Marian and Brett, and a menagerie of pets.
Rachel gravitated from showjumping to work riding at 14 before showing an interest in racehorses.
“The Academy initially told me I was too tall and heavy for a career in a racing saddle. It eventually took the influence of riding legend and trainer Michael Roberts to persuade them to accept me, which they did in 2020,” says the former Roseway Waldorf matriculant.
She graduated from the Academy in three years, instead of five, to become South Africa’s sole woman jockey in January this year.
At 1.7 metres tall, weighing 52kg, she has ridden more than 250 winners … and counting. She has secured two SA champion apprentice titles, won five in a row on Our Emily, won the Model Man Mile (listed) on See It Again, has a Grade 2 Gauteng Guineas victory on Eye Of The Prophet under her belt, and has made history on two counts. Not bad for a youngster who practically had to kick down doors for a chance to see her dreams become a reality.
Being naturally lighter, and having less strength than boys meant Rachel had to work harder to prove herself. “It wasn’t easy being the only girl, staying alone in a separate wing and taking derision from the boys and others in racing. But I love a challenge. Which reminds me, I was challenged to ride 100 winners this season, and I finished with 107,” smiles Rachel.
It’s this adversity that has made Rachel’s character stronger, given her an ultra-professional approach and stands her in good stead, especially at big days like the J&B Met in Cape Town, where she came third, and at Saudi Arabia’s Invest Saudi International Jockey’s Challenge Stakes earlier this year.
The latter was her first trip out of the country and her first big-race win as a fully-fledged jockey. She flashed past the post and became the first South African woman jockey to win and defeat top ranked male rivals such as Ryan Moore – her racing idol – and retired Australian legend Damien Oliver.
In the days leading up to Africa’s biggest horse racing event in Durban, Rachel admitted, with little sign of lurking nervousness, to being excited at the prospect of lining up aboard a runner in the R5-million, Grade 1 handicap at Greyville on July 6 for her ‘redemption ride’ as she puts it.
She was meant to ride in the Durban July in 2022, but was ruled out due to an injury a week before the big day. Last year she could not compete because the horse she was going to ride was made reserve.
“I was pretty crushed. I took myself off all social media for a while to regroup, but the wheel turns, and I knew I needed to get back at it.”
This year she got her chance. Partnering with Justin Snaith and owner Nick Jonsson she secured a ride on Without Question. “When they read out the finial field for the July, I could hardly breathe.”
But, two days before Durban’s big race, history repeated itself when her listed mount was scratched, pulling up lame after a morning exercise gallop.
“It’s a case of if at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again. I held this notion in my head,” says Rachel. Her temperament and preparation meant that all she needed to do, when given the first reserve runner Hluhluwe, was to tweak her strategy.
She may not have run a place in this year’s Durban July, but this barrier-breaking moment, coupled with her success in Saudi, has put Rachel on the world’s radar, and she is hoping it will open doors to other women jockeys.
Unafraid of the dangers and challenges of life as a professional jockey, Rachel admits to being a proper adrenalin junkie.
“My dad often reminds me that when he used to ask me as a kid what I loved about riding horses, my answer was always speed. The more there is going on in a race, the more I enjoy it. And I’m addicted to schooling the mad horses,” says Rachel, who lost her two front teeth, broke her arm and cheekbone, and has suffered a few other injuries before even becoming a professional jockey.
“Touch wood, I haven’t broken any bones since I started racing. About a month ago, the horse I was riding went straight through the rails, so I’m convinced I have hard bones, although recently I discovered during a routine check-up that I’d fractured my lower vertebrae because it showed up on the X-Ray as an old injury. I guess it’s a small price to pay for doing something I’m passionate about.”
Despite any aches and pains, Rachel loves nothing more than to get back in the saddle and pip her fellow riders to win the next race.
“One thing I hate is making mistakes, and I do make them, but I learn quickly from them.” Rachel adds that mental toughness and resilience are so important in this game.
“You’ve got to have a lot of it. You’ve got to be on the ball on race day, have a planned strategy or even tactical enterprise to outfox the rest, the strength to drive a horse home, the balance to maintain speed and momentum in the rush to the line, the determination and fitness to outgun all of the others, and the ability to combine all of these things. And there’s no room for neglecting your body in this sport.”
Rachel acknowledges that the industry is fraught with extreme dieting methods.
“I refuse to starve or sweat. I used to battle with my weight and had terrible sugar cravings, but I’ve learnt to maintain my weight by eating small quantities of whatever I want, because there’s nothing worse than the added pressure and feeling like you are running on empty,”
Considering she hits the track before the sun even rises in winter – every morning – to ride at least 25 different horses, we are in awe of how she functions.
“Wednesdays and the occasional Saturday are reserved for races. I gym at home and keep busy in my spare time by feeding all my animals – goats and chickens and a farm full of the friendliest horses you’ll ever meet. I also run my own veggie garden because I live on spinach and broccoli, and I like to cook. I’m very bad at baking but ask me to knock up a pasta, and I’m your girl.”
In an industry where one might easily assume horses are seen as machines, business ventures and a means to glory, there are those who carry an emotionally charge heart for the horses they ride.
Rachel is one of them.
“For a lot of us, we got into riding because we love horses. A good horseman or horsewoman builds a trusting relationship with the horse they ride. We stoop above animals that weigh almost half a ton, have a mind of their own and cannot speak our language. We are attempting to achieve goals together. Our lives are literally in their hands. That builds a rapport between us,” says Rachel, adding that she is at peace as soon as she is on the back of a horse.
“It’s impossible not to love and respect them. I believe that if I have the natural balance of a good horsewoman and a competitive rider and I treat them with the same respect and love I crave, they will instinctively try harder for me,” says Rachel who is gearing up for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot Racecourse in England this month.
“Four teams – Ladies, Europe, Great Britain and Ireland and Rest of the World. There will be six of us woman jockeys competing against six male counterparts for the first time, so I’ll be riding with all the big names. I cannot wait!”
To those aspiring young girls who dare to ride like Rachel, she shares this … “A winner is a dreamer who never gives up. I was a once a horse-crazy teenager with a dream of pushing against the wind on the back of a racehorse. Keep going. Live the dream. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t.
Details: You can follow Rachel on IG: vennikerrachel or FB: Rachel Venniker
