Client Spotlight - Jenny Becker

Jenny Becker’s passion for harness racing has been a lifetime in the making.

Founder of Tehoro Trotters, based on the Kapiti Coast, Jenny utilises her own land at home and the services of Wai Eyre Farm in Canterbury to achieve her breeding goals.

Associated with the Tehoro prefix, such as Tehoro Diva, Tehoro Flirt and Tehoro Dazzle, Jenny’s passion for the sport and her horses is undeniable.

But her breeding journey actually started in a unique way, with Jenny and her husband Stuart venturing into dog breeding in the nineties.

“I got my first Siberian Husky when I was living in Christchurch in 1993, and went a bit crazy with it since I couldn’t have horses,” Jenny explained.  

This passion for pedigrees and performance saw them expand into a wider breeding programme after moving north to Wellington.

“We got a stud dog in from Canada, and we would show them and race them. All up I did that for about 30 years.”

“I have fibromyalgia so the brushing and work got too much, and eventually we wound down the breeding.”

“I had Belgian shepherds as watch dogs, and always been hankering for another one, so we have a puppy now that we have just got and working it into the family.”

And it was just by chance that Jenny’s love of animals found her at a racetrack, and then in the stables.

“Growing up, I’ve always been around animals we always had a dog in the house, and my eldest sister did the whole pony club thing. Bu the time I came along, because I am the youngest of four, my parents were like there is no way you’re having a horse.”

“They said I don’t care how loud you scream or hard how you kick, you’re not having a horse. We’ve been there and done that.”

Little would Jenny know that divine intervention would see her dreams realised, but in a way she could never had predicted.

“I did keep asking my parent for a horse, but through a weird set of circumstances my Dad worked with a guy who owned a pacer, who would have one at a time. He was associated with trainer Mike Berger in Morrinsville.”

“Then Dad one night mentioned he also knew the guy who worked in the secretary’s office at Cambridge Raceway, and so one night Dad took me along to the track. I would’ve been eight years old at the time, and we got into the members stand.”

“At the races we ran into Dad’s friend and his horse got third that night, so he was over the moon about that. He asked me if I liked horses, and then invited me down to Mike’s stable on the Sunday morning to pat the horses and give them a brush. I could sense Mum and Dad standing their rolling their eyes, thinking no, no, no…” Jenny laughed.

“So, I think probably every Sunday morning from then that we were in town I would go down and help out, or get in the way, and I did that until I was 17 and left home and moved down to Christchurch.”

During her teenage years Jenny also remembers attending the InterDominions when they were held at Alexandra Park, and had fond memories of enjoying the bright lights of racing in Auckland.

“I remember going to Alex Park with Tanya (Scott), and we saw some of the best horses racing in Australasia at the time. It was such a thrill to see the best trotters and pacers in the flesh.”

After moving south to Christchurch,  Jenny was still able to enjoy her interest in harness racing, flatting in the suburb of Addington had its advantages.

“I would sit on my doorstep on a Friday night, and I could see the lights of the racetrack and hear the commentary. I was always hankering to get to the track and followed it closely even then.”

It was in Christchurch that Jenny met her husband, Stuart, who was from Wellington. And soon the time came to move north together to start a new chapter.

“We moved up there and had the dogs and the numbers kept increasing, so the quarter acre section wasn’t quite working. We were looking around at land, and it was the classic case of location, location, location.”

The couple purchased a 13 acre block in Kapiti, which was in a good area, but needed work.

“It was a paddock essentially. Just one big paddock. Boundary fencing, and that was it. So we got to work on it, and of course I got to work on buying horses. I could finally have my own then.”

But not intent to do things by halves, Jenny was straight into the breeding game rather than just own and race them initially.

“It was always my plan to breed standardbreds, not just own them. Initially I bought a couple of broodmares from Morrinsville, and, what’s a nice way to put it? They didn’t really make the cut.”

“I went through a period of collecting broodmares, and I was good friends with the Scott family, Clem, Dennis and Tanya, and I also knew Brad McDonald. So after not having a lot of luck with my mares Brad said that Donna Whiz was coming up for lease. He told me that that was the one you want, and all he wanted was to buy back her first filly.”

Donna Whiz was by Gee Whiz, out of Yankee Jolter mare, National Flirt. She had won two races in her career and 12 placings.

The voyage with Donna Whiz was one of hard lessons initially, with her first foal unfortunately breaking its leg. It was an emotional experience for Jenny.

“There was very nearly no more Tehoro Trotters after that, but we picked ourselves up and kept going.”

Donna Whiz has become a wonderful producer for Tehoro Trotters, leaving Becker (7 wins), The Tin Man (9 wins), Tehoro Diva (6 wins), Tehoro Grace (4 wins) and Aile Rouge (8 wins).

Jenny also purchased Donna Whiz’s dam, National Flirt, through the all age sale in foal - the resultant foal was Mon Beau Somolli.

He won three races in New Zealand, before being sold to the United States where he had a successful career and a best time of 1.54.

“It was a nice feeling to see him do so well in America, because for so many years we kind of went round in circles with our mares. They weren’t really doing anything,” Jenny said.

“So I got a bit of advice, and that was to pick a family and stick with it. So that was the choice to stick with National Flirt and Donna Whiz.”

Finding a trainer to stick with also proved to be a winning choice.

“I ended up striking up a great working relationship with Robbie Holmes. I was very lucky to get connected with him, and then he had the absolute pleasure of dealing with the nutcase that was Tehoro Flirt,” Jenny laughed.

“The first time she went out on the track she lay down on it, and I said oh my god I’m so, so sorry.”

“But now fortunately he is totally used to that kind of behaviour. He knows exactly what’s coming and that sometimes we are going to gallop in about six races before they get their stuff together.”

The spirited nature of her breed though it what makes them such tough performers on the track, once the ground work is complete.

Although Jenny used to follow pacers as an interest and dealt mainly with pacers when helping Mike Berger, she is dedicated to the trotting gait as a breeder.

“It just happened that way, but I love this family so much and the trotters even though they can need so much patience, it’s so worth it.”

Jenny has also landed on one factor when breeding her mares, and that is to look European for stallion selection.

“We just sort of hit a brick wall with the American stallions. There were just a lot of lines that weren’t clicking for my mares, we could get them so far, then not able to get any further.”

“And I think it was Aile Rouge that opened my eyes.”

Aile Rouge was out of Donna Whiz, by Love You. A strapping chestnut gelding who ended up winning eight races, including the Group Three Summer Trotting Free-For-All for trainer/driver, Robbie Holmes.

“I looked at him, and then Mon Beau Somolli and he was French, by Beautiful Somolli. So, we then bred to Sebastian K and got Jesper Fast.”

Jesper Fast is out of Tehoro Flirt, and won five races in his career.

“We just decided, let’s go weird. And we have stuck with the European trotting stallions since then. It seems to be working, and we have some lovely young horses coming through now too.”

When asked if she could name one favourite horse, it was a tough call.

“We have Tehoro Furball, the Kidz Kartz pony. That’s probably our most successful,” Jenny laughed.

“But I find it really hard to pick one horse. I just can’t.”

“Tehoro Flirt is special because she was our first Tehoro, The Tin Man won nice races, and Tehoro Diva was just brilliant too and I love that she won her last race in foal and she was carrying Tehoro Dazzle and that went on to win five. And of course Aile Rouge, he won a group race.”

“It’s just too hard to pick one, they all mean so much to me.”

Jenny’s relationship with Wai Eyre Farm has been a long and loyal one, spanning 26 years now.

“Brad McDonald had Donna Whiz grazing there, and being based in Kapiti I remember calling Darryl and asking if there would possibly be room for a couple more of my mares.”

“And then I found out how big the farm was, and I felt like a bit of an idiot,” Jenny laughed.

“The team there have always been so brilliant to work with, I may be so far away but it doesn’t feel like it at all.”

“They have always rung me and kept me updated and sent photos to me of my horses. I don’t have to give them a second thought I know they are cared for and well looked after at all times.”

“I always say, whatever they need, just do it. There is no point in scrimping on their welfare, that always comes first.”

“It’s so funny, we spend thousands on making sure our horses are looked after and ok. And then when it comes to spending on ourselves, we think – do I really need those new shoes? And so, my old boots have to last about another six months.”

Wai Eyre’s recent move to reduce fees and costs on farm has been welcomed by Jenny.

“I have to applaud what Darryl has done too in reducing fees for us breeders. It means a lot and shows us that Wai Eyre are trying to help. It means we can put more back into the game and keep breeding.”

So, when it comes to breeding trotters, where does the satisfaction come from for Jenny Becker.

“I guess, it’s having a healthy mare and healthy foal when it arrives. That’s the main thing.”

“And then probably the second, is getting around the track without galloping,” she laughed.

“At the trials I am jumping up and down if they just get around and do everything right.”

For now the dream continues for Tehoro, with the next line of young horses coming through, and Jenny is on the countdown.

“I’ve planned a trip down south shortly, I’ve planned it to work in as many race meetings as possible. I can’t wait to see my horses and visit Robbie’s and Wai Eyre.”

“I just love my horses so much, they are all like my kids.”

The Tehoro story continues, with Danya (En Solitaire – Tehoro Dazzle) due on course in coming months.

It may not be too long until we see how ‘going weird’ can again pay off when you have a passion for breeding and your horses.