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Leighton defying the odds with riding comeback
Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • September 5th, 2025 1:03 pm
Erin Leighton pictured in her former role as a presenter for Trackside | Photo: Nicole Troost
Erin Leighton will continue her comeback to raceday riding when she heads to Otaki on Saturday to pilot debutant Sea Wolf in the AR Painters Maiden (1400m) for employer Roydon Bergerson.
The 33-year-old hoop’s name had been absent from the racebook for three years following injury, but she made her return last Saturday at Wanganui where she had two rides, and scored a placing aboard the Bergerson-trained Our Giulia.
Leighton is rapt to be back in the saddle on raceday, admitting she missed the thrill of competition.
“I love it. I am thrilled to be back,” she said.
After years of rehabilitation, Leighton was told last year by surgeons that she would never ride again, but she showed grit and determination to double down on her rehabilitation and proved that initial prognosis wrong.
“I never thought it was going to be possible, but I finally got there,” she said.
“It has been about three years (since I last rode at the races). I broke my back in a raceday fall and it took four months to get over that.
“Not long after I got back riding trackwork I busted a shoulder and had to have that operated on, which hasn’t been super successful.
“At Christmas last year they said I would never ride again. The surgeon kept wanting to follow the injury to see how it would eventuate and the last time I went up there he couldn’t deny the rehab I had done and the muscle I had built. Every position he tested me in I was strong enough, so he signed me off to ride again.”
While her shoulder injury has impacted Leighton’s range of motion, she has adapted her riding style.
“I am pain free, but I have had to change the way I use my right arm, and that goes for trackwork and even living every day, there are a lot of things I can’t do with that arm anymore,” she said.
“As far as the riding position, it works perfectly fine, I have just had to adjust. I have been riding a lot of trackwork all year and have figured it out.”
When she was given the news that she would never ride on raceday, Leighton began to think about her career out of the saddle and elected to head to Massey University in Palmerston North to pursue a career as a veterinarian.
While studying, she began to work for local trainer Roydon Bergerson, who she said has been instrumental in her return.
“After they told me I couldn’t ride again, I started thinking about what else I would like to do and I decided I would go to university, and I thought I would pay for my uni fees by riding some trackwork,” she said.
“I started riding for Roydon Bergerson and got the bug again. I went to the races a few times for him strapping and I thought I would rather ride them.
“I thought I would try intense rehab and see how I go, and I finally got there. Roydon has been a massive supporter, so that has been fantastic for me.”
This Saturday will be in stark contrast to this time last year for Leighton, who was presenting on horseback for Trackside at Hasting’s Tarzino Trophy Day.
“Last year I was at the Group One day working for Trackside, and that was a lot of fun, but I would much rather be riding at the lesser meeting than presenting at the bigger meeting,” she said.
“It was a really good learning curve for me. I am naturally pretty shy, so having to put myself out there like that was good for me.”
Leighton is looking forward to riding Sea Wolf at Otaki and said she will be suited over more ground in time.
“She has had a stack of trials,” Leighton said. “I think she wants to stay a bit, even though she is only small. She is quite a nice shape and the more ground she is getting over, the better feel she is starting to give.
“I think she will hopefully handle the wet track tomorrow, but it is a big ask. She is brave and pretty tough, so I think she will do her best no matter what.”
Looking ahead to Sunday, Leighton will hop aboard two favourites at Woodville, including Turn It Up in the Pahiatua Ladies 1200 and Wingman in the Woodville 150YR Milestone 1400, both for Bergerson.
“Turn It Up is an interesting horse, but she is really tough and fast,” Leighton said. “She loves to run, which is half the problem, because you have got to try and put a lid on her all of the time.
“She loves her job and she will try extremely hard. I think she will get through the conditions and she is pretty fit for the job, so she should be right there.
“Wingman is a question mark. If they get all of that rain he may be scratched. But I am very grateful to get on him, he is one that has got a bit of gas, and it will be good to get some speed under me. I think he will be really hard to beat if he does line-up.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
