Beyond the Darkness
Louis Nhlapo’s journey through pain to purpose
Above: Louis Nhlapo (image: JC Photos)
They call him Yster. Iron Man. And true to the name, Louis Nhlapo has fought his way back into the limelight when most would have given up. His career was brought to an abrupt halt in 2015 by a personal tragedy that left him and his wife in pieces. Faith, courage, and steely determination carried him back to the saddle in 2023. Two long years of travel, chasing rides between provinces and across borders, have tested his resolve. But slowly, surely, the veteran jockey is turning heads again, and the rewards are starting to show.
Louis has ridden five winners and 12 places from just 27 rides this season, earning him a spot in the Top 20 on the National log. Early days at Number 19, but with growing support there’s every reason to believe he can push into the Top 15 or even higher if he continues his dedicated progress.
Behind the statistics, however, lies the personal story that shaped him. When interviewed in 2022, before his return, Louis was reluctant to speak about the heartbreak that struck his family. Now, he has shared the details of what happened on the fateful night of Good Friday, 3 April 2015.
Louis, with two close friends, his 10-year-old daughter Promise, and nine-year-old son Prince in his car, was heading to an evening church service not far from home when headlights suddenly appeared in his rear-view mirror. The vehicle surged closer, weaving dangerously across the dark road, its driver seemingly drunk and unpredictable.
Louis tried to stay calm as the threat closed in, edging left to let the other vehicle pass. But the driver was completely out of control, swerving violently before striking Louis’s car from the side at high speed and flipping it over. His two children and close friends were fatally injured. Louis miraculously survived, shaken to his core, left to grapple with a grief that no one should have to bear.
He recalled: “The darkness and despair will never be easy to describe. My wife Maria and I were absolutely broken, devastated. To make matters worse, there was never any justice for the driver who harassed us and then killed four people. A case number existed, and charges were laid. I followed up for years, but nothing ever came of it. Eventually, I discovered that the driver had ‘settled a fine’ – that’s what they called the cruel dishonesty of allowing a case to slip off the radar. The case docket is nowhere to be found, and he walks free to this day.”
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Above: James Maree helping a work rider at the Racing Development Centre (Image: supplied)
Louis grew up on a farm near Eikenhof in South Gauteng, owned by James Maree. This is where the former master jockey, then trainer, built his stables and training tracks, and where he still runs the Thoroughbred Racing Development Centre, dedicated to the training of work riders.
From the age of seven, Louis was entrusted with one horse at a time to care for. He worked as a groom for 15 years and also completed a course in farriery. “There were many youngsters living on and near the farm, including Mr Maree’s son, Alan. We played a lot of soccer, and I was a defender near the goalposts. They started calling me ‘Yster’ because it was hard for anyone to get the ball past me. I also had some crashing falls from horses, but I was never seriously injured, so the nickname stuck!”
Louis started riding in work riders’ races at the age of 14 and was accepted into the SA Jockey Academy in 2001, despite being in his mid-twenties. His first winner as a professional came in a handicap over 1700m at Gosforth Park on 20 October 2001, aboard Tanse Leisher’s grey seven-year-old gelding, Hot To Spot, who jumped from draw 15 of 16 and carried 49kg. The horse had touched 100-1 in the ante-post market before starting at 33/1. He rode just under 300 winners before his setback.
The trainer who gave him the most support, and whom he most admired, was Ormond Ferraris. “He was a very fair man, and we get on well to this day. He gave rides to those who did the work in the mornings and was not concerned by owners who told him which jockeys to put on their horses.” Louis rode some of Ferraris’ finest horses of the era, including Overarching, Snowdon, Romanelli, and Night Safari. He became known for his superb balance and his ability to ride effectively from off the pace.
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Following the tragedy, Louis spent several months at home doing absolutely nothing. Overcome by grief, the complete absence of justice, and the heartbreaking upheaval of his family life, he sometimes couldn’t even get out of bed in the mornings. There were days when he and Maria simply sat together in their living room, crying in silence.
The National Horseracing Authority (NHA) came to Louis’ aid, offering him a position as a Stipendiary Steward. “Preparing for this job required a lot of reading and writing, studying the rules and so on. It kept my mind occupied, and my road to healing began. I was respected for my knowledge of horses and race riding and I enjoyed my time as a stipe. The job kept me going and brought me closer to a cure.”
Louis returned to the gym and, through playing soccer, discovered he hadn’t lost his fitness or strength. He began to miss what he had been doing since the age of seven – race riding. In 2022, approaching 48, he resigned from the NHA and made the decision to pull his boots back on.
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Aside from their generally generous natures, racing folk have short memories, and in the life of a jockey, you’re only ever as good as your next winner. Louis began riding work for trainers at the Vaal, but with little success, he moved on to the Eastern Cape for an eight-month stint at Fairview. The record shows he was asked to ride arguably some of the worst-performed horses ever assembled at a single centre, managing just 11 minor places from 100 rides. But there was a benefit in that Louis regained his match fitness and was able to renew friendships with trainers and owners in the region.
Near the end of 2023, Louis had the opportunity to accompany his friend and fellow jockey, Luke Coleman, to Ireland as a work rider. They were based at a pre-training facility run by prominent breeze-up consignor, Johnny Hassett.
“This was a fantastic opportunity. We handled some very nice young horses, preparing them for sales with track work. Life was good in Ireland, and I was able to share some of the knowledge I’d gained from working with top South African trainers. I felt that Hassett’s team could tweak certain methods, which they did, with good results.”
One owner was so impressed with Louis that he recommended him to the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board for a jockey’s licence. “Everything seemed in order and I was excited, but then I was informed that my application had been blocked. It may have been due to visa issues. When my visa expired, I was told not to worry and to carry on with my duties, but eventually matters came to a head and I returned to South Africa,” Louis recalled.
Aside from being a valuable working experience, Louis said his stay in Ireland finally cleared his head. “It took me literally 10 years to get over the death of my children and my friends, but I felt strong and positive on my return to Johannesburg.”
At the start of 2025, Louis was appointed as permanent work rider to leading trainer Johan Janse van Vuuren at Turffontein, with a retainer to go with it. “I’ve grown alongside Johan; he knows what he is doing and we have a good relationship. The most important advantage of being a regular work rider is close familiarity with every horse. Over time, you learn their habits and every little quirk, so you can immediately tell when they’re not at their best or when they may be feeling a niggle. You can also sense when they’re popping, ready to win. I think I’ve been valuable to Johan in this respect, and he’s shown his trust by listening to my track reports and discussing them with me.”
Above: Louis wins on Gimmethegoodlife (image: JC Photos)
Louis’ recent spate of winners have come courtesy of trainer Tony Peter, the most recent an excellent front-running ride on Gimmethegoodlife. He set the pace, gave the horse a breather halfway down the home straight, and then shook him up again to gallop away strongly. This is a skill the legendary Piere Strydom employed so often to outwit his rivals and Louis commented: “Piere is the greatest jockey we’ve ever seen in this country. He could win on any horse, even the weakest and worst of them. There will never be a jockey like him again.”
Above: Louis is led in on Rifle Queen (image: JC Photos)
Louis has also established a bond with Peter’s promising three-year-old Rifle Queen, unbeaten in two starts and he said: “Paul Peter approached me long before Rifle Queen’s first run and said that he wanted me to work with her, and that he’d make sure I could ride her when she was ready. She had a minor injury halfway through her preparation, but we gave her time off and started again. I stuck with her, I know her so well, and Mr Peter kept his promise. I must say, however, that anybody could have won on her, she is talented. When a horse is well prepared, fully fit and in perfect health for a race, like Rifle Queen has been so far, they are always hard to beat.”
Now, for the first time in many years, Louis is getting calls from trainers, and earning more respect from fellow jockeys than ever before. “The jocks are always talking in the Jockeys Room, trying to figure out each other’s tactics so they can have an edge in a race. I usually keep to myself, reading a book. But I can sense the change. They look at me differently again, and they want to know what I know.”
At 50, he has no illusions of pushing it until 60. “I’m very fit. I still play plenty of soccer when I’m not at the track, and I can do 50 kilograms. My aim is to secure a few good feature rides this summer during the Highveld season. Later, if my arrangement with Johan allows, I may travel for decent rides elsewhere. Riding until 55 would be ideal, but we’ll see.”
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Louis and Maria Nhlapo’s tale of misery and unimaginable loss found its silver lining in a moment that felt almost destined. On Good Friday 2016 – the very day that had claimed their first pair a year before – a baby girl arrived!
The timing was both heartbreaking and profoundly beautiful, a reminder that even after the darkest night, new life and hope can emerge. Louis recalled: “After the devastation, we tried again and Promise was born, named after her late sister. Then ‘LJ’ arrived the following year, in 2017. The most incredible thing is that they are the spitting image of their late siblings!”
Today, laughter rings once more through the Nhlapo home. Yster’s story – once defined by grief – has been reshaped by the quiet miracles that only time and love can bring.