What a ripper! My dad shared a love of horses with me – not a rider like I try to be but instead he followed the jockeys. He knew which one had ridden which horse in what race. He raised and adored his own 3 spirited daughters but even dad thought women jockeys weren’t as strong as the men.
I wish he was alive today to see Michelle Payne ride her way to Melbourne Cup history. The first ever woman to jockey a Melbourne Cup winner. And even Dad would have loved Payne’s parting comments to the naysayers like him. Fair enough, he’d have to agree.
Payne deserved this win so much. She’s dreamed of it since she was 5 years old and along the way faced serious hurdles, including overcoming a horrific riding injury (resulting in a fractured skull and bruising to her brain) to get back in the saddle.
And she had a great dad too who raised her and her 9 other siblings as a single father (yes 10 kids in total!! including her brother and strapper, Stevie) after her mum died in a car accident when Michelle was only 6 months old.
Michelle Payne is not only a magnificent jockey, she’s also a great example of the value of setting goals, being resilient, and of the power of love, the strength of family, and of the important role men play in being great role models and supporters of their daughters.
And let’s not forget the trainer Darren Weir who gave Payne the ride of her life when others might have preferred a more “successful” jockey – a safer bet, so to speak. A lesson for those with the power – you’ve got the chance to give women a break and the chance to let them shine too.
And the heroic Prince of Penzance, there was nothing going to stop this horse today.
And for Stevie – who shares Down Syndrome with aunt Janice – it was your day too, young buddy. That you have a full time career in a field that you love says a lot about you and your family too. I’m guessing the Payne family has a policy of “no excuses”.
In life, there will always be people who doubt your ability. There will be others who will give you a break. How you choose to respond to both is up to you.
Go you good things! This is the stuff that dreams are made of!
Yours with a little tear in my eye and a big wide smile of my dial,
Jen 🙂
Leave a Reply