Incredible story behind Michelle Payne’s history making win

BEFORE she made history at the Melbourne Cup, Michelle Payne had to overcome pain that would have broken most people.

IN 2013 when little known jockey Michelle Payne took a backbreaking tumble from her horse, she made a decision.

She knew she was seriously injured. When you’ve broken bones before it’s not something you want to feel again. The memory of that excruciating feeling stayed with her — and she had to seriously contemplate her future in racing.

“Basically I just want to have one or two more years of giving it my best shot, and then that’s it,” she told Fairfax racing writer Peter Hanlon at the time.

She decided she wanted to “have something really good in place” when she did retire.

Two years on and the 30-year-old couldn’t be in a better place. She’s made history as the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, but she’s ditched the two-year plan, saying she’s “going to be in the game forever”.

While Michelle Payne has a brilliant future in racing, and at any guess as an influential Australian woman, she already comes with an extraordinary history.

A TOUGH UPBRINGING

One of 10 kids, Michelle grew up poor on a farm near Ballarat.

Her mother was tragically killed in a car accident when Michelle was just a baby. Her father Paddy, a country trainer and top jockey, was left to raise the large family, six-month-old Michelle the youngest.

Paddy never pushed racing onto his kids but they inherited his love for the sport.

What he did teach them was a strong work ethic, something that Michelle — the fourth of her sisters to take up the saddle — especially brought to riding.

Michelle Payne celebrated with her brothers and sisters: Andrew, Cathy, Michelle, Stephen, Margaret, Bernadette, Patrick and Therese. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

“My dad was a jumps jockey and then a horse trainer, and we used to ride the horses when we were young. My older sisters — I’m the youngest of ten — we all grew up with horses,” she told ABC’s 7.30 program last night.

“And he never really pushed us into it. We had to work to earn our keep, but he didn’t, I don’t think, really want us to be jockeys. But if we wanted to, he gave us his full support.”

Michelle says from five years old she was desperate to ride the horses, waking up furious at her father if he had gone to the stables without her. She preferred going for a gallop than working on the dairy farm her father bought when she was about seven, but appreciates it now.

“The older I am now, I appreciate that he was just absolutely amazing,” she said.

“I appreciate it now because he really taught us to have a good work ethic and I think that’s really helped in my career. Because we did have to work from a young age and appreciate everything that we got. And he is just an amazing person. What he did bringing us up: we stuck together and yeah, just had to get out there and do the job.

“I’m just so grateful for my upbringing because I wouldn’t be here without that.”

Michelle has experienced some trying moments in her career, suffering a near-fatal fall in 2004 that caused her to fracture her skull and had bruising on the brain. Her father Paddy encouraged her to give up racing after that nasty fall, and he faced further heartache when he lost his eldest daughter, Brigid, in 2007 to a heart attack six months after a fall left her in an induced coma.

Michelle kept racing and in 2009 won her first Group One race at racing’s highest level.

Since then she’s taken some dangerous falls but always made it back on the horse to represent her racing family.

‘SUCH A CHAUVINISTIC SPORT’

While Michelle was expecting to be thrown from the odd horse when she started racing, she may not have been prepared for the knock-backs she would face for her gender.

When Michelle completed her history-making ride yesterday, dizzy with victory, one of the first things that came out of her mouth was a frank summary of the racing as she’d experience it.

“It’s such a chauvinistic sport,” she told the Flemington press pack.

“Some of the owners wanted to kick me off the horse, but I thought he had what it takes to run a race in the Melbourne Cup.

“I can’t say how grateful I am (to the people who helped me), and I want to say to everyone else, get stuffed, because women can do anything and we can beat the world.”

‘Get stuffed’ ... Michelle Payne has proven women in can win in racing. Picture: Colleen Petch

Michelle never planned on being a pin-up for women in racing, her main aim was to be better than her sisters. Yesterday she said she “didn’t really see the significance” of her win as a woman, but with all the attention the young jockey is getting, she’s probably starting to see the significance.

“I don’t really think of it ... but I hope it helped female jockeys,” she said on 7.30.

“I feel sorry for all the girls out there that haven’t had the opportunity; that I’m the first one, because I think everyone deserves it. But I just really hope that it helps open up more opportunities and we get more of a go.”

THE UNSUNG HERO

Along with breaking the “grass ceiling” for female jockeys, Michelle is using her new-found prominence to spread an important message about people with intellectual disabilities.

Her brother Steven, who has Down syndrome, is the strapper for winning horse Prince of Penzance’s, and played a big role in his preparation for the race.

Stevie has been employed at trainer Darren Weir’s Ballarat stables for close to a decade where he’s kept busy with his various responsibilities working with the horses.

“He can follow the work sheet, he can saddle them up, he can swim them, hose them, and he’s got a great rapport with horses,” Weir said ahead of the race.

“He’s really enjoyable to have around, and I think it’s important for those sorts of kids to get a go at something, and if they get a go they reward you.”

Strapper Stephen Payne was instrumental to Michelle’s win. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Michelle says Stevie, who she shared a special bond with growing up as the youngest of their large family, was crucial to the win, picking the number one barrier and preparing the horse.

“I think it’s great for other people with Down syndrome — to see how capable they can be in normal life,” she said on Sunrise this morning.

“Stevie can pretty much do anything, and look after himself when he’s on his own.

“Just treat them as normal. I just hope that message gets out there.”

WHAT’S NEXT FOR MICHELLE?

Until about half way through yesterday’s race Michelle never realistically thought she would take home the Melbourne Cup, but she had said, half-jokingly, that if she ever did that would be the end of her career.

“I was always going to retire if I won the Melbourne Cup — it’d be a good way to go out,” she told Sunrise.

“But I kind of feel like it’d be a bit of a shame too but I feel like I’m just starting to get going now.”

Michelle Payne and trainer Darren Weir celebrate with the Cup. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

As she did even after she broke her back and fractured her skull, Michelle is ready to get back in the saddle.

While her horse’s trainer and owners will likely be nursing sore heads after yesterday’s celebrations, Michelle will be racing this afternoon at a country race meet at Kyneton.

“It’s what I love. It’s my passion. It’s an amazing industry,” she said after proving herself on the track yesterday.

“You don’t need to have all the money in the world to win the greatest race in Australia and nearly the world.”

Originally published as Incredible story behind Michelle Payne’s history making win