Transgender jockey Tyler Leslight celebrates first win at a TAB meeting

Australia’s first transgender jockey Tyler Leslight opened up on how he was able to move on from an event “that broke me as a kid” after celebrating his first winner at a TAB meeting.

Tyler Leslight (right), with Fire King’s strapper Breanna James, after scoring his first winner at a TAB meeting at Mackay. Picture: Jim Law Race Photography

Transgender jockey Tyler Leslight once felt his world was caving in when his mum refused to speak to him, but those painful emotions were replaced by pure joy when he scored a winner with his first ride on a TAB card at Mackay.

Apprentice hoop Tyler Leslight, 22, was assigned female at birth but when he was 16 decided to medically transition and now identifies as male.

It is believed he is Australia’s first transgender jockey and the 4kg claiming apprentice’s first winner came at a non-TAB meeting when he rode bush champion Fab’s Cowboy to victory at Gladstone on April 16.

But he scored his first TAB winner on Tuesday in Mackay with the meeting broadcast to television screens around Australia on Sky Racing.

Leslight scored a dominant win on easing second favourite Fire King in a 1200m sprint, his face full of emotion as he crossed the line.

🥇 QTIS WIN OF THE DAY 🐴

🏇 It was win number 6 for Fire King in today’s provincial QTIS 3YO Hcp 1200m at Mackay for trainer Olivia Cairns & jockey Tyler Leslight.

💰 1st prizemoney $11k + QTIS bonus $8.5k.

🐴 Sired by Worthy Cause (@CMFThoroughbred). pic.twitter.com/GIWtbrkMBf

— Thoroughbred Breeders Queensland (@QldBreeders) May 10, 2022

Later, he told News Corp about his life journey.

“There’s been loss, I lost my mother as she doesn’t speak to me anymore,” Leslight said.

“At the time when I was 17, that broke me as a kid and I thought my world was over, it took me a good 12 months to get over that.

“But things happen for a reason, I can’t worry about that sort of stuff and I just have positive people in my life.

“I moved from Victoria as I couldn’t even get a job working as a trackwork rider down there, I started working trackwork in Queensland and I probably couldn’t even ride a donkey.

“There were also people who didn’t want to give me a go or didn’t want world to know the truth about me.

“They were embarrassed about me.”

Tyler Leslight rides Fire King to victory at Mackay. Picture: Jim Law Race Photography

Leslight had been working on the Darling Downs in southeast Queensland but recently transferred his apprenticeship to be with trainer Bevan Johnson in the regional coal mining town of Moranbah.

Leslight knew he was on a winning hope in $4 pop Fire King in Mackay on Tuesday, but refused to get ahead of himself.

“I knew the horse was a good chance but I never looked at the TAB odds, I don’t do that because it just goes to your head,” Leslight said.

“My master (Johnson) said don’t look at the form, he said just go there and ride the horse like a barrier trial, that’s all it is.

“I was so happy when I crossed the line first, I had only had 12 race rides before that.

“My pop (grandfather) used to train and he would have been sitting at his mate’s place watching it, he hasn’t been able to watch my races until now because they have all been non-Tab meetings and not broadcast on TV.”

Originally published as Transgender jockey Tyler Leslight celebrates first win at a TAB meeting