Gold Coast jockey Laura Cheshire reveals the highs and lows of horse racing

She’s battled back from nasty falls, a badly broken leg and broken neck — and admits recent deaths make her question what she is doing for a living.

Gold Coast jockey Laura Cheshire will race for the first time on Friday at the Sunshine Coast and Saturday at the Gold Coast after breaking her neck in a fall 6 months ago. Pictured with Emition, her horse which she will race.

Name: Laura Cheshire

Age: 30

Occupation: Jockey

Always been into horses?

I’ve owned a horse since I can remember. When I was 12, I did a few cross-country days, showjumping days.

Where did you get your racing start?

When I was 13, a friend and I started warming up horses before they raced in New Zealand. I left school when I was 16. I figured I was going to get into race horses so it was a waste of time doing my last year. I started an apprenticeship at 18.

Gold Coast jockey Laura Cheshire.

Happy with the rides you get?

I get enough rides to sustain a good enough living. Last week I raced Monday and Saturday, about 10 rides, and you’ve earned probably double what most people earn in a week. I prefer to race a couple of days and have a life.

Difficult to keep the weight where it has to be?

If I have a race the next day I don’t have much food but through the week I can have a proper dinner and eat through the day. Last winter, I started sweating in the car on the way to the races, which a lot of jockeys do — put a set of sweaters on, jump in the car, turn the heating up.

In August 2013, you had a bad fall and broke your leg. Is it your worst moment?

No. I also broke my neck when I was 25 at Ipswich. I had a two-year-old (horse) break her leg. I hit the deck pretty hard. I got put into a halo brace, which is probably the worst thing I’ve had to deal with pain wise. They drill it into your skull with no pain relief … they don’t give you anything because they need to know exactly what you are feeling while they are doing it.

Local jockey Laura Cheshire got a cruel Christmas present when her horse broke its leg and fell on her on Christmas Eve giving her a broken neck.

What happened when you broke your leg?

I got brought down in the race, broke my leg, did a vertebrae, broke ribs, hurt my shoulder and my knee got turned the wrong way because my foot got caught. And I was knocked out for about six to eight minutes. It took me a good two months to get my head right. After the fall I couldn’t remember anything. I would make plans to meet people for dinner and they’d ring me and say “Where are you?” I would say “Where am I supposed to be?”

You were back riding late October. It happened early August? Quick return?

Probably too soon. I had a lot of trainers pushing me to come back because horses I was previously riding were going no good. I got back into it very quickly. If I did it again I’d give myself a bit more time, because the repercussions drag on … I’ve still got problems with that knee.

Know the two female jockeys killed racing this month — Carly-Mae Pye from Rockhampton and apprentice Caitlin Forrest from South Australia?

I met Carly-Mae briefly. I rode at Rocky a few years ago. Caitlin, I didn’t know. Ashlee Mundy, one of my best friends from New Zealand, was riding and got killed two years ago. So I can see what some of these people who know them are going through.

11.8.12 Eagle Farm Race 2 Winner No8 Ain't She Sweet Jockey Laura Cheshire Pic Peter Bull

Does the danger weigh on your mind?

More what I worry about is the people who get left behind and have to deal with it. If something happens to me, I’d be so shattered for my family and friends having to go through what we went through with Ash. That plays on my mind a lot. You go through a pretty dark time when that happens to someone close to you.

Make you think about doing something else?

It crosses your mind. There aren’t many jobs where you have that risk of going to work and not coming home.

What keeps you in the game?

I want to work with horses. I get on horses that haven’t been doing much. I sort of try and figure them out, why they’re not trying … which is usually why horses end up placing and paying $10 for me. A lot of people just don’t try on those horses because they think they’re useless whereas a lot of the time if you do try, you find they can actually run a good race.

Gold Coast jockey Laura Cheshire and below after her second fall and (bottom right) in winning action.