Being born into a racing family Jake Hull, 30, was determined to follow in his family’s footsteps and one day, jump in the saddle himself. “I remember running around as a three-year-old with dad’s whip and pretending that the lounge was a racehorse,” Jake recalls. With cousin Josh Parr and brother Ben Hull already established in the industry, Jake quickly found his way in and struck success at a young age.
“I was about 13 when I moved to Mudgee to ride track work before moving to Gosford at 15 to start my apprenticeship with Grant Allard. I knew I would always struggle with my weight as I was taller so wanted to start trackwork riding as early as possible,” Jake said.
Despite Jake’s tall frame posing a threat to his riding, he started race riding at the ripe age of 15. “In all my career my most memorable ride would have to be on my 18th birthday when I rode in my first Group 1 in the 2011 Queensland Oaks on board Nayana,” he said.
As Jake’s success built, so did his injury list. It wasn’t until a race meeting at Gosford that Jake decided to call time on his riding career after wasting all week.
“I had a fair few stints on the sidelines due to weight and race falls during my time. My body really started to feel the effects of extreme dieting and I had niggling injuries which just kept coming back. So, I decided that it was time to give riding away,” Jake said.
With Jake’s time in the saddle drawing to a close, this decision didn’t come lightly for Hull. “It was really hard to call time on my career and quite difficult once I stopped riding to be honest. I really missed my mates in the jockey room and the banter. There was still a will to ride but my body just wouldn’t allow me to do it anymore,” Jake said.
Although this decision was tough, Jake was fortunate enough to gain employment with John O’Connor at his world-class training centre at Feale Park. Slotting into an Assistant Trainer role, this made the transition easier for Jake.
“I always knew my time in the saddle was limited so I wanted to become a trainer after. I had to work hard to get this opportunity and I’m just grateful that John put a lot of trust into me.”
“As a trainer there is a lot of obstacles and hurdles you have to juggle as you are working with horses who can be very temperamental. You want everything to go right and get the best results out of your horses,” Jake details.
Over the next few months, Jake spent time developing his training skills under the guidance of John O’Connor. As his hard work started to show, Jake pushed through the nerves and decided to go out on his own.
Training out of Feale Park, Jake developed his own stable which now has more than 30 horses in work.
Remembering his first runner, Rejinsky who ran 4th at Warwick farm in late 2022, Jake recalls, “It was a big thrill to have my first runner in Sydney and for him to run a really good race. A very nerve-wracking experience though.”
Jake dedicates his fast-tracked success to his previous years in the saddle. “Definitely having a riding background has helped me become a better trainer as I am actually able to do the main gallops myself and get a good feel of the horse. It’s a very good asset to have,” he said.
With Jake now settled and excelling in this new chapter, he looks to have consistent runners & winners at Sydney tracks, which all contributes to his ultimate goal of winning a Group 1 race.
Loni Fuller’s love for horse racing was sparked by a basic riding lesson, igniting a lifelong passion which has captivated every facet of her life.
Since childhood, Loni has been immersed in the equine world, having grown up with a horse on her family’s farm. Although her mother was a rider, she did not come from a racing background. Loni always had a fondness for working with animals but was unsure of how to turn this passion into a career.
It wasn’t until it was time for Loni to start a career, that she decided to put aside her love for animals and instead study a business course through TAFE.
While completing her degree, Loni always had this urge that she wanted to learn to ride but thought she missed the boat as she was 22 and maybe too old to start a new sport. Pushing past this thought, Loni and her close friend decided to enrol themselves into a riding lesson at a local stable.
“It was here that it clicked in my head that maybe I wanted to do something with horses. I got really into riding and signed myself up for a breeding course through TAFE to learn more, but unfortunately due to covid it didn’t run,” Loni said.
This roadblock didn’t dim Loni’s passion for horses and instead pushed her to consider a career in the racing industry. Loni acted upon this thought and reached out to popular Newcastle trainer Kris Lees to apply for a stable hand job with him.
“I just wanted to see if the racing industry was for me. I haven’t looked back since,” she said.
Within a matter of weeks, Loni became invested in the racing industry and in her time at Kris Lee’s she had many rewarding moments. After two years she decided it was time to move on and sought career advice from Samantha Clenton, who was the foreman she was working under at the Lee’s stable.
“Samantha’s advice was that I should go to Leah Gavranich and Paul Messara at Arrowfield, so I applied for a job there. Ever since the interview, Leah has taken me under her wing and taught me so much within the past year. Leah is such a good horse woman and is really big on educating her horses which has been great to learn,” Loni said.
With this guidance and new position, Loni and her partner relocated to the horse capital of Scone as she has pursued full time employment at the Arrowfield training centre.
“At Arrowfield, they are giving me the tools and experiences to one day slot right into any role I wish to persue in the future, within Arrowfield or elsewhere. This is because of both Leah and Paul’s extensive knowledge and their encouragement to upskill myself by getting my truck license and completing a short leadership course which has been pretty amazing,” she said.
Although Loni details the highs of her role, she also doesn’t shy away from the reality of working with animals. “The early mornings and long working hours can be really hard some days, but I wouldn’t change it at all. Coming from working in other industries I look back now and realise how happy I am that I am here. You couldn’t pay me enough to go back,” Loni stated.
As Loni continues to upskill herself through the support of the Messara Racing team, she works towards her end goal of one day being able to train racehorses. “I am in the right place to learn and train successfully as I am so happy with Arrowfield and appreciate how much time they have invested in me so far. In the meantime, I would love to become a racing manager or a travelling Foreman if the opportunity arose,” Fuller said.
Career aspirations aside, it can be said that the racing industry has well and truly captivated Loni’s heart.
“For me, the best part of the racing industry is being able to connect with owners and create lifelong friendships that I wouldn’t have had if I wasn’t in the industry. I used to strap Enchanted Heart and now I am still very close friends with her owners,” Loni said.
After piloting Paths of Glory to success in the 2020 Wyong Cup, Group 1-winning jockey Rachel King has since adopted and retrained the English import to showjumping victory.
Formerly trained by Michael and Richard Freedman, Paths of Glory (or better known as POG), instantly stole Rachel’s heart after she rode him in his second start.
“I always had a passion for equestrian as I did a lot of showjumping as a kid but just never thought about having a thoroughbred of my own,” King said.
“From the first time I rode him he just felt different. Straight away I asked connections if I could take him on after he had finished his racing career.”
The duo’s bond deepened as Rachel became POG’s regular jockey in which they went on to claim a Group 3 win in the JRA Plate at Royal Randwick and three other Group placings.
Credit: Bradley Photos
After 24 starts and earning over $500,000 in prizemoney, Paths of Glory officially retired from the track on Rachel’s birthday having suffered a minor tendon injury.
China Horse Club, the owners of Paths of Glory, gave the jockey their blessing and the grey was rehomed with Rachel.
“He had a good break after that to recover and then the work started. It’s been over a year now and he has really turned his hand to showjumping which is what I have always enjoyed,” Rachel said.
“Because I hadn’t done showjumping in years though, we both were learning on the go and taking this journey together.”
Credit: Wiepa Lodge
So far, the pair has entered multiple competitions and training days in which POG has consistently competed in *1m classes.
“He is such a good horse to have as he is low maintenance which fits into my racing schedule.
“It doesn’t matter when I ride him, he is always the same and doesn’t get too fresh.
“I’m only doing it for a bit of fun, but he is truly a great horse to have,” Rachel said.
Although extremely happy with her companion POG, Rachel hasn’t ruled out the possibility of expanding her showjumping team to include other off the track Thoroughbreds.
“If I find one at the races, I keep an eye on them. I’m just waiting for the right horse to turn up and for me to have the same feeling as I did with POG,” Rachel concluded.
Our Team Thoroughbred representatives had a great day at the Godolphin family fun day on Sunday, July 9. The Team Thoroughbred tent featured an equiscizer, which was a hit with the future generation. Kids lined up, put on some silks and had a turn riding in Corey Browns race saddle and riding the equiscizer. Our team also had the opportunity to speak to parents & careers about the industry and Thoroughbred welfare and re-training in NSW.
The highlight of the day was having the opportunity for families to meet our Bart’s Farm resident, Vashka and Para-dressage champion, Cruise at the stalls from 2pm. Both horses got lots of hugs and pats from fans of all ages.
It was a great day to showcase Team Thoroughbred NSW!
In my experience as a Sports Dietitian for jockeys, a jockey’s weight management comes under three categories. Understanding which category you sit in, in my opinion, will help you to best manage your weight, mental and physical health and energy levels for performance. It is also important to understand that most jockeys do not walk around at correct weight, and this is perfectly normal. This is another reason I strongly encourage jockeys to advocate for themselves and ask not to be weighed on non-race days.
So what are the three categories?
Category I – Those that walk around at weight, naturally.
Category II – Those that do not walk around at weight but can manipulate glycogen and fluid stores to meet weight.
Category III – Those that will only meet weight by over exercising or developing an eating disorder as weight targets are physiologically impossible.
In reality most jockeys sit in category II or III. For those struggling with an eating disorder, making weight or you are not sure click the link or scan the QR code to the anonymous eating disorder screening tool via the Inside Out Institute;https://insideoutinstitute.org.au/assessment/?started=true . I also recommend speaking to your doctor or a dietitian. Racing NSW has a great initiative giving jockeys access to $300.00 per year to see a dietitian. If you need help put your hand up.
Weight management, where do we start? When it comes to weight management, regardless of which category you are, I always start by asking my athletes to complete a DEXA Body Composition Scan (Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry) and full bloods. Whether you are a pre-apprentice or a fully fledged professional jockey we need a baseline. DEXA scans give a thorough understanding of the athletes body composition, unlike your bathroom scales. As per the image and table below, the scan breaks down your fat, muscle and bone mass into grams. I start by looking at total mass (weight), fat mass and compare it to the jockey’s correct weight. Your correct weight may or may not be realistic based on your body composition and the DEXA scan helps us to decipher this. For many jockeys it gives them closure that it is ok to not walk around at weight, we then use other strategies to meet weight. This is why I strongly discourage jockeys, trainers, managers, and stewards from weighing jockeys on any other day than race day. It puts undue stress on jockeys and can trigger disordered eating/eating disorders. I’ve seen it time and time again. A prime example of a weight classed athlete not walking around at weight is Conor McGregor.
Table 1: DEXA Body Composition Scan: Cis-Female Apprentice Jockey
When looking at fat mass, each person requires a minimum amount of fat for health. For cis-women no less than 10kg and cis-men no less than 5kg. If we use the example above, this jockey weighs 55.9kg and a subtotal fat 13.6kg (total fat – weight of head). In theory this jockey could aim to lose 3.6kg of fat (subtotal fat – minimum fat required 10kg) and sit at 52.3kg. She needed to sit at 54kg, therefore her correct weight was a realistic target. If the goal were 50kg it would be unrealistic to walk around at this weight. We could use glycogen depletion and fluid manipulation.
Blood tests The second task I ask jockeys to complete is to have their blood analysed. This is to ensure there are no nutritional deficiencies or abnormalities that need to be corrected. Deficiencies can lead to an array of things including difficulty with weight management, a lack of energy, poor sleep, fatigue, delayed recovery, and lethargy. For an athlete you want to be firing on all cylinders, so we need to check and correct. Due to the nature of racing and shift work, common deficiencies of jockeys include iron and vitamin D. See your doctor today and ask for the following blood work: serum chemistry, LFTs, FBC, EUCs, full iron study, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, BSLs, Zinc, eGFR. For those consuming a restrictive diet of less than 1000 calories, have your doctor add thiamine, calcium, magnesium, and phosphate to your blood test.Once you have your results book an appointment with me to discuss if supplementation or only dietary changes are recommended.
Fuelling an athlete:
After looking at your DEXA scan and blood results, I look to improve the nutritional quality of your intake, both food and fluid, regardless of what category you are in. For those in category I, their weight may increase after improving their intake because they were essentially malnourished prior and/or dehydrated. Many of you would agree that a typical jockey diet is several coffees/tea per day, an energy drink and maybe one meal at night. How can you compete to your full potential if you aren’t fuelling yourself with nutritious foods.
We would start with the when, timing of meals, and then work on what, what you are eating. This will vary from jockey to jockey and which day of the week it is, race day vs trials. The final layer would be to add sports supplements to gain those extra one-percenters for improved performance. It is important to note sports supplements do not outweigh a poor-quality diet.
Manipulating glycogen and fluid to meet weight:
Now let’s jump to Category II jockeys, which would be most of you. This is because as a society we are getting taller, yet minimum weights are not increasing. This is unlikely to change soon, so we use the manipulation of fluid shifts and glycogen depletion to our advantage.
What is glycogen?
Your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose which is stored in your liver and muscles as glycogen. By depleting your glycogen stores, you can decrease your fluid stores and subsequently body weight. As many of you have seen, those that go on a low carbohydrate diet will lose ‘weight’. This is temporary as it is fluid loss not fat or muscle loss. You will essentially gain the weight back once your glycogen stores are replenished. Below are two videos, one about glycogen and the other about energy systems in the body. I thoroughly recommend these to gain an understanding of the science.
To manipulate glycogen use The Hill Sprint Protocol written by researchers from the Professional Jockeys Association and John Moore’s University, UK. Through this protocol you can lose between 0.45-1.4kg (2-3lbs) depending on the individual. Other exercises can be used if you can’t sprint; an exercise bike or HIIT/circuit training. Have a try and see how you go. If you have significantly restricted your diet already, your glycogen stores may already be depleted. Use this protocol the day prior to race day and practice it first to see if it works for you and how much weight on average you can drop.
To ensure you know the sources of carbohydrates: Carbohydrates come from wholegrains, breads and cereals, fruit, fruit juice (fructose), starchy or root vegetables, legumes and lentils, milk and yoghurt (lactose). They are also found as simple sugars in sugar, pastries, sweets, lollies, and soft drinks. You want to limit eating these after the Hill Sprint Protocol and consume a meal high in protein, low carb vegetables/salad and fats (i.e., olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado). After the races, as you no longer must meet weight, top up your carbohydrates to help with recovery. An easy option will be flavoured milk and a Gatorade, then after getting changed a sandwich or wrap with chicken/turkey/ham with ++ salad.
Fluid manipulation:
In addition to depleting glycogen, you can look to strip body fluid. This can be through fluid restriction and active or passive sweating. It is important to note that dehydration does impact performance however for some this is the only option to meet weight. Some may opt for active sweating in the form of sweat suits during track work, running or cardio exercise or passive sweating in baths, saunas or steam rooms. You may also restrict fluid intake for the day prior to the races. To effectively rehydrate post races, record your weight pre and post sweat to calculate the fluid lost. Then multiply this by 1.5. This will calculate the litres required to rehydrate. For example, if you lost 1kg or 1L, top up with 1.5L of fluid. As your sweat is water and salt, it is important to top up electrolytes also. This can be in the form of sports drinks (Gatorade/Powerade) or Hydralyte tablets or icy poles. An example would be to consume a small flavoured milk post races (250mL) + Gatorade (600mL) and 650mL water, consumed over 1-2 hours post races = 1.5 Litres.
Those that are in category III or anyone using extreme weigh making techniques including eating one meal per day please seek help from your doctor or dietitian. Begin by completing the above questionnaire with The Inside Out Institute.
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“One day, it just came to me that what I truly wanted to do was work with horses and in racing.”
For 26-year-old Jack Chard, his decision to make the move to Sydney is starting to pay dividends as he is set to start trials soon.
Growing up in the northern NSW town of Grafton, Jack’s interest in racing stemmed from his father who loved attending the races and having a punt. “Every year for my birthday Dad would take me to the Grafton Cup and that was probably the main reason why I wanted to get in racing,” Jack said.
This interest in racing intensified to Jack considering a career in racing once he finished school.
He started to apply for stable hand jobs across NSW. It wasn’t until one day that Jack received a call from Sydney-based trainer Jason Coyle, that he made the quick decision to make the move. “I came down from Grafton and got straight into work. I worked in the stables every morning and would strap at the races on the weekend,” he said.
Although Jack is new to Sydney, he had prior work experience in Grafton for trainer Wayne Lawson. “Dad was good friends with Wayne Lawson, and I was lucky enough to work with him. I would go out to the track twice a week in the mornings to help and actually rode a horse properly for the first time here,” Chard said.
As Jack became familiar with Sydney, he was introduced to Group 1 winning trainer, Annabel Neasham.
“Annabel came up to me one day when we were working at Ciaron Maher’s stable and asked if I wanted to ride. Straight away I went and bought all the equipment and 3 days later, she got me riding a pony. The first horse I ever sat on was Away Game, who 2 weeks later went on to win the Magic Millions which gave me a pretty big thrill,” Jack said.
It has been full throttle since then for Jack as he continues to ride full time for the Neasham stable. “Annabel is really good to work for as she has a lot of nice horses in work and provides really good feedback. I told her I would only come over if she let me look after Mo’unga as a joke, but she took it seriously and I have looked after him every day since,” he joked.
“It’s always been my dream to become a jockey but just never thought it was possible with my weight and height. I just thought if I never give it a crack, I will really regret it later in life,” Jack said.
Jack’s time at the Neasham stable has been quite memorable as he was able to travel to Queensland with superstar horse, Zaaki, and then to England last year to help work the horses while in quarantine.
As Jack has had a taste of international racing in the UK, he dreams of one day being able to ride in Dubai. In the meantime, he looks to develop his skills on home soil. “I love racing and really don’t see myself getting out it of it anytime soon.”
As someone passionate about giving horses a life of luxury after racing, Emma Cox took on 8yo Teddy through mutual friends of the family in the middle of COVID lockdowns. Little did she know that this horse would be crowned a winner in the 2023 Sydney Royal Easter Show and become her new best friend.
Regal Edition, now known as Teddy, is an 8yo Reliable Man X Cross Rate gelding who raced as Greenspan. Bred by Bradbury Park in New Zealand, he was brought to Australia as a two-year-old for the Proven Thoroughbreds syndication. He was introduced to racing at the iconic Royal Randwick by trainer John Thompson before being transferred to Goulburn under John Bateman and finally to Kembla Grange under the guidance of Kerry Parker.
Retired from racing only 18 months ago, Teddy has since pursued a career in showing and won the Inaugural Up & Coming Led Thoroughbred class for horses who have retired from racing within the last two years at the 2023 Sydney Royal Easter Show.
As winners, Emma said, “We did not expect it in the lead up to the show, long-term competitor, master horseman and our trainer at home, Stephen Gladstone, was leading Teddy, so I knew I did not have to worry about anything. My job that day was to prep the horse to look the part, Steve did the rest!”
Based in Centennial Park, the original showgrounds for Sydney Royal, Emma spends many hours a day ensuring that Teddy is as healthy and prepared as possible for each show, particularly the royals. “Preparation really begins twelve months before. The training, feeding, short spells and management of their day-to-day care is endless, but the feeling of riding at Sydney makes it all worth it.”
Teddy’s success did not end in the led classes. Emma rode him herself to finish 5th in the Novice Hack 15.2-16hh and 8th in the Lady’s Hack, an achievement for any horse, but particularly one so new to showing. “We went with the aim of being called in off the ring for a workout, so to leave placing amongst some beautiful and seasoned horses from across Australia was an amazing feeling.”
Teddy, named in tribute to Emma’s previous thoroughbred ‘Bear’, had stolen her heart after she accidentally stumbled upon him. “I spent ten months during COVID looking for a special horse to take on and show. We seemed to be having no luck when Bill Mitchell phoned and said he had a horse that had raced that day who may be suited for life as a show horse.”
Emma did not see any photos of him but drove to Kembla Grange the next day and picked him up. “The connection of my parents’ golfing friends, Peter and Meg Robinson, who owned some racehorses themselves, found him. When he arrived, he was fluffy and a little rough around the edges, but he settled in instantly, which was fantastic. I just had to cross my fingers and hope a special little horse was hiding underneath,” Emma said.
“Teddy loves to work. The harder it is or, the more interesting the trick, the more he gets into it. We do a lot of dressage and cross-training at home, and often our warmup at a show consists of the same. When the atmosphere at a show is unsettling for him, I will always go back to moving him off my leg, controlling the shoulder, and regaining his focus, something Steve has taught me for many years,” Emma said.
As Teddy has only been retired from the track for 18 months, he has a lot of potential and capacity to grow in the sport. “The plan is to continue to show Teddy as he is just such a pleasure. He makes it so easy, which is not always the case. Our next competition will be the Pacific Coast Hack Championships before a well-deserved spell to spend some time with our next horse.” Emma said.
We wish this duo good luck in all future competitions.
Emma and Teddy are proudly sponsored by Mickie Magan – Equine Herbalist and Body Worker
If you told a young Amy Walker that she would be donning the iconic blue uniform and strapping ‘Exploring’ in the prestigious 2023 Golden Slipper, she would have thought you were lying.
Now, this is her reality.
Amy’s love for horses was ingrained into her from a young age through the influence of her mother, who spent her childhood surrounded by horses.
“My mum passed on this passion as she bought me my first horse when I was around 7 years old. She always said I would grow out of this obsession I had with riding and kept insisting it was just a hobby. Much to her dismay I was very persistent with it, and she ended up buying me a years’ worth of riding lessons to help me develop my skills,” Amy said.
It was at Mulgoa Pony Club that Amy learnt the fundamentals of riding and got up at the crack of dawn every Saturday to ride.
Amy strapping Exploring in the 2023 Longines Golden Slipper.
With Amy still well and truly invested in riding, she purchased her first off the track Thoroughbred in 2013, who was a 3yo 17hh gelding called ‘Ace’. This purchase kick started her ownership of horses, which has expanded to having 4 horses in her care now.
As Amy grew up, her introduction into the racing industry came through her experience of working at a TAB call centre for 3 years when she was fresh out of school.
“It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do but I knew it was never in an office job and instead working with animals. I left TAB and worked in a dog shelter before I started at a dressage stable with Hannah & Heidi Scott in Glenorie,” Amy said.
Although Amy had returned to working with horses, she still didn’t feel like she was in the right job.
“I always remember driving past the Godolphin stables at Agnes Banks and dreaming of working there. I thought why not ask if they have a position available, so I gave them a call but wasn’t hopeful at all because I know how hard it is to work there,” Walker said.
To Amy’s surprise, Godolphin came calling the next day to organise an interview which sent her hopes skyrocketing. Within 72hrs from her original call, Amy was offered a racing hand job for Godolphin.
“Godolphin is just an all-round amazing place to work, and I’ve achieved a lot with them. I’ve been there for 4 years now and genuinely can’t fault it,” Amy said.
Within these 4 years, Amy’s favourite moment was in 2019 when she strapped her first winner, Vivaro at Hawkesbury, just a month after she started at the well-known stable.
Despite this, Amy mentions, “My favourite horse will always be Segalas as she was the first horse I looked after at Godolphin and strapped for 3 years.
“I love being a stable hand and strapper, but I would eventually love to explore the possibility of being a Foreman one day and working up to this. The good thing with Godolphin is they always offer room for growth and the opportunities are endless.
“I found my dream job which not a lot of people can say,” Amy concluded.
“I was just a kid who loved horses and lived on a farm.”
Rising NSW Apprentice jockey Chelsea Hillier may be from a small rural country town, but she is making a big impact on the racing scene.
Growing up in rural Barraba, Hillier has been surrounded by horses her whole life.
“We have always had horses growing up as Dad is a jockey and mum loves to ride.”
Although Chelsea was an active member of Barraba Pony Club, she never competed in any specific discipline and simply enjoyed riding and being around horses.
Her passion for horses was forced to sit on the backburner as her family relocated to Glen Innes and went on to attend Fairholme College boarding school in Toowoomba.
It wasn’t until Chelsea finished school that she could invest her time into racing. Reuniting with her passion, Chelsea stayed in Queensland where she started on the ground with trainer Brian Smith.
Although Chelsea enjoyed this experience, she had a burning desire to learn to ride trackwork and decided to move back home to Glenn Innes to ignite this dream.
She picked up where she left off and started riding trackwork for local trainer Paddy Cunningham. It was here that Chelsea put in the hours to learn the ins and outs of riding.
“It was since riding trackwork that I always had in the back of my mind to become a jockey. I always was that little bit too heavy so I resigned to the fact I could never be a jockey,” Chelsea said.
Chelsea was on a roll with her riding practice before this came to an abrupt holt after she sustained a bad injury from a routine morning ride on a Coffs Harbour beach. This saw Chelsea sidelined for 12 months.
With this forced time off, Chelsea decided to relocate to Sydney. When covid hit, Hillier used this time to strip some weight and become a jockey for popular trainer, Mark Newnham.
“The weight aspect is really challenging part for me as I am not naturally a lightweight and need to stay on top of this. The mental side of being a jockey is also a challenge as you have to remember to stay true to yourself,” Chelsea said.
As the weight stayed off, Chelsea has continued to excel in her riding career and has since moved to Scone to ride on behalf of Rod Northam. A career highlight for Hillier was when she scored at Treble in front of a home crowd at Deepwater earlier this year.
“This was a pretty big achievement for myself considering I was so heavy and just the journey I took to get here. I really look up to Craig Williams as an inspiration for riding but also as the person he is. He really gives back to the sport, and I admire his kindness,” Chelsea said.
Paying tribute to her families’ support, Hillier mentions “I have been bought up in a way that nothing is easy, and you have to work hard for what you want. I would love to be able to ride in Sydney one day and just be the best rider I can be.”
With hard work being ingrained in Hillier’s DNA, it’s no surprise that she is an apprentice to watch this season.
“I was just a kid who loved horses and lived on a farm.”
Rising NSW Apprentice jockey Chelsea Hillier may be from a small rural country town, but she is making a big impact on the racing scene.
Growing up in rural Barraba, Hillier has been surrounded by horses her whole life.
“We have always had horses growing up as Dad is a jockey and mum loves to ride.”
Although Chelsea was an active member of Barraba Pony Club, she never competed in any specific discipline and simply enjoyed riding and being around horses.
Her passion for horses was forced to sit on the backburner as her family relocated to Glen Innes and went on to attend Fairholme College boarding school in Toowoomba.
It wasn’t until Chelsea finished school that she could invest her time into racing. Reuniting with her passion, Chelsea stayed in Queensland where she started on the ground with trainer Brian Smith.
Although Chelsea enjoyed this experience, she had a burning desire to learn to ride trackwork and decided to move back home to Glenn Innes to ignite this dream.
She picked up where she left off and started riding trackwork for local trainer Paddy Cunningham. It was here that Chelsea put in the hours to learn the ins and outs of riding.
“It was since riding trackwork that I always had in the back of my mind to become a jockey. I always was that little bit too heavy so I resigned to the fact I could never be a jockey,” Chelsea said.
Chelsea was on a roll with her riding practice before this came to an abrupt holt after she sustained a bad injury from a routine morning ride on a Coffs Harbour beach. This saw Chelsea sidelined for 12 months.
With this forced time off, Chelsea decided to relocate to Sydney. When covid hit, Hillier used this time to strip some weight and become a jockey for popular trainer, Mark Newnham.
“The weight aspect is really challenging part for me as I am not naturally a lightweight and need to stay on top of this. The mental side of being a jockey is also a challenge as you have to remember to stay true to yourself,” Chelsea said.
As the weight stayed off, Chelsea has continued to excel in her riding career and has since moved to Scone to ride on behalf of Rod Northam. A career highlight for Hillier was when she scored at Treble in front of a home crowd at Deepwater earlier this year.
“This was a pretty big achievement for myself considering I was so heavy and just the journey I took to get here. I really look up to Craig Williams as an inspiration for riding but also as the person he is. He really gives back to the sport, and I admire his kindness,” Chelsea said.
Paying tribute to her families’ support, Hillier mentions “I have been bought up in a way that nothing is easy, and you have to work hard for what you want. I would love to be able to ride in Sydney one day and just be the best rider I can be.”
With hard work being ingrained in Hillier’s DNA, it’s no surprise that she is an apprentice to watch this season.
