The Melbourne Cup may be the race that stops the nation but for top jockey Tegan Harrison it’s business as usual for one of Brisbane’s top riders.
Tegan rides regularly at the Ipswich Turf Club and led the 2015/2016 Ipswich Jockey Premiership through the entire season. She almost became the first woman to hold the title before being ‘pipped at the post’ on the last race of the season’s final meet.
With 4430 starts to date – 686 of these raced at Ipswich – and more than $12 million in total prize money earned for owners, Tegan says that the industry gives her the capacity to make a living doing something she loves.
“I’m a competitive person and I’m working with horses, which I love and I get paid to do it,” Tegan said.
“Yes, it’s hard work and takes dedication but it’s something I’m very passionate about.
“It’s one of the only horse sports where sometimes you meet the horse the first time you race and although they are all different with quirks and personalities the key is to make a connection straight away.”
Increased scrutiny of female jockeys from outside the sport has been the offshoot of Michelle Payne’s momentous Melbourne Cup wins last year but for Tegan her daily outlook hasn’t changed.
“Most days I’m up and on the road to Brisbane at 3am where I ride track work for various trainers, then it’s on to do barrier jump outs, and we finish around noon,” she said.
“It’s one of those jobs where you never know where you will be from week to week but normally it’s four days of racing each week, and we can travel anywhere on the east coast for a significant meet.”
Tegan said that even though she was unsure of her location for Melbourne Cup she was certain of her wardrobe – jockey silks.
“As a jockey there is a certain level of respect and an expectation that you need to turn up to the races well presented as you do in any job.”
“There’s no undue pressure on female jockies but racing takes pride in fashion so I guess as a sports person in racing you want to also take a little pride in that too.”
Tegan created history when she raced with fellow female jockeys Kathy O’Hara and Winona Costing earlier this year at Sydneys Randwick track, which was the largest group of female jockeys to ride in a Group 1 event.
She said women jockeys had been a steady fixture in racing since the late 1980s but the representation although acknowledged within the sport wasn’t supported by public perception.
“Since Michelle’s win it’s more recognised in the public that there are female jockeys out there doing a good job, and it has definitely had a positive impact on the profile of female riders”.
“There’s more of us girls racing today than ever and that trend continues to be on the up.”
