The November 2 Edition

Jockeys tend to be male, which is odd when you think about it, given the importance of weight to the sport, and the fact that women tend to weigh less than men. That can perhaps be chalked up to historical sexism, something captured brilliantly in the title of the biopic about trailblazing Aussie jockey Michelle Payne, Ride Like a Girl. But one of the most interesting snippets in Melissa Fyfe’s profile of another ground-breaking jockey, Jamie Kah, is how that’s changing at the grassroots. In NSW, women made up 14 of the 20 apprentice jockeys employed in the past year, while Victoria welcomed 10 female and one male apprentice jockeys this year. The dangers inherent in the sport have perhaps also played a part in its male bias. It’s sobering to read that, at only 28, Kah has already had two close friends die on the job. As Fyfe writes, she’s also been penalised for not pushing into what she saw as a dangerous gap between horses in a race in August. Kah is the best female jockey in the world right now. All power to her for speaking up for the safety of riders – without whom, as with horses, there would be no racing. Editor, Katrina Strickland.