“It’s so much fun. You are in control of an independent animal and I reckon there’s a bit of a wild streak in all the best riders. You have to be a bit fearless really,” she said.
Shelden reckons she can pick a horse with ability based on their stride and their balance, but said there are always surprise packets and exceptions to the rule.
“When you find a good one you just want to go faster and faster, but that’s not my job. The good ones give you such a great feel, if I never end up becoming a jockey I’d just love to get on a good one once and feel what that’s like at top speed.”
British native Junior Richards was once a jockey, albeit briefly, but rather than chasing dreams of winning at Royal Ascot, riding in a race was more of a box-ticking exercise.
“I rode a couple as an amateur and a couple as a professional over jumps. I really did it just to say I’d done it.
“You’re that close as a work rider I thought, why not, I’ll tick that box. But ultimately, I didn’t want to live that lifestyle, the wasting, the sweating. I didn’t fancy that much at all.”
What Richards did fancy was the thoroughbred, and at the age of 16 he enrolled in the Northern Racing College – now the National Horseracing College – in Doncaster, Yorkshire. The college is renowned as a source of high-achieving racing professionals across Europe and has produced leading riders Hollie Doyle and Danny Tudhope as well as Sir Michael Stoute’s assistant trainer, James Savage.
“The idea of being a work rider really appealed to me and once I finished my studies I worked for Karl Burke who trains in Yorkshire. I learned a lot there and of course went on to have a few race rides before I started to look abroad,” said Richards.
The call of a warmer climate and a change of scenery saw Richards arrive in Australia in 2011 with a few mates and he’s been here ever since, working his way across the country riding for Gary Portelli, Tony McEvoy and now for Lindsay Park where he is a lead work rider and breaking rider.
“The lifestyle is great. You’re up early and you’re working hard, the work is challenging and rewarding, but it’s not like you’re doing manual labour for 12 hours a day. Once you’re done by late morning you’ve got your day to yourself,” Richard said.
There is satisfaction for Richards in watching a young horse that he has worked with go to the races and perform well, but he takes most pride in working with cheeky and rebellious horses and turning them around.
“Personally, I like that challenge. I don’t like those straightforward horses that you get on and they just do what they’re told; they’re too boring for me, I like a challenge. Give me the ones that want to mess around and push back. Bringing them over to our side is really satisfying,” he said.
“Horses are like people. They have different personalities and sometimes they have a bad day. You can have a perfect, quiet horse for days and days on end then for whatever reason they wake up grumpy one day. You still have to work with them and try to bring them back, you’re always on your toes, thinking your way through each ride.
“I’ve always said I’d get away from horses but here I am, I’m 33 and I don’t see myself doing anything else. It’s my passion. I could never work an office job or anything like that, it’s the horses that keep bringing me back.”
The frustrating reality for many racing stables around Australia at the moment is a shortage of riders like Junior Richards, and a shortage of riders full stop. In a COVID-19 world, the regular migration of trackwork riders from overseas has come to a jarring halt, reducing the number of available and competent riders.