→OCTOBER 2019| The Australian Women’s Weekly 45
thenit wasa muddymadhouseof
squabblingkidsandhorsesgrazingin
thebackyard,andeventhelittleones
hadtheirjobstodo.
OnSeptember29,1985,Michelle
wasthe11thchildtobebornin
16 yearstodevoutCatholicsPaddy
andRosaMary,threeyearsafterthey
migratedfromNewZealand.They
namedtheirseventhgirlin honour
ofMichael,thesonwhoarrivedyears
earlier– alsoonSeptember29,between
MargaretandAndrew– anddiedthree
dayslaterwitha holein hisheart.
Michellewasjustsixmonthsold
whenhermumtooktheolderkids
toschoolonemorningandanother
carcollidedwiththeirsontheway.
Suddenly,Paddywasa singleparent
of10.Hisin-lawsofferedtotakea
fewkidseach,buthewasadamant
theystaytogether.
Just15,Theresetookoverthe
cookingandcleaning,while11-year-
oldBernadettefedbabyMichelle
overnight.Notgiventoself-pity,Paddy
sethisgriefasideandgotonwithit.
He’dalreadylosta babyanddealt
withStevie’sdiagnosis.“Youlearnto
takelifeasit comes,”says83-year-old
Paddy.“Thegriefpart,I didn’thave
muchtimetothinkaboutthat.I had
toconcentrateonlifeasit was.”
Michelle, though, remembers calling
forhermumfromthe
frontverandah
whenevershewassad
asa littlegirl– untilshe
realisedhermotherwas
nevercomingback.She
recallsPaddytellingher
everydayhowlovely
hermotherwas“and
howhewishedhe’d
toldherhelovedher
more”.Michellestill
thinksabouthermum
andsensesher“ever-
presentspirituallove”.
SaysMichelle,“Ifeel
likeshe’slooking
afterme.”
Thetwoyoungest,
MichelleandStevie
were“thelittlekids”,
alwaystogether,playing
cardsorcrawlingon
theflooraspretendhorseswhen
AndrewandPatrickrodethemin a
mockCoxPlate.“Steviewasalways
justtreatedthesame,buthewas
smart,becauseif wewerenaughty,he
knewhe’dgetoutoftroubleif hesaid
hewasDownsyndrome,”shesays,
laughing.“He’dbelike,‘I didn’tknow,
I’mDownsyndrome!’I didn’tneed
tobeprotective.Everyonelovedhim.
Hecoulddoanything... Heis so
funnyandsosmart.He’sabsolutely
a blessing.”
ThedualreligionsofthePayne
family,it seems,areCatholicismand
horseracing.Eightofthekidsbecame
jockeys(Stevieis a strapperand
Margaretanaccountant),andMichelle
grewupwantingtobebetterthanall
ofthem.Somehow,despitethe
mercilessteasingfromhersiblings,
“Stinky”,asshewasknown,always
hadanunshakablebeliefin herself.
“IguessI wasbroughtupstrong
mentally,”shesays,“tothinkI coulddo
it.”Michellecreditsherhardscrabble
upbringingforherworkethicand
abidingoptimism:“IthinkI havea lot
offaithin life,likeit’llworkout,there’s
nopointworryingaboutit.”
Fromtheageoffour,Michelle
wouldpesterherdadtogoriding.
“Sheusedtocomeintomybedand
go to sleep holding my hand,” recallsPaddy,“soI’dtakeheroutin the
morning.”He’dbegoneby4amand
Michellewouldwakeupfurious.
Afterleavingcollege,Michelle
startedridingprofessionallyat 15and
hadherfirstwinin Ballaraton
Paddy’shorseReigning.A yearlater,
PaddywaslividwhenMichelle(or
“LittleGirl”,ashecalledher)left
hometomovetoMelbourne.“She
wasthelastoneandI neededher,”
explainsPaddy.“Neededhertoride
[trackwork]andshedidn’twantto.”
ThewayMichelletellsit,hewas
sadtoseehisbabygo.“Steviewas
stillherebutit wasquiet,”shesays.
“Thatwouldbehardaftera full
house.It wouldhavebeenlonely.”After
beingsoclose,thetwowereestranged
formorethana year,whichwas
heartbreaking,butbothwerestubborn.
Meanwhile,Michellethrewherself
intoracinglife,coppingthe3am
wake-upsandpunishingweight
restrictions(learningtosweatoff
3kgin 18hours,forexample,withthe
helpofclingwrap),nottomention
theinfuriatingdoublestandards.
WhenshewontheCupandtoldthe
chauvinisticnaysayerstheycould
“getstuffed”in herpost-racespeech,
shewasventing 15 years’worth
offrustration.
“[Thesexism]wasjustalwaysin the
backofyourmind,”shesays.“‘Oh,
we’llputa blokeon– theywon’t
makea mistakenexttime.’Andthen
theblokewouldmakea mistake–
‘Oh,hewasunlucky.’Orsomething
likethat.Always.It wasjustlike,are
youjoking?”
Michellehasalsohadtocontend
witha catalogueoflife-threatening
injuries.Allupshehassufferedeight
seriousfallsand 16 brokenbones.It
tookherfouryearstorecoverafter
a freakfallfromVladivostokin 2004
thatleftherwitha fracturedskull
andbleedingonthebrain,andhad
herfamilyurginghertogivethe
sportaway.
SixmonthsafterherCupwin,in
May2016,shesufferedherworstfall
yet,whenshecameoffDutchCourage
in Milduraandthemaresteppedon
Michelle’sstomach,fracturingthree
vertebrae, lacerating her liver