2019-10-01_Australian_Womens_Weekly_NZ

46 The Australian Women’s Weekly|OCTOBER 2019

andsplittingherpancreas.Andyet,
despiteherdoctors’warnings,
Michelleis stillin thesaddle.
EvenBrigid’sdeathin 2007– after
a seizurefollowinga fallfroma horse

• didn’tdeterher.“Itprobablyspurred
  meonmore,”Michellesays.“Itmade
  methink,liveyourlifeanddon’thold
  back,becauseyouonlygetonechance
  at it.Life’swaytooshorttonotdo
  somethingbecauseyou’rescared.”
  Hercouragepaidoff,ofcourse,
  withtherealisationofherwildest
  dream,butwhatcomesafterthat?
  “Iwasa bitlostfora while,”admits
  Michelle.“Ididn’tknowwhattodo.”
  Fameopenedupopportunities– she
  metPrinceCharlesandDuchess
  Camilla,forexample– butit also
  becamea dailyhindrance,being
  stoppedforselfiesandhaving
  strangersshowuponherdoorstep.
  Herprofilehasalsomadehera
  biggertarget.Shemadeheadlinesin
  2017 whenshereceiveda one-month
  racingbanfortakingtheappetite
  suppressantPhentermine,andreporters
  wereclimbingherfenceforcomment
  earlierthisyearwhenPrinceof
  PenzancetrainerDarrenWeirwas
  bannedforfouryearsforhaving
  taser-likedevicesin hispossession.
  Michelle dismisses both incidents.

“Itwasn’tanythingbutI knewthey’d

blowit intosomethingbig,”says

Michelle,referringtothedrugtest.

“Ishouldhavebeenmorethorough.

There’sa certainperiodoftime[before

races]you’reallowedtotake[appetite

suppressants]... butit’sprobablyjust

bestnottotakethemanyway.”Asfor

Weir,Michellehasnotworkedwith

himforyears,andneversawany

illegalactivitywhenshedid,shesays.

Perhapseagertochangethesubject,

Paddypipesupfromtheblanket-

coveredcouchbytheheater.“I

wonderhowlongit’llbebeforethe

nextgirlwinstheMelbourneCup?”

hemusesat topvolume.“Thereare

a lotmoregirlsnowhavinga go.”

“Andmoregettinga go,whichis

themainthing,”Michellecorrects

him.Sixyearsago,Michelleand

Stevieboughtthe40-acreproperty

nextdoortogetherandshehas

starteda trainingcentrethere,with

fivefemaleworkersplusStevie.

“He’s a ladies’ man,” she jokes. “He

doesn’tcomplain.”

Women,shesays,changethe

atmosphereoftheplace.“Ilikethat

softapproach,”saysMichelle.“The

horsestillhastorespectyouorthey

walkalloveryou,butthehorsesjust

lovetheaffectionthat’saroundthe

stables.Everyonewillstopandgive

a horsea pat– ‘Oh,I lovethishorse’

• whereasmostblokeswilljustget
  onwiththeirjob.”
  Thatsoftnessis thepointof
  differencefora lotoffemalejockeys.
  “Therearemorewaystogetthebest
  outofa horsethanbrutestrengthor
  standingoverthem,”shesays.“Ifyou
  cangeta horsetotryforyou,they’ll
  giveyoueverything.”
  Beforesheretiresin thenextyear
  ortwo,Michellewantstorideanother
  GroupOnewinner,butthenherfocus
  willturntotrainingandcreatinga
  familyofherown.Hopingforfour
  children– a largebroodbytoday’s,
  if notthePaynes’,standards– she’s
  awarethatthebreedingprogramme
  hastostartsoon.Shehasbeenseeing
  anEnglishtrainerand“couldn’tbe
  happier”,buttherelationshipis
  young.“Wedon’twanttoputtoo
  muchpressureonit justyet!”she
  adds,laughing.
  Stevie,too,willalwaysbecloseby.
  “Thatgoeswithoutsaying,”shesays.
  “EverybodywouldtakecareofStevie
  if theyhadto.”AsMichellehassaid,
  thePaynesmightnotbethemost
  effusivefamily,buttheyneverneed
  questiontheirloveforeachother:
  “Wejustknow.”
  MinuteslaterSteviearriveshome
  fromthelocalhospital,wherehe
  volunteersat thecafeteriatwodays
  a week,singsin thechoirandplaysin
  thenetballteam.Hehasalreadyhad
  a photoshootwiththelocalpaper
  thismorning,andhe’sgearingupfor
  evenmoreattentiononceRideLike
  a Girlhitscinemas.
  Askedhowhislittlesister’sbiopic
  stacksupagainstPharLap– the
  filmthatapparentlywarranted 500
  viewingsin thefamilylivingroom–
  Steviedoesn’tmissa beat.“This one,”
  hesays, “is better.”AWW

Ride Like a Girlis in cinemas September 26.

StevieandMichelle

wereascloseas

kids(below,inan

undatedphoto)as

theyaretoday.One

ofMichelle’smost

vividmemoriesfrom

herMelbourneCup

winis havingStevie

byhersideafter

the race.

Champion

HAIR AND MAKE-UP BY JULIA GREEN. ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY

SUPPLIED AND USED WITH PERMISSION.