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I love the Melbourne Cup, its the biggest religious holiday on the Australian calendar. Seriously. we take our cup that seriously.

And this year they had a record number of foreign raiders, horses from Europe and Japan, top horses

and the horse that won?

a locally trained horse, 101:1 shot, ridden by the only female jockey in the field

I'd seen her brother on the news the night before, Downs Sydrome young man, one of 10 children, strapper to his sister's horse. So many times we see people with a disability not given meaningful work, but this young man, he's a full time strapper to a busy racing stable, fit, dedicated, happily leading and exercising racehorses -

so not only was he leading the horse out, but the horse's connections had him do the draw - and he drew a winning starting place

no one expected this unlikely combination to win. all those foreign raiders, top horses

but now, the horse and his rider of 21 out of his 23 starts and she did it -

she bought home the cup.

in a sport that is very blokey and women jockey's are looked over for big races on the mistaken belief that a woman doesn't have what it takes to win, she proved them wrong.

Definitely one of my favourite Melbourne Cup Wins in years - just kicking myself that I didn't put a dollar down on this horse

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-03/m ... in/6908594

My daughter went to the local sepcialist school with the strapper and I know people who work in both the Ballarat and warnabool stables. I feels like I am part of it.
Such a great story which the Melbourne cup throws up every now and then.

Shirrine

That is a great story, better than any of the black stallion books!

Yes, a wonderful story. A field of 24 starters sounds pretty chaotic; the announcer must have been busy!

Excellent. Racing in general has had a good couple of weeks.

Susan

What a fabulous story! Thanks for sharing so many details!

Canyon wrote:Yes, a wonderful story. A field of 24 starters sounds pretty chaotic; the announcer must have been busy!

Always a big field for the cup. I had to listen on the radio as I was driving to a work meeting, the caller I heard could have been calling the cricket he was so slow and calm.

Shirrine, Stevie's story is wonderful, in his interview the dad said that he never treated Stevie any different to the other kids, but as a single parent raising 10 kids and running stables, you wouldn't have time to Molly coddle any, but it does show how not molly coddling builds resilience in children. Stevie is definitely a star of the story.

Good for her! I noticed that the news story linked in the OP omitted her more colorful quotes:

"To think that Darren Weir has given me a go and it's such a chauvinistic sport, I know some of the owners were keen to kick me off, and John Richards and Darren stuck strongly with me, and I put in all the effort I could and galloped him all I could because I thought he had what it takes to win the Melbourne Cup and I can't say how grateful I am to them," Payne told Channel Seven after the race. "I want to say to everyone else, get stuffed, because women can do anything and we can beat the world."

Is "get stuffed" like saying "f-ck you"?

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/horserac ... kpouv.html

Nice story

I love the photo of Michelle with her brother Steven! Such a beautiful photo

Get stuffed is go jump.

Aussies swear. We swear something chronic, we routinely drop the f bomb at work, on tv, our politicians swear. We swear enough to make a sailor blush and it's perfectly acceptable. We swear at work, home, in the street. I've dropped the f bomb at work and my work colleagues have fallen over laughing. Ain't no one interested in being ladylike here.

She's copping a bit of flak for saying get stuffed, but the flak is from the misogynists who believe that a good woman stays quiet and stays at home and out of the men's domain. She's right, those who would have taken that ride away from her in the mistaken belief that only men can win can get stuffed.

Frankly women who tell people to get stuffed are assertive, and a good bit of assertiveness never harmed anyone.

Staying in the house, staying quiet, being ladylike and letting people walk all over you, thats never fun and is a horrible way to live.

Not in the family she grew up in, the girls and the boys were jockeys. Growing up in the racing game it is a wonder she didn't drop the f bomb.
I never swore until I worked in a racing stable, it took me years to brake the habbit and even now my mouth is dirtier than I like.

Shirrine

I reckon all power to her, she said get stuffed, so what, she beat them at their own game and good on her.

The story of Stevie is just inspirational as well.

One Trick Pony, if you can cope with world record F bombing - watch this mock advert to encourage Australians to stop swearing https://youtu.be/X4DBs_4FV4E (warning - the F bomb is used as a noun, a verb, an adverb, verb etc etc etc)...and yeah, sometimes, with our mates, over a few beers - all aussie women have been known to talk like this, with pride.

Then there's that other great Aussie tradition - the streaker - watch this interview with Michelle's dad https://youtu.be/X4DBs_4FV4E

How about the lady who streaked in her underwear at the oaks? She was a hoot.

Shirreine

I thought it was great what she said
Damn straight and good on her! In that very male dominated area and she's exactly right.

I work in a bit of a male dominated area, and it can be frustrating at times so I love her!

No point being lady like in male dominated arenas, you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't so why not punch the naysayers right on the nose?