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Life As I Know It
Michelle Payne rode into history as the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup. She and her 100-to-1 local horse Prince of Penzance took the international racing world by surprise but hers was no overnight success story.
Michelle was first put on a horse aged four. At five years old her dream was to ride in the Melbourne Cup and win it. By seven she was doing track work. All of the ten Payne children learned to ride racehorses but Michelle has stayed the distance. She has ridden the miles, done the dawn training, fallen badly and each time got back on the horse. So when she declared that anyone who said women couldn’t compete in the industry could ‘get stuffed’, the nation stood up and cheered.
Michelle has the audacity to believe she can succeed against all the odds. Her story is about hope triumphing over adversity, and how resilience and character made a winner.
Michelle was first put on a horse aged four. At five years old her dream was to ride in the Melbourne Cup and win it. By seven she was doing track work. All of the ten Payne children learned to ride racehorses but Michelle has stayed the distance. She has ridden the miles, done the dawn training, fallen badly and each time got back on the horse. So when she declared that anyone who said women couldn’t compete in the industry could ‘get stuffed’, the nation stood up and cheered.
Michelle has the audacity to believe she can succeed against all the odds. Her story is about hope triumphing over adversity, and how resilience and character made a winner.
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 13, 2016
25 people are currently reading
266 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Payne
19 books13 followersMichelle Payne entered racing aged 15, winning her first race in Ballarat on Reigning, a horse trained and owned by her father. She won her first Group 1 race, the 2009 Toorak Handicap, aboard Allez Wonder, trained by Bart Cummings. She rode the same horse in the Caulfield Cup the following week, becoming the third female jockey to ride in this race, and went on to ride Allez Wonder in the Melbourne Cup later that Spring Carnival. She rode Yosei to three Group 1 victories over the next two years.
Michelle became the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup in 2015 on the local one-hundred-to-one horse, Prince of Penzance, trained by Darren Weir and strapped by her brother Stevie.
In January 2016 she was named The Australian newspaper’s Australian of the Year.
Film rights to her life story have been sold. She continues to be a working jockey and hopes to ride in the next Melbourne Cup.
Photo credit: Racing Victoria
Michelle became the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup in 2015 on the local one-hundred-to-one horse, Prince of Penzance, trained by Darren Weir and strapped by her brother Stevie.
In January 2016 she was named The Australian newspaper’s Australian of the Year.
Film rights to her life story have been sold. She continues to be a working jockey and hopes to ride in the next Melbourne Cup.
Photo credit: Racing Victoria
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
November 1, 2016
4★
Whether you saw the 2015 Melbourne Cup or not, if you’re an Aussie, you can’t possibly have missed the media coverage of the pretty, delightful Michelle Payne who rode the winner in what felt like a movie. I say “pretty, delightful” because that’s what people probably noticed. Many of us didn’t know who she was, except she was the only female rider in the Cup race.
And next we noticed her best mate, Stevie, the Payne family’s Little Boy to her Little Girl. Stevie has Downs Syndrome and was one of Prince of Penzance’s strappers. Win-win! The family is full of jockeys and trainers, but her dad said the Little Girl might beat the lot of them. And Stevie drew Barrier One for the race. Even a scriptwriter wouldn’t dare add that!
She didn’t get there by accident, but by guts and determination. Her whole family is involved in horses and racing, and this book will have special meaning for anyone in or around this challenging business. As kids, they worked hard with all the horses and on the family dairy farm near Ballarat. A kid at school asked the teacher why the Paynes could get away with being late, and she said “Well, the whole family’s done half a day’s work before your alarm’s gone off.”
Read this book, and find out what made her who she is: a Swiss-born mum and an Irish dad who had 8 kids in New Zealand before they moved the family to Australia and had 3 more. She’s got the fierce determination of another famous Swiss sports star, Roger Federer (whom she quotes as saying “It’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice” , a motto she has taken to heart.
But she also has the look-on-the-bright-side perspective of her Irish father who always reminds her after a bad race “At least you got to pack your bags and come home.”
How Paddy maintained this outlook and kept the family together is a story in itself. Michelle’s mum died in a car crash when Michelle was only 6 months old, so her 11-year old sister did the night feeds, while the older sisters (15 and 16), who were already out of school and apprenticed to Paddy, took over the mother duties. Big family, small house, lots of work, not enough beds.
Many times over the last ten years, Michelle wasn’t able to pack her bags and come home. She had dreadful falls, two completely freakish ones where the horses just fell and flung her forward for no apparent reason—torpedoed into the turf, the news reports said. She suffered from a badly shaken brain to the point that she lost a grasp on reality. The only thing she could talk about coherently was horses and riding. The doctor reckoned it was because that was so deeply ingrained in her.
As I write this (June 2016), Michelle is recovering after what some say could be a career-ending fall at Mildura. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/raci...
As she stresses throughout the book:
- “Racing is dangerous. There is no point dressing it up, or trying to suggest otherwise …
- If a galloping horse falls on you, you cop the full force of that energy …
- Horses are flight animals, which can make them erratic, and a panicked racehorse, however well trained, will be too strong for any rider …
- As dramatic as it may sound, when jockeys leave the mounting yard they know that they might not come back.”
Mostly, she didn’t remember anything about the falls that did all the damage. She has broken vertebrae, ribs, had lengthy recovery times, but never thought of quitting. She has nothing but praise and gratitude for the help she received.
“We talk about sportspeople being heroic, but it’s those who work in medicine and other caring professions who deserve the most praise. I just ride a horse around in circles.”
There’s a lot more to it than riding around in circles. We read about the starvation and dehydration to hit the weigh-in target. Riders compete hungry, thirsty, dizzy – no glamour here.
A lot of the story revolves around her dad, sisters, brothers, her friends from Loreto (Catholic school), and the day-to-day. She went with friends to work with African orphans, a life-changing trip that saw her continue to support people there. She realised how lucky she was, doing what she loved. Her losing her mother, working so hard, sleeping so little, was nothing in comparison.
John Harms has done a wonderful job of working with Michelle to tell her story in the first person in her voice. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Melbourne University Publishing for a copy for review.
- - - -
UPDATE 1 Nov 2016 Brother-in-law Kerrin McEvoy (married to her sister Cathy, baby due imminently) has just today won his second Melbourne Cup, 16 years after the first one. A record! And after more surgery, she's still in the saddle, too. What a family, eh?
Whether you saw the 2015 Melbourne Cup or not, if you’re an Aussie, you can’t possibly have missed the media coverage of the pretty, delightful Michelle Payne who rode the winner in what felt like a movie. I say “pretty, delightful” because that’s what people probably noticed. Many of us didn’t know who she was, except she was the only female rider in the Cup race.
And next we noticed her best mate, Stevie, the Payne family’s Little Boy to her Little Girl. Stevie has Downs Syndrome and was one of Prince of Penzance’s strappers. Win-win! The family is full of jockeys and trainers, but her dad said the Little Girl might beat the lot of them. And Stevie drew Barrier One for the race. Even a scriptwriter wouldn’t dare add that!
She didn’t get there by accident, but by guts and determination. Her whole family is involved in horses and racing, and this book will have special meaning for anyone in or around this challenging business. As kids, they worked hard with all the horses and on the family dairy farm near Ballarat. A kid at school asked the teacher why the Paynes could get away with being late, and she said “Well, the whole family’s done half a day’s work before your alarm’s gone off.”
Read this book, and find out what made her who she is: a Swiss-born mum and an Irish dad who had 8 kids in New Zealand before they moved the family to Australia and had 3 more. She’s got the fierce determination of another famous Swiss sports star, Roger Federer (whom she quotes as saying “It’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice” , a motto she has taken to heart.
But she also has the look-on-the-bright-side perspective of her Irish father who always reminds her after a bad race “At least you got to pack your bags and come home.”
How Paddy maintained this outlook and kept the family together is a story in itself. Michelle’s mum died in a car crash when Michelle was only 6 months old, so her 11-year old sister did the night feeds, while the older sisters (15 and 16), who were already out of school and apprenticed to Paddy, took over the mother duties. Big family, small house, lots of work, not enough beds.
Many times over the last ten years, Michelle wasn’t able to pack her bags and come home. She had dreadful falls, two completely freakish ones where the horses just fell and flung her forward for no apparent reason—torpedoed into the turf, the news reports said. She suffered from a badly shaken brain to the point that she lost a grasp on reality. The only thing she could talk about coherently was horses and riding. The doctor reckoned it was because that was so deeply ingrained in her.
As I write this (June 2016), Michelle is recovering after what some say could be a career-ending fall at Mildura. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/raci...
As she stresses throughout the book:
- “Racing is dangerous. There is no point dressing it up, or trying to suggest otherwise …
- If a galloping horse falls on you, you cop the full force of that energy …
- Horses are flight animals, which can make them erratic, and a panicked racehorse, however well trained, will be too strong for any rider …
- As dramatic as it may sound, when jockeys leave the mounting yard they know that they might not come back.”
Mostly, she didn’t remember anything about the falls that did all the damage. She has broken vertebrae, ribs, had lengthy recovery times, but never thought of quitting. She has nothing but praise and gratitude for the help she received.
“We talk about sportspeople being heroic, but it’s those who work in medicine and other caring professions who deserve the most praise. I just ride a horse around in circles.”
There’s a lot more to it than riding around in circles. We read about the starvation and dehydration to hit the weigh-in target. Riders compete hungry, thirsty, dizzy – no glamour here.
A lot of the story revolves around her dad, sisters, brothers, her friends from Loreto (Catholic school), and the day-to-day. She went with friends to work with African orphans, a life-changing trip that saw her continue to support people there. She realised how lucky she was, doing what she loved. Her losing her mother, working so hard, sleeping so little, was nothing in comparison.
John Harms has done a wonderful job of working with Michelle to tell her story in the first person in her voice. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Melbourne University Publishing for a copy for review.
- - - -
UPDATE 1 Nov 2016 Brother-in-law Kerrin McEvoy (married to her sister Cathy, baby due imminently) has just today won his second Melbourne Cup, 16 years after the first one. A record! And after more surgery, she's still in the saddle, too. What a family, eh?
April 22, 2016
‘I used to tell people, ‘I just want to win the Melbourne Cup.’
On 3 November 2015, Michelle Payne (aged 30) became the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup. Michelle rode a local horse, Prince of Penzance, an outsider with odds of 100 to 1. Michelle’s win may have taken the international racing world by surprise, but Michelle had spent most of her life working towards this win.
Michelle Payne was six months old, the youngest of eleven children, when her mother Mary died. Her father, Paddy Payne raised his family, with the older children pitching in to help. As a family, they managed a dairy farm and racehorses as well as home and attending school. As a family, every one pitched in. At the age of 5, Michelle’s dream was to win the Melbourne Cup. By the age of 7 she was doing track work. Michelle was 15 when she first raced. She won her first race in Ballarat, on a horse trained by her father. She won her first Group One Race in October 2009. Michelle was the third female jockey to ride in the Caulfield Cup, and also had a ride in the 2009 Melbourne Cup.
Over her career, Michelle has had a number of bad falls resulting in dreadful injuries, and has worked hard to recover and get back on the horse.
In this book, written with John Harms, Michelle writes of her life as the youngest of a large family, of the challenges of being a jockey, of the opportunities she had and the difficulties she faced. It’s an uplifting story: the story of a resilient young woman, part of a close-knit family, determined to succeed. And who, amongst us, who saw the Melbourne Cup race in 2015 can forget the elation of Michelle and her brother, Stevie, when Prince of Penzance won? Or Michelle’s declaration that anyone who said women couldn’t compete with men in the racing industry ‘could get stuffed’?
Michelle’s story is about resilience, about believing in yourself, about remaining positive in the face of adversity. It’s also a story about a family working together to support each other.
‘I finally got a chance to ring Dad, too. ‘How’d you go?’ he asks. ‘Well, I got to pack my bags and come home,’ I say. He laughs.’
I enjoyed reading this book, learning more about Michelle Payne, her family, and her drive to succeed. I’d recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, or simply wanting to read a heart-warming story of triumph over adversity.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Melbourne University Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this memoir for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
On 3 November 2015, Michelle Payne (aged 30) became the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup. Michelle rode a local horse, Prince of Penzance, an outsider with odds of 100 to 1. Michelle’s win may have taken the international racing world by surprise, but Michelle had spent most of her life working towards this win.
Michelle Payne was six months old, the youngest of eleven children, when her mother Mary died. Her father, Paddy Payne raised his family, with the older children pitching in to help. As a family, they managed a dairy farm and racehorses as well as home and attending school. As a family, every one pitched in. At the age of 5, Michelle’s dream was to win the Melbourne Cup. By the age of 7 she was doing track work. Michelle was 15 when she first raced. She won her first race in Ballarat, on a horse trained by her father. She won her first Group One Race in October 2009. Michelle was the third female jockey to ride in the Caulfield Cup, and also had a ride in the 2009 Melbourne Cup.
Over her career, Michelle has had a number of bad falls resulting in dreadful injuries, and has worked hard to recover and get back on the horse.
In this book, written with John Harms, Michelle writes of her life as the youngest of a large family, of the challenges of being a jockey, of the opportunities she had and the difficulties she faced. It’s an uplifting story: the story of a resilient young woman, part of a close-knit family, determined to succeed. And who, amongst us, who saw the Melbourne Cup race in 2015 can forget the elation of Michelle and her brother, Stevie, when Prince of Penzance won? Or Michelle’s declaration that anyone who said women couldn’t compete with men in the racing industry ‘could get stuffed’?
Michelle’s story is about resilience, about believing in yourself, about remaining positive in the face of adversity. It’s also a story about a family working together to support each other.
‘I finally got a chance to ring Dad, too. ‘How’d you go?’ he asks. ‘Well, I got to pack my bags and come home,’ I say. He laughs.’
I enjoyed reading this book, learning more about Michelle Payne, her family, and her drive to succeed. I’d recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, or simply wanting to read a heart-warming story of triumph over adversity.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Melbourne University Publishing for providing me with a free electronic copy of this memoir for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
November 10, 2020
4 stars!
"I just want to say to everyone else to 'get stuffed' if they think women aren't strong enough because we just beat the world."
ICONIC!
Life As I Know It is Michelle Payne's story in her own words. A fantastic and interesting read about family, horses, resilience, and a little girls dream to win the Melbourne Cup.
I was already a fan of Michelle Payne so maybe I'm a little biased, but I really enjoyed this one. Her journey to the historic Cup win was not easy, but it goes to show that with a lot of hard work and determination (and of course, a bit of luck) anything is possible!
"I just want to say to everyone else to 'get stuffed' if they think women aren't strong enough because we just beat the world."
ICONIC!
Life As I Know It is Michelle Payne's story in her own words. A fantastic and interesting read about family, horses, resilience, and a little girls dream to win the Melbourne Cup.
I was already a fan of Michelle Payne so maybe I'm a little biased, but I really enjoyed this one. Her journey to the historic Cup win was not easy, but it goes to show that with a lot of hard work and determination (and of course, a bit of luck) anything is possible!
September 11, 2016
I'm not into horse racing however I wanted to read Michelle's story as she is a successful young jockey and such a positive person. She has written about speaking to students at Loreto College "I hope they take something from Prince's win, from my story - something simple as being passionate, having a dream and giving life a real go". Anyone who reads this book certainly will.
June 8, 2016
I must admit that I don't know much about horse racing, but seeing Michelle Payne win the Melbourne Cup (not to mention that emotional speech she gave directly afterwards), late last year made me want to find out more about this inspirational woman.
I borrowed Life As I Know It as an ebook through my local library, and read it within a couple of days.
It is an easy read, and is suitable for young and old.
The story begins with Michelle's early childhood years, and you get a real sense of the importance of family. This remains throughout the whole story. The memories she shares about precious family moments like Christmas are told with love and humour.
One of eleven children, growing up on a rural property, Michelle has dreams of riding a Melbourne Cup winner from age 5.
We learn about Michelle's passion for horses, and her dedication for horse riding is incredible.
Many of her siblings are involved in horse racing as well, her brother Stevie, who has Down's Syndrome, was the strapper for Prince Of Penzance - the horse Michelle rode in the Melbourne Cup.
It was lovely to read how supportive her family are, and the close bond she shares with them all.
After reading the book, I am even more of a fan of Michelle's, because even though she has faced a lot of hard times, including gruelling diets and exercise programs to remain fit and at the weight needed for horse riding, as well as many injuries, she has handled it so well and defied all the odds. It's a really great feel-good story.
I borrowed Life As I Know It as an ebook through my local library, and read it within a couple of days.
It is an easy read, and is suitable for young and old.
The story begins with Michelle's early childhood years, and you get a real sense of the importance of family. This remains throughout the whole story. The memories she shares about precious family moments like Christmas are told with love and humour.
One of eleven children, growing up on a rural property, Michelle has dreams of riding a Melbourne Cup winner from age 5.
We learn about Michelle's passion for horses, and her dedication for horse riding is incredible.
Many of her siblings are involved in horse racing as well, her brother Stevie, who has Down's Syndrome, was the strapper for Prince Of Penzance - the horse Michelle rode in the Melbourne Cup.
It was lovely to read how supportive her family are, and the close bond she shares with them all.
After reading the book, I am even more of a fan of Michelle's, because even though she has faced a lot of hard times, including gruelling diets and exercise programs to remain fit and at the weight needed for horse riding, as well as many injuries, she has handled it so well and defied all the odds. It's a really great feel-good story.
March 12, 2018
This is a really inspiring story. Michelle is the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup. To win she had to overcome a number of serious falls as well as being a woman in a male dominated industry.
I am not into horse racing so some of the terms used were lost on me, as well as some of the names. If you are into racing though this would be a good tale.
I am not into horse racing so some of the terms used were lost on me, as well as some of the names. If you are into racing though this would be a good tale.
August 19, 2016
I will freely admit I am not remotely interested in horse racing, but having heard snippets of Michelle Payne's story after she won The Melbourne Cup, I was very interested in reading Life As I Know It. The youngest of eleven children, Michelle was just six months old when her mother was tragically killed in a car accident. Yet with the love of her large family, she speaks of a happy childhood and an early start in the business of horse racing.
The Payne family is a true facing family, with their father making his living as trainer. All the children were involved in the care of the horses, learning the ropes as soon as they were old enough to undertake the myriad of tasks involved. Along with her next in age brother Stevie, who has Down Syndrome, Michelle spent her early years in and around the stables, but it wasn't all work. There was plenty of time for play too and Michelle speaks fondly of her childhood, even though an outside observer might see it as unusual or even tough upbringing.
The right build for a jockey, Michelle's determination for success saw her achieve many goals along the road to Melbourne Cup glory. Her story is an interesting window into the racing industry and you understand that jockeys must truly love the sport and the horses they ride as the lifestyle is not an easy one. From the constant need to keep her weight down to the ever present danger of serious race falls, Michelle battled through extraordinary obstacles to achieve her dream. What I found the most horrifying was the injuries she has suffered over the years, including many serious head knocks. The fact that she came back so many times from extensive injuries and continued to ride is quite amazing.
What I liked most about this book was the upbeat and positive tone. Some could look at Michelle's life and consider her unlucky to have lost her mother so young and a sister not too many years later. Yet she does not dwell on these tragedies, focusing instead on going forward in life and celebrating the experience of life in a large family. Her love and respect for her brother Stevie is inspiring and her general outlook on life proves that attitude really is everything.
The Payne family is a true facing family, with their father making his living as trainer. All the children were involved in the care of the horses, learning the ropes as soon as they were old enough to undertake the myriad of tasks involved. Along with her next in age brother Stevie, who has Down Syndrome, Michelle spent her early years in and around the stables, but it wasn't all work. There was plenty of time for play too and Michelle speaks fondly of her childhood, even though an outside observer might see it as unusual or even tough upbringing.
The right build for a jockey, Michelle's determination for success saw her achieve many goals along the road to Melbourne Cup glory. Her story is an interesting window into the racing industry and you understand that jockeys must truly love the sport and the horses they ride as the lifestyle is not an easy one. From the constant need to keep her weight down to the ever present danger of serious race falls, Michelle battled through extraordinary obstacles to achieve her dream. What I found the most horrifying was the injuries she has suffered over the years, including many serious head knocks. The fact that she came back so many times from extensive injuries and continued to ride is quite amazing.
What I liked most about this book was the upbeat and positive tone. Some could look at Michelle's life and consider her unlucky to have lost her mother so young and a sister not too many years later. Yet she does not dwell on these tragedies, focusing instead on going forward in life and celebrating the experience of life in a large family. Her love and respect for her brother Stevie is inspiring and her general outlook on life proves that attitude really is everything.
June 23, 2016
Enjoyed reading about her family life, obviously close knit family but still give it to each other. Very simplistic reading but interesting insight into what goes into racing for jockeys. Sad that she is currently injured again at the moment but hopefully she makes her way back after recuperating, but she has achieved the highest accolade a jockey can have by winning the Melbourne cup so maybe it is time to retire and take care of herself.
September 27, 2019
Can I give this book more than five stars?
It is a fabulous read and Michelle is truly inspirational. Well done to John Harms for his ability to tell this family story so well.
It is a fabulous read and Michelle is truly inspirational. Well done to John Harms for his ability to tell this family story so well.
October 18, 2016
Will finish later, when I have time on my trip. This is a pretty simple book (in the writing style) that people will read for the person rather than the quality.
June 29, 2017
I enjoyed the book, though there was a lot of repetition in it. Inspiring story of someone who will forever be the first.
May 20, 2017
It's so interesting to read the behind the scenes story of Michelle Payne's journey to the 2015 Melbourne Cup, a great Australian sporting moment.
Her personality shines through in the writing and she gives wonderful insight into horse racing and being a jockey so it was good to learn something new, and my interest was kept throughout. After reading about all the trials she had to go through, her racing falls and comebacks (not to mention Prince of Penzance's injuries and comebacks) and the way everything seemed to come together after that and fall into place, it does seem as though the win was meant to be!
It's a truly inspirational read about family, determination, belief, and triumphing over the odds!
*I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways*
Her personality shines through in the writing and she gives wonderful insight into horse racing and being a jockey so it was good to learn something new, and my interest was kept throughout. After reading about all the trials she had to go through, her racing falls and comebacks (not to mention Prince of Penzance's injuries and comebacks) and the way everything seemed to come together after that and fall into place, it does seem as though the win was meant to be!
It's a truly inspirational read about family, determination, belief, and triumphing over the odds!
*I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways*
November 9, 2019
A fascinating story about the first woman jockey to win the Melbourne Cup. Michelle was the youngest of 11 children when her mother was tragically killed. Growing up in a big family I think grounded her. The whole family was involved with horses either training or riding so Michelle was introduced to her profession at an early age. Her relationship with her brother Stevie is wonderful still to this day. The boundaries she had to conquer in an all male environment was incredible. The falls and injuries she had make me wonder how she survived at all without being killed. A very comprehensive look into the world of horse racing as well as the love a jockey can have for their mounts. Such an inspirational story of determination and survival against all odds.
November 20, 2019
So much of this was a fascinating insight into the life of the first female Melbourne Cup winner, but unfortunately suffers the same clunky writing style so many other autobiographies share - editors and collaborators trying to be true to 'voice' but at the end of the day, the subject is not a writer and it shows.
Otherwise a truly incredible story of how both Michelle and Prince fought back from adversity to change Australian racing history.
Otherwise a truly incredible story of how both Michelle and Prince fought back from adversity to change Australian racing history.
August 23, 2022
Loved listening to Michelle's words told by Pia Miranda. I felt she captured Michelle's voice perfectly. Her life story to date was filled with love, family, respect and hard work. She was destined to be a winner with her internal drive and fortitude. Through her words, I could imagine her life unfolding as it was told. She's a tough cookie. I can understand how she got to be where she is now.
May 2, 2023
Michelle Payne’s story of life and racing is a fascinating read about commitment, overcoming obstacles, dealing with repeated misfortune, and always being yourself when it really matters. Her stories regarding training, riding technique, and recovery from injury were highly insightful, as were the many honest comments and opinions about her family and the people she’s worked with – especially those who directly contributed to her success. An enjoyable book full of the highs and lows of life.
November 6, 2018
I really enjoyed reading this book as I did watch the 2015 Melbourne Cup race on TV and was inspired to read her story....
Very courageous and determined woman....went through a lot of serious injuries and still came back from them stronger each time...as did Prince.
I recommend any person who enjoys reading biographies, and true life stories, to read this book.
Very courageous and determined woman....went through a lot of serious injuries and still came back from them stronger each time...as did Prince.
I recommend any person who enjoys reading biographies, and true life stories, to read this book.
November 26, 2019
A really good read about Melbourne Cup winning jockey, Michelle Payne. At times I laboured with the technical details and racing facts. Even though I knew the ending I was still engrossed. I have even more respect for Michelle that I did before and didn't this that was possible after seeing the movie.
December 7, 2019
I really enjoyed listening to this book. Besides learning about Michelle Payne, I learned a lot about horse racing,especially jockeys.
Another plus for this book was that much of the setting was in Western Victoria where I live. One of the schools that I have visited numerous times was mentioned! I now look forward to seeing the movie, Ride Like a Girl.
Another plus for this book was that much of the setting was in Western Victoria where I live. One of the schools that I have visited numerous times was mentioned! I now look forward to seeing the movie, Ride Like a Girl.
June 1, 2017
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
Not coming from Australia I knew nothing about Michelle Payne.
This turned out to be a brilliant read, a real page turner.
Absolutely fascinating.
Not coming from Australia I knew nothing about Michelle Payne.
This turned out to be a brilliant read, a real page turner.
Absolutely fascinating.
January 8, 2020
A wonderful story of family and overcoming adversity. I really enjoyed the story and the contention the family had not only to racing but to the beautiful horses. The only criticism would be the writing was a little disjointed at times.
Read
January 28, 2021A fascinating story of the girl from Ballarat( my home town too) who became the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup. Her fierce determination, courage and love of family and friends shines through in this memorable biography.
July 14, 2023
A lovely history of an amazingly determined woman and her wonderful family, friends and racing supporters.
Got a bit lost in some of the actual racing descriptions but overall really enjoyed it, and the photos especially.
Got a bit lost in some of the actual racing descriptions but overall really enjoyed it, and the photos especially.
July 14, 2025
Michelle Payne is the most amazing role model for a young Aussie girl full stop.
A truly inspirational woman who paved the way for females in the horse riding industry.
Favourite book ever, pretty much know it off by heart.
A must-read.
A truly inspirational woman who paved the way for females in the horse riding industry.
Favourite book ever, pretty much know it off by heart.
A must-read.
June 4, 2017
Wow what a brave and inspirational story...well done Michelle Payne- you are a bloody legend.
December 28, 2018
I read this just after its release and enjoyed learning about Michelle's family history and her earlier years in the thoroughbred industry. A great achiever and a brilliant win in the Melbourne Cup.
September 28, 2019
Such an easy read! Enjoyed this book thoroughly!
October 24, 2019
An inspirational and remarkable tale.
A very inspiring book!
A very inspiring book!
November 15, 2019
Loved this audiobook. Pia Miranda did a sensational job. A great story with interesting details.
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