20 QUESTIONS
20 Questions with Kathy O’Hara Nicknamed Miss Consistency for her nearly 1,000 wins, Australian jockey Kathy O’Hara is also a keen show jumper and breeds quality horses. Q: Where were you born, and where
Q: At what point did you want to
do you live now? A : Born in Singleton and now in Londonderry – four acres with two horses and a pony for my niece.
become a jockey?
Q: What got you into horses? A : I started riding when I was around four. Mum had a pony for my sister Tracy and I, and we used to potter around on her. When we could ride a bit better we got a pony each, and then from ponies it was horses.
A : I was about 12. No one in my family
Q: Who helped you in your apprenticeship years? A : Mum got a job transfer so we moved to Dubbo. Tracy and I were still in school and the racecourse was right across the road. I was apprenticed to Peter Nestor and rode there for two years before moving to Gwenda Markwell’s at Kembla Grange. The last two years of my apprenticeship were there.
Q: What was a breakthrough moment in your career? A : I was riding work for Guy Walter at Warwick Farm. I rode a couple of winners and then Guy put me on in the Caulfield Cup as an apprentice. I won the apprentice title which helped put me on the map. I was the first female jockey in Sydney to do that.
used to get into trouble on cross country
Q: Do you have a favourite win? A : That would be my Group One win on
for going too fast! So Mum thought it
Single Gaze.
might be a good idea for me to work
Q: What was the biggest career
at a racing stable during the Year Six
obstacle you overcame? A : When I started out, particularly in Sydney, there were no girls riding. So it was a bit gender biased. Originally girls weren't allowed to race but obviously it's easier now. People are a lot more accepting of female jockeys.
had anything to do with racing, but I
Christmas holidays. I started with Danny Williams, worked six weeks for him and loved it!
Q: A jockey’s diet can be tough. Any tips? A : I’m naturally light, but I have to watch what I eat when I’m riding in handicap races at 50kgs. I think the biggest thing is cutting out sugar. Sugar is in everything! Sugar and salt hold weight on you.
Q: What are the key attributes for a top jockey? A : You have to be level headed. It’s not an easy game. Obviously injury is part and parcel of being a jockey and everyone has quiet times and lulls. It’s being mentally stable enough to ride that out.
Q: How do you balance a busy racing calendar with show jumping? A: It’s amazing what you can make time for! It’s what I was doing before I was a jockey. I’ve got a passion for it. It’s something away from the numbers and statistics of racehorses, and training horses yourself is a different kind of atmosphere. 114 | E Q U E S T R I A N H U B I S S U E 1 • 2 0 2 2
