Straight Talk with Mark Bouris #214 Michelle Payne: The Melbourne Cup winner on making history, tragedy & the dark side of fame
Oct 29, 2025
Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, opens up about her journey from childhood on a dairy farm to racing stardom. She shares insights on overcoming personal tragedy and the challenges of fame, including managing public attention and handling safety concerns. Michelle discusses her strong family bonds, particularly with her brother Stevie, and how these relationships shaped her resilience. She also reflects on her career transitions, the impact of brain injuries, and her motivation to empower others through her new book, "Ride On."
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Trust Is The Core Of Horsemanship
- An exceptional jockey-horse connection depends on mutual respect and trust built from early handling.
- Michelle emphasized that horses sense fear instantly and respond to confident, calm leadership.
Power Of Casual Belief Messages
- Casual parental messages embed deep beliefs; Michelle absorbed 'girls are as good as the boys' by overhearing her father.
- That passive reinforcement shaped her confidence to pursue a male-dominated career.
Composure Shapes Performance
- Composure directly affects split-second tactical decisions during a race and the horse senses the rider's nerves.
- Michelle trains calming techniques because a tense rider compromises horse responsiveness.
