Michelle Payne

{{Short description|Australian jockey (born 1985)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}} {{Use Australian English|date=June 2014}} {{Infobox horseracing personality | name = Michelle Payne {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}} | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = Michelle Payne on Yosei.jpg | caption = Michelle Payne on Yosei, upon winning the 2010 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield | occupation = Trainer | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1985|09|29|df=y}} | birth_place = | death_date=  | death_place = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | height =  | weight = {{convert|50.5|kg|st lb|abbr=on}} | career wins =779 | race = {{plainlist| * Toorak Handicap (2009) - Allez Wonder * Sires' Produce Stakes (2010) - Yosei * The Thousand Guineas (2010) - Yosei * Tattersall's Tiara (2011) - Yosei * Melbourne Cup (2015) - Prince of Penzance }} | awards = * The Don Award (2017), Sport Australia Hall of Fame Awards<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sahof.org.au/award-winner/michelle-payne/|title=Michelle Payne, The Don Award|work=Sport Australian Hall of Fame website|access-date=27 September 2020}}</ref> * Longines Ladies Award (2017)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.longines.com/universe/news/longines-ladies-award---washington|title=2017 Longines Ladies Awards|work=Longines website|access-date=19 May 2017}}</ref> | honours = | memorials = |website= {{website|www.michellejpayne.com.au}} }}

'''Michelle J. Payne''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}} (born 29 September 1985)<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/horse-racing/payne-gets-el-of-a-birthday-surprise/2009/09/29/1253989912334.html|title=Payne gets El of a birthday surprise|last=Eddy|first=Andrew|date=29 September 2009|work=The Age|access-date=16 October 2009}}</ref> is a retired Australian jockey. She won the 2015 Melbourne Cup, riding Prince of Penzance, and is the first female jockey to win the event.

==Early life== The youngest child of ten of Paddy and Mary Payne, Payne grew up on a farm at Miners Rest, a locality near Ballarat in central Victoria, Australia.<ref name="Passion&Payne">{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/horse-racing/2009/10/16/1255624734411.html|title=Passion & Payne|last=Hanlon|first=Peter|date=17 October 2009|work=The Age|access-date=16 October 2009}}</ref> Her mother Mary died in a motor vehicle crash when Payne was six months old, leaving her father Paddy to raise their ten children as a single father.<ref name="Passion&Payne" /> Payne dreamt of being a winning jockey as a child, and, at the age of seven she told her friends that she would one day win the Melbourne Cup.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Michelle Payne: From nasty falls to Cup ecstasy|url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-03/melbourne-cup-michelle-payne-profile/6909264|website = ABC News|date = 3 November 2015|access-date = 3 November 2015}}</ref> She attended Our Lady Help of Christians primary school and Loreto College, Ballarat,<ref>{{Cite web|title = Local heroes home with Cup|url = http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/racing/73789098/melbourne-cup-2015-hometown-of-ballarat-celebrates-history-making-heroes|website =Stuff |date = 6 November 2015|access-date = 2015-11-11}}</ref> and entered racing aged 15, the eighth of the Payne children to do so.<ref name="Passion&Payne" /> She has Irish New Zealand heritage.

==Career== She won in her first race at Ballarat, astride Reigning—a horse trained by her father.<ref name="WonderWoman">{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26220585-5013406,00.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121216033258/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26220585-5013406,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 December 2012|title=Wonder woman Michelle Payne rides to forget pain of the past|last=Cormick|first=Brendan|date=17 October 2009|work=The Australian|access-date=16 October 2009}}</ref> In March 2004, Payne fell heavily at a race in Sandown Racecourse in Melbourne, fracturing her skull and bruising her brain. As a result of her prolonged recovery period—including a further fall where she fractured her wrist—Payne was granted a three-month extension to her apprenticeship to allow her time to ride out her claim.<ref name="Pleasure&Payne">{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/horse-racing/a-life-of-pleasure-and-payne/2005/07/14/1120934358479.html|title=A life of pleasure and Payne|last=Eddy|first=Andrew|date=15 July 2005|work=The Age|access-date=16 October 2009}}</ref>

Payne won her first Group One race, the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield Racecourse aboard Allez Wonder on 10 October 2009, and trainer Bart Cummings offered her the ride at the Caulfield Cup the following week. Payne was the third female jockey to ride in the Caulfield Cup.<ref name="Wonder">{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/the-wonder-of-michelle-payne/story-e6frf9if-1225787742149|title=The wonder of Michelle Payne |last=Stewart|first=Matt|date=17 October 2009|work=Herald Sun|access-date=16 October 2009}}</ref> As a first-timer in the 2009 Melbourne Cup, she rode Cummings' Allez Wonder<ref>{{cite news|first=Max|last=Presnell|title=Shocking truth is Flemington on a Tuesday's no place for learners|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/sport/horseracing/shocking-truth-is-flemington-on-a-tuesdays-no-place-for-learners/2009/11/02/1257010150518.html|work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=3 November 2015|access-date=7 November 2015}}</ref> with a riding weight of 50.5 kg. The horse was placed 16th in the field of 23. In 2010 Payne rode Yosei to victory in the Thousand Guineas at Caulfield.<ref>{{cite news|title=Yosei wins Thousand Guineas at Caulfield|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/yosei-wins-thousand-guineas-at-caulfield/story-e6frg7mf-1225938273942|access-date=3 November 2015|work=The Australian|date=13 October 2010}}</ref>

===Melbourne Cup 2015=== In 2015, she gained national attention when she rode the winning horse in two races at Melbourne Cup carnival at the Flemington Racecourse. One of them was the Hilton Hotels Stakes and the other was the Melbourne Cup itself.<ref name=Pengilley>{{cite news|last1=Pengilley|first1=Adam|title=Michelle Payne and Darren Weir team up again to win Springtime Stakes at Flemington|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/horseracing/michelle-payne-and-darren-weir-team-up-again-to-win-springtime-stakes-at-flemington-20151107-gktae8.html?eid=socialn%3Atwi-13omn1677-edtrl-other%3Annn-17%2F02%2F2014-edtrs_socialshare-all-nnn-nnn-vars-o%26sa%3DD%26usg%3DALhdy28zsr6qiq|access-date=8 November 2015|work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=7 November 2015}}</ref><ref name=Garvey>{{cite news|last1=Garvey|first1=Andrew|title=Power Trip wins Maribyrnong Plate|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/horseracing/racing-power-trip-wins-maribyrnong-plate-20151107-gktbd2.html|access-date=8 November 2015|work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=7 November 2015}}</ref> Payne said she was "floating on the cloud and it's a nice feeling".<ref name=Pengilley/>

Payne won the Melbourne Cup on 3 November 2015, riding Prince of Penzance, a six-year-old gelding with which she had a long-term association.<ref name="abcau">{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-03/michelle-payne-lauds-incredible-prince-of-penzance-melbourne-cup/6909890|title=Melbourne Cup: Michelle Payne lauds 'incredible' Prince Of Penzance after historic win|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=3 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Ray|last=Thomas|title=Melbourne Cup 2015: Michelle Payne scores historic win on $101 outsider Prince Of Penzance|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/superracing/melbourne-cup-2015-michelle-payne-scores-historic-win-on-101-outsider-prince-of-penzance/story-fnjshd1g-1227593576644|work=The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|date= 3 November 2015|access-date=7 November 2015}}</ref>

The training strategy used in the lead-up to the race included a focus on galloping, and a consistent horse-jockey relationship.<ref name="abcau" /> "...'you know what?' Payne asked. "It's not all about strength, there is so much more involved, getting the horse to try for you, it's being patient."<ref name=Editorial>{{cite news|last1=Editorial|title=Michelle Payne stands tall for women's sport|url=http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/michelle-payne-stands-tall-for-womens-sport-20151105-gks66q|access-date=6 November 2015|work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=6 November 2015}}</ref>

{{quote box | width=25em| bgcolor= #EEFFE9 |align=right|qalign=left |quote="Just want to say to everyone else, can get stuffed, because they think women aren’t strong enough but we just beat the world"|author=—Michelle Payne (after her win in the Melbourne Cup)<ref name=Decent>{{cite news|last1=Decent|first1=Tom|title=Melbourne Cup 2015: Winning jockey Michelle Payne hits back at doubters after making history on Prince of Penzance|url=http://www.theage.com.au/sport/horseracing/melbourne-cup-2015-winning-jockey-michelle-payne-hits-back-at-doubters-after-making-history-on-prince-of-penzance-20151103-gkpouv.html?rand=7050440#ixzz3qUjhZLtT|work=The Age|date=3 November 2015}}</ref>}}

Payne was the first woman to win the Melbourne Cup in its 155-year history. She was also the fourth woman to ride in the race and was coincidentally wearing the colours of the suffragette movement: purple, green and white.<ref>{{Cite web|title = 'Get stuffed': how Michelle Payne and family beat odds to win Melbourne Cup|url = https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/nov/03/get-stuffed-how-michelle-payne-and-family-beat-odds-to-win-melbourne-cup|website =The Guardian |access-date = 3 November 2015|first = Bridie|last = Jabour|date = 3 November 2015}}</ref> In an interview shortly after her Melbourne Cup win, Payne said that horse racing is a "chauvinistic sport".<ref name="radionz">{{cite web|url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/sport/288777/prince-of-penzance-wins-melbourne-cup|author=Radio New Zealand and agencies|publisher=Radio New Zealand |title=Prince of Penzance wins Melbourne Cup|access-date=3 November 2015|date=3 November 2015}}</ref> Her short speech about the capability of women in sport was described as "unambiguous and galvanising".<ref name=Dumas>{{cite news|last1=Dumas|first1=Daisy|title=Against the odds: women trailblazing in male-dominated sports|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/newsreview-women-in-male-dominated-sports-20151105-gkrzme|access-date=6 November 2015|work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=7 November 2015}}</ref> She later stated that she hopes her win "helps female jockeys".<ref name="abcau"/>

The victory was a surprise for bookmakers and speechmakers. The horse, bought for $50,000 (a figure described by sportswriters as "pocket change" for horseflesh) was a long odds chance at 100–1,<ref name=Webster>{{cite news|last1=Webster|first1=Andrew|title=While Michelle Payne was winning the Melbourne Cup, the male jockeys were mauling|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/horseracing/while-michelle-payne-was-winning-the-melbourne-cup-the-male-jockeys-were-mauling-20151103-gkpwfp.html|work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=3 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=Guardian Australia |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2015/nov/03/melbourne-cup-2015-the-race-that-stops-a-nation-live-updates|title=Melbourne Cup 2015: Michelle Payne first woman to ride winner as long shot Prince of Penzance wins}}</ref> and afterwards Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove and other speechmakers were criticised for failing to adapt their pre-prepared congratulations to acknowledge the historic nature of the win.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hull|first=Crispin|title=History made but speeches missed it|url=http://www.smh.com.au/comment/history-made-but-speeches-missed-it-20151103-gkpwjc.html|work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=3 November 2015|access-date=3 November 2015}}</ref><ref name=Armitage>{{cite news|last1=Armitage|first1=Catherine|title=What Peter Cosgrove should have said about Michelle Payne|url=http://www.smh.com.au/comment/what-peter-cosgrove-should-have-said-about-michelle-payne-20151103-gkq8gk|access-date=4 November 2015|work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=4 November 2015}}</ref>

===2016-2017 seasons=== In May 2016, Payne suffered severe abdominal injuries in a race fall at Mildura.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/horseracing/racing-michelle-payne-in-hospital-after-race-fall-20160523-gp1uoz.html|title=Michelle Payne in hospital after fall|date=23 May 2016|publisher=smh.com.au}}</ref> She underwent urgent surgery for a torn pancreas, with surgeons saving the organ, otherwise she would have become a diabetic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/horseracing/michelle-payne-unveils-scar-from-careerthreatening-fall-20160704-gpxz2d.html|title=Michelle Payne unveils scar from career-threatening fall|date=4 July 2016|publisher=smh.com.au}}</ref> She returned to racing in September 2016, though noted that her future goals included a move from being a jockey to becoming a trainer.<ref>{{cite web|last1=sport|first1=Guardian|title=Michelle Payne back in saddle after lengthy injury layoff from racing|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/sep/12/michelle-payne-back-in-saddle-after-lengthy-injury-layoff-from-racing|website=The Guardian |access-date=14 August 2017|date=11 September 2016}}</ref>

In October 2016, she was awarded the Don Award at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame awards. The Don Award is "awarded to a sportsperson who, through their achievements and example over the last 12 months, is considered to have most inspired the nation".<ref>{{cite web|title=King Wally becomes a Legend as Michelle Payne rides off with the {{sic|hide=y|reason=double 'the' error in source title}} 'The Don'|url=https://sahof.org.au/king-wally-becomes-a-legend-as-michelle-payne-rides-off-with-the-the-don/|website=Sport Australia Hall of Fame website|date=14 October 2016 |access-date=27 September 2020}}</ref>

In May 2017, Payne received international recognition when awarded the Longines Ladies Award in Washington U.S. The award paid tribute to "distinguished women whose careers have shown a positive influence and exceptional commitment to the equine cause".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.longines.com/universe/news/longines-ladies-award---washington|title=2017 Longines Ladies Awards|work=Longines website|access-date=19 May 2017}}</ref>

On 23 June 2017, Payne was stood down from racing after testing positive for the drug phentermine, an appetite suppressant banned under Australian Rule of Racing 81B. The traces were found in Payne's urine from a test taken on 11 June 2017, at the Swan Hill Cup meeting. Payne faced an inquiry by Racing Victoria stewards on 29 June 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/36191397/melbourne-cup-winner-michelle-payne-stood-down-after-testing-posi/#page1|title=Melbourne Cup winner Michelle Payne stood down after testing positive to 'banned substance'|publisher=Yahoo7|date=28 June 2017 |access-date=28 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-28/michelle-payne-in-trouble-over-positive-test-banned-substance/8660954|title=Michelle Payne to face inquiry after positive test for banned substance|publisher=ABC News|date=28 June 2017 |access-date=28 June 2017}}</ref> Payne pleaded guilty to taking phentermine and was banned for four weeks until 21 July 2017. She said after the investigation, "The onus is 100 per cent with me … I regret not seeking more guidance, I wasn't thorough, and that is completely my fault. My sincere apologies to everyone."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/2017/06/29/michelle-payne-drug-ban/|title='I'm embarrassed': Michelle Payne suspended for positive drug test|publisher=The New Daily|first=James|last=Willoughby|date=29 June 2017 |access-date=29 June 2017}}</ref>

Payne became a trainer.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Marshall |first=Konrad |date=18 October 2025 |title=Michelle Payne's rise to the top was swift – then came stalkers, the agony and the heartbreak |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/michelle-payne-s-rise-to-the-top-was-swift-then-came-stalkers-the-agony-and-the-heartbreak-20251003-p5mzt4.html |access-date=19 October 2025 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald (Good Weekend) |pages=10-13}}</ref> She also speaks at conferences around Australia and internationally.<ref>{{cite web|title=Michelle Payne Speaker Profile|url=https://www.saxton.com.au/speakers/michelle-payne|website=Saxton Speakers}}</ref>

==Honours== Payne was inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-11 |title=Michelle Payne OAM |url=https://www.vic.gov.au/michelle-payne-oam |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=State Government of Victoria |language=en-au}}</ref> She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2021 Australia Day Honours.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hurley |first1=David |author1-link=David Hurley |title=Australia Day 2021 Honours List |url=https://www.gg.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-01/ad21_gazette_-_o_of_a.pdf |website=Governor-General of Australia |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |access-date=25 January 2021 |date=26 January 2021}}</ref>

==Legacy== In 2019, Payne's victory was made into a feature film, ''Ride Like a Girl'', with Teresa Palmer in the role of Payne.

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading== {{refbegin}} *{{cite book|last=Kneebone|first=Tony|title=The Paynes : the struggle, the pain, the glory|publisher=Winning Post|location=Melbourne|year=1996|url=http://nla.gov.au/anbd.bib-an12595437}} *{{cite book|last1=Payne|first1=Michelle (with Harms, John)|title=Life as I know it|edition=rev.|date=2017|publisher=Melbourne University Press|location=Parkville, Vic|isbn=9780522870169}} {{refend}}

== External links ==  * {{Official|http://michellejpayne.com.au/}} * {{YouTube|id=f0DpHwfuGT0|title=Video profile of Michelle Payne}} * {{YouTube|id=CPtS641sx8s|title=A day in the life of Michelle Payne}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Payne, Michelle}} Category:1985 births Category:Australian jockeys Category:Sportspeople from Ballarat Category:Australian female jockeys Category:Doping cases in equestrian sports Category:Australian sportspeople in doping cases Category:Living people Category:Australian people of Irish descent Category:People educated at Loreto College, Victoria Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia