Aborigines & the Sport of Kings

Aboriginal Jockeys in Australian Racing History

By: John Maynard

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Paperback | 1 November 2013 | Edition Number 3

At a Glance

Paperback
128 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
23.9 x 17.3 x 1.1

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Aborigines and the 'Sport of Kings' celebrates the significant and exciting Aboriginal involvement in Australian racing history. A remarkable history considering that Australian Aboriginal people's first contact with the European animals caused them bewilderment and terror because violent massacres and unprovoked vicious attacks were conducted from horseback. However, within a short period they adapted and shed their fears. Over time they caught horses and taught themselves to ride, using sheets of bark as makeshift saddles. Settler accounts record Aboriginal people's uncanny affinity with horses; their excellence in caring for them and in riding. So, moving from the skilled workers who were the backbone of the Australian pastoral industries to racing horses was an obvious step. Amongst the many Aboriginal jockeys highlighted in the book are Merv Maynard, Norm Rose, Frank Reys, Richard Lawrence 'Darby' McCarthy and Leigh-Anne Goodwin, Australia's first female Aboriginal jockey to ride a winner at a metropolitan track.Coming from a proud Aboriginal family and a racing background, John Maynard knows first-hand that there have always been more Aboriginal jockeys than is usually admitted.

Industry Reviews

Some of the stories are splendid. And every time a horse was ridden by M Maynard, my Dad would back it. We never knew that he was an Aboriginal jockey. Or perhaps he did and Dad being a fierce nationalist most probably felt he should support him. Alan Jones, first edition of Stars of the Turf At the heart of this study was a passion and desire to play some small part in the process of revealing another important missing chapter of Australian Aboriginal history[O]ur stories recognis[e] that over the past two hundred years the historical tapestry of this country was one in which both black and white were deeply interwoven. Preface

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