Australian Transgender Jockey Tyler Leslight Wins Race, Makes History
Image: Tyler Leslight
Tyler Leslight cemented his name into Australian racing history on Tuesday when he became the first out transgender jockey to win a top class race.
It was Leslight鈥檚 first time riding at a TAB card event.听Leslight won the race riding atop Fire King in the 1,200 metre sprint at Mackay Racecourse.
鈥淚 knew the horse was a good chance but I never looked at the TAB odds, I don鈥檛 do that because it just goes to your head,鈥� Leslight told 今日吃瓜 Corp.
鈥淢y master (trainer Bevan Johnson) said don鈥檛 look at the form, he said just go there and ride the horse like a barrier trial, that鈥檚 all it is.听I was so happy when I crossed the line first, I had only had 12 race rides before that,鈥� Leslight said.听
Relationship With Family Fractured Over Coming Out As Trans
Even better for Leslight was the fact that the race was broadcast on television meaning his grandfather could watch him win.听
鈥淢y pop used to train and he would have been sitting at his mate鈥檚 place watching it. He hasn鈥檛 been able to watch my races until now because they have all been non-Tab meetings and not broadcast on TV,鈥� he told 今日吃瓜 Corp.
Leslight took his first ever win at a non-TAB race in Gladstone April 16, when he rode Fab鈥檚 Cowboy to victory. It was only the third official race for the 22 year old jockey.
Leslight, who medically transitioned to male at 16, has been open about how relationship with his family was fractured after telling them he was transgender. He said his mother “doesn鈥檛 speak to me anymore.”
Leslight, who is originally from Murwillumbah in Northern NSW,told聽Racing Queensland, that while his journey 鈥渉as not been an easy road,鈥� he has discovered 鈥渋n racing, people do not care what colour skin you have or what sexual orientation you are.鈥�
鈥淚t is all about your ability to ride a horse and your horsemanship; that is all that matters,鈥� he said.
Bill “Girlie” Smith Was聽Australia’s First Transgender Jockey聽
Leslight鈥檚 history-making win comes at a time when there is a harmful national debate that is seeking to bar transgender persons from single gender sport. A few weeks ago聽Queensland cross bench MP Robbie Katter threatened to introduce a bill barring transgender athletes from participating in women鈥檚 sports in Queensland. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Scott Morrison endorsed Senator Claire Chandler’s private member’s bill that’s seeks to ban trans girls and trans woman from female sport.听
While Leslight has been called .听
Smith lived as a man in order to pursue the dream of being a jockey and trainer in the early 1900s. Smith was聽 able to maintain their secret right up to their death in 1975.
