Emily Pomfrett supported by her biggest fan towards riding career

By Jordan Gerrans

When asked about his mother’s new pursuit, young Laker offers a thumbs up of approval.

At six years of age, Laker is the son, and biggest fan, of one of the newest members of the Queensland jockey ranks - Emily Pomfrett.

After an almost 15 year journey, Pomfrett made her race riding debut over the weekend, taking one ride at Wondai on Saturday afternoon before making her first appearance at a TAB meeting the following day at Kilcoy.

Laker has seen his mum around horses his entire life, riding track work as well as being involved in dressage, show jumping and eventing.

Pomfrett also delivers acupuncture to horses for a day job, so Laker has seen his mother around equine athletes forever.

He kept a close eye on his mum over the weekend when she started her new pursuit – being a professional apprentice jockey.

“He was watching on Sunday and apparently he was yelling ‘Go Mummy, go Mummy’ during the race,” Pomfrett said of her son.

“He told me after the race that I nearly won.

“He is not really into the horses that much, he likes Pokémon and boys things.”

The lightweight apprentice first flirted with becoming a jockey some 15 years ago when she was riding track work at the Gold Coast for several trainers, including the respected Helen Page.

Following in the footsteps of her father - Trevor Bartlett – who was also a jockey in his younger years, Pomfrett rode track work on the Glitter Strip for around six years.

“Back then I really wanted to get into race riding and I did have a lot of support from trainers and jockeys, they all suggested I should do it,” she said.

“My dad was a jockey many years ago so my mum did not want me to become a jockey at that time.”

Eventually, Pomfrett stepped away from riding track work and gained employment working for an Olympic level dressage rider.

While she continued competing in her own dressage, show jumping and eventing, she also spent a lengthy period of time away from the racing game in a work capacity and was employed in a number of different industries.

She also welcomed her biggest supporter – Laker – into the world.

Reflecting back on her journey over the last decade or so to arrive at her maiden race day rides, Pomfrett acknowledges getting a go as a mature age jockey certainly has its challenges.

“It is definitely harder,” she said of starting out again in her 30s.

“Just having to juggle your life compared to a teenager that is starting out as a jockey with different responsibilities.

“Even with Laker and everything, my husband and his family have been great looking after him and taking him to school in the morning some times when I need to go to the track.

“It is a challenge to juggle everything while also trying to have a life away from the horses and work as well.

“It is very busy and there is not much down time at all.

“Hopefully I can prove myself as a jockey that I am worthwhile to put on as I am in a different mindset to a younger apprentice jockey as I am more mature and I really want to be there and doing this.

“I have made a lot of life adjustments to become an apprentice jockey.”

After initially giving away her dreams of becoming a jockey, Pomfrett landed back at the opportunity to chase her dream by chance.

She had studied to perform acupuncture on horses for a day job, which led her to the Ipswich Turf Club a couple of years ago.

She was offered the opportunity to ride track work on a horse she had completed acupuncture on and it just blossomed from there.

“I still really enjoyed it and thought I wanted to give it a go again,” she said.

“If I was not going to do it at that stage then I never was going to and that was the middle of last year. I was lucky to get fast tracked.”

Pomfrett has been aided by her boss Andrew Cowell and fellow Ipswich trainer Phil Bobic through her trials and jump-out process before her maiden race day rides.

Laker has been there for support, as well.

“He likes to come out with me and see the horses at the stables,” Pomfrett said of her son.

“He notices more when they are gone, he will remark that a horse is gone and ask when they are coming home.”

A third-placed finish at Wondai aboard Dante Alighieri for trainer Beau Gorman was the best result of her two rides over the weekend.

Emily is a distant relative of Mackay trainer Wayne Pomfrett.