Hogg shifts from horse power to equine speed

By Jordan Gerrans

Gemma Hogg is more than familiar with steering heavy machinery with serious horse power.

Before she was an apprentice jockey, the 30-year-old worked behind the wheel of an array of big trucks and machinery as she boasted a licence to drive multi combination trucks.

Still just days before her debut race rides, the Emerald-based Hogg was still on the tools on the side to supplement her income as a hoop.

She will trade in the horse power of a massive truck for some actual equine power across Friday and Saturday as she makes her maiden appearance on race day.

It has been a long road for Hogg to arrive at her first day as a professional jockey and she will be in action across both days of the annual two-day Twin Hills carnival in the Leichardt region of the Sunshine State.

Twin Hills is inland from Mackay.

Speaking on Thursday morning while at her job outside of racing before heading to the dirt track of Twin Hills on Friday morning, Hogg detailed her extraordinary occupation for a person chasing a career in racing.

“I drive road trains, wide loads and machinery and all sorts of stuff out to the mines,” Hogg said.

“I am licensed to drive multi combination, which means I can drive the longest truck in Australia, if I wanted to.

“They are not easy to drive either. It can get interesting at times.”

Hogg is indentured to Emerald trainer Glenda Bell.

This is her second stint in the apprentice ranks after previously racking up trials back in 2017 when working for Tom Button and Denis Schultz.

After riding in around seven official trials back in 2017, she returned to the trials in late 2022 as she worked to build up the required number before she could make her race day debut.

According to Bell, Schultz and other Central Queensland trainers have been helpful towards Hogg giving her trial rides in recent months.

Long-time bush trainer Bell is looking forward to seeing her apprentice ride at Twin Hills over the two days.

Hogg has been with the Bell stable for just over two years, the veteran conditioner said.

“She goes good, she is a very good rider,” Bell said.

“The weight might be a bit of a problem but she is a very good rider.”

Mackay trainer John Manzelmann has given Hogg three rides over the two-day program, one on Friday and two more the following day.

The four-kilogram claiming apprentice will have five rides across the 10 non-TAB events.

“I really appreciate what John has done to put her on a number of times this weekend across the two days of Twin Hills,” Bell said.