Bella Youngberry to ride up a storm in her jockey career

By Jordan Gerrans

Garry Youngberry can vividly recall the moment his daughter Bella informed him of her dreams to become a jockey.

She was in her early teenage years – maybe 13 years of age – and she was ripping around their Queensland property on the back of a quarter horse.

Bella was – and still is – obsessed with the equine animal, heavily involved in her local pony club as well as competing in show jumping around the Sunshine State.

The Youngberry clan had moved specifically to a spacious property with enough room to support Bella’s passion to ride her ponies or quarter horses.

“She used to fly up the paddock, so fast,” Garry recalls.

“It used to frighten me and the thrill of the speed, that is where she got it from.

"That was when she told me she wanted to become a jockey."

That is where her dreams were born.

“As soon as I learnt I could go fast and get paid, I was in on it,” Bella remembers.

Now 17 years of age, Bella’s dreams are about to become a reality as she has her maiden race day ride as a jockey on Saturday afternoon at Gympie.

Bella heads to Gympie on Saturday and has been booked to ride Enterprise Success for co-trainers Ashley Perks and Calvin Perks.

Garry is the Queensland Channel 9 weather presenter for a day job and is also entering the racing industry alongside his daughter.

Garry will manage her rides alongside her master Allan Chau.

“I hope to be able to help other up-and-coming jockeys as well as Bella,” Garry said.

The rookie rider was set to have her debut rides for her boss Chau at Kilcoy Race Club on Thursday before the meeting was rescheduled to Tuesday April 16.

The father and daughter team no longer live on a spacious property, but have since shifted into an apartment on the Gold Coast to be closer to the Bundall track to support Bella’s riding ambitions.

The teenager has studied online over the last couple of years to assist her fledgling jockey career as well so she can spend more time at the track in the morning instead of rushing off to school.

Bella has dealt with a few injury setbacks in recent times but believes the long journey through her trials and jump-outs has prepared her to thrive on the track.

“It has been a long, slow process and I have been pretty hungry,” Bella said.

“It makes it feel even longer but now that it is finally right around the corner, it feels like it has finally paid off.

“I am really glad it has taken the time it has because it has made me realise a lot of things.

“I have had the chance to learn a lot more along the way and I think it has better prepared me for race riding.

“Once I sit on the horse on my first day, everything will go away in my mind about nerves and I will be right.”

As the Youngberrys were not entrenched in the industry as a racing family, Garry says it was a steep learning curve for all of them to get Bella’s foot in the door.

She graduated from the pony club and show jumping ranks to eventually working at a stable and then riding work.

“Bella has really done this journey on her own,” Garry said.

“She has really taught herself and learnt everything herself through pony club.

“I am just so excited for her, the hard work that she puts in and I know eventually she will be rewarded because she has a fantastic team around her.

“She has the skill, ability and determination to be successful. The path ahead of her, she has all the opportunities in the world.”

As Bella is a tall-ish hoop, she initially feared that her stature may hold her back from a career in the saddle.

Once she realised it was all about her weight and not so much her height, she was sold.

She has a riding weight of 55kg declared for Thursday alongside her four-kilogram allowance.

The smiling youngster believes pony club and show jumping were key to her progression.

“I think it is the perfect grounding really, you get to really learn about the horse and how they work – really becoming a good horsewoman,” the teenage hoop said.

“I know it’s a different discipline and different style of riding but it helps you with your balance I found when I first started track work.

“It came to me a lot easier having ridden and jumped horses before.”

Gold Coast trainer and former jockey Chau has been a key influence on the young hoop’s career.

A jockey that has won at Group 3 level and ridden around Australia, Chau has in recent years stepped back from riding and is focussing on his training career now.

Garry says Chau treats Bella like his own daughter, such is his care for her.

“He has been my biggest supporter since I moved down her,” Bella said of Chau. 

“He has got me through everything and got me to where I am today basically. I really couldn’t have done it without him.”

As well as Chau, senior riders Boris Thornton and Samantha Collett have also spent time mentoring Bella since she lobbed at the Gold Coast track.

Robbie Fradd – who has recently started as a Casual Education Support Office with Racing Queensland – has also worked closely with Bella.