Jaimee-Lee Devine's path towards her dream race day debut

By Jordan Gerrans

Jason Devine can recall daughter Jaimee-Lee being on horseback when she was still learning to walk as a toddler.

So it came as no surprise when the teenage apprentice tasted immediate success in the saddle on Monday on her home track.

The 17-year-old has forever dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps in becoming a jockey and in her maiden race day ride on Monday she saluted on a galloper Jason trained.

It was the dream first day at the races for the Thangool high school student.

Jaimee-Lee is in the rare position of race riding while she is still completing her secondary school studies.

Before turning his hand to training, Jason rode for almost a decade and spent time working in Sydney around the Wayne Hawkes barn.

That is where Jaimee-Lee began her quest to fulfil her dreams, being on the back of a horse from as young an age as 18 months old.

Jason has ridden in pairs with his daughter through her learning process to guide her to where she is today.

“I ride with her as much as I can,” a proud Jason said on Tuesday morning after the emotional victory.

“She has been riding since she was 18 months old. She has always wanted to be a jockey; she lives and breathes it.

“That is all she has ever wanted to do – ride. She knows how to ride.”

The ever-dedicated student was back to reality as a regular teenager on Tuesday morning as she was at school only hours after the thrilling ride.

“It is everything I dreamed it would be,” Jaimee-Lee said.

The breakthrough victory came aboard Imagine That, a mare Jason trains and is owned by Jaimee-Lee’s mother Edwina.

The local youngster riding at the Monday TAB meeting for the country club was not looking likely in the middle to later stages of last week.

Jaimee-Lee had completed her required trials and jump-outs to satisfy stewards of her ability to ride in races and there was a mad rush on Friday to have her riding licence approved to be ready to go come Monday afternoon.

While the Devine clan wanted Jaimee-Lee to be riding in races soon regardless of location, they had added incentive to do it on her home track where she has grown up learning.

The approval from stewards only came at 4:30pm on Friday of last week with Jason fearing she would not be cleared to ride so he booked The Archer-winning hoop Ashley Butler for Imagine That just in case.

There was an array of family members and family friends at the races to watch Jaimee-Lee debut. 

“Everyone cried,” Jason said.

“There were so many people there on Monday just to watch her ride that have helped her along the way.

“It is very emotional as my family has a lot to do with the club at Thangool. Everyone came into the saddling enclosure; it was pretty special to a lot of people.

“There are people who have purposely bought horses for Jaimee-Lee to ride.”

At the regional Queensland town of Thangool – which is situated inland and just south of Rockhampton – the Devine family play a key role in keeping the local race club ticking along.

Jason is one of the local trainers as well as being on the committee.

He is also the starter at times on race day.

Edwina was the secretary for more than a decade while other family members help curate the track itself.

Jaimee-Lee’s ride on Imagine That in the Benchmark 45 Handicap over 1200 metres has received plenty of plaudits for a hoop on debut.

It was her only ride on the program, for her boss and father.

Knowing the local track like the back of her hand, Jaimee-Lee stuck to the fence after drawing barrier five and she was able to sneak up the inside to score by a length and a half.

“I just kept her steady, nursing her around as she is a big mare,” the young hoop said.

“It was my main goal to keep her balanced the entire way. She was travelling amazing and I sat there quietly.”

Jason was still beaming on Tuesday morning.

“I am really proud of my daughter – she does a lot of work and really deserves everything she got on Monday; I thought it was great,” Jason said.

“We really wanted her first ride to be at Thangool.

“She rides this mare in all her work and does everything with her – she deserved it on Monday.”

Jaimee-Lee completed a traineeship through her local school before stepping up to take on her apprenticeship.

She travelled to the Darling Downs to build up her official trial rides where she was supported by trainers such as Matt Kropp, Joshua King and Steve Tregea.

Kropp was quickly on the phone to congratulate the young rider not long after the victory.

Jason said it is likely Jaimee-Lee will spend more time riding in Toowoomba in the future.