Indigenous heritage helping boost Brodie Loy back to his best

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this story contains images or names of deceased persons.

By Andrew Smith

Brodie Loy admits he was “sheltered” from his Indigenous background growing up, but is now determined to embrace his heritage and open up about the role it has played in shaping him.

The former jockey features in this week’s edition of Racing Queensland’s Racing For Reconciliation series, which showcases and highlights our Indigenous participants across the industry.

The 27-year-old is no longer riding competitively but these days is involved in training jockeys for success both on and off the track as part of his business, Elite Jockey Services.

Loy trains hoops out of the Fortitude Valley Boxing Gym in Brisbane’s inner north, and also regularly engages in sweat sessions himself, alongside partner and apprentice jockey Claire Ramsbotham.

Loy originally hails from Albury in regional New South Wales, the home of the Wiradjuri people.

He explains how he discovered the connections to the Wiradjuri land through his father Norm and extended family.

“We’ve kind of always known, but my dad didn’t really have the greatest upbringing with that side of the family so we were kind of sheltered from that kind of heritage,” Loy said.

“So it’s probably only the last few years we’ve opened up about it.

“My cousin Stacey is a very proud Indigenous woman so she kind of brought that upon me to look into it as well.

“I think she says when something’s not right or wrong, it’s probably the universe because you’re from this land telling you it’s not right, which is pretty cool I think.

“I have a really good Indigenous friend who goes you can’t be 10 per cent pregnant or 20 per cent pregnant - you’re either full pregnant or you’re not, so I’ve always gone on that.”

Loy was originally eyeing an AFL career as a member of the Greater Western Sydney Giants Academy when he was a teenager.

But he caught the racing bug through his dad and was soon entrenched in the apprentice jockey ranks.

“Dad suggested to start riding as he was a jockey as well, so next day I saddled up a couple of babies, jumped on, kept on falling off, and then finally got the hang of it,” Loy said.

“I had my first race ride when I was 15, and that won and I just started riding winners from there which was nice so it was a pretty quick transition, I had to pick it up pretty quick.

“My parents thought I would get pretty heavy which I eventually did, so they were right but I lasted 12 years longer than what I would have thought anyway.

“I was probably more passionate about the competitive side of it rather than riding itself – I was also kind of developing with the young horses as well.

“I definitely didn’t love the sweating and the wasting but definitely fell in love with the horse.”

That first win came in 2012, and Loy would go on to claim 539 more victories in the saddle.

He raced in Group 1s on some of the biggest tracks in the country in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, riding for the likes of Annabel Neasham, Bjorn Baker and Matthew Dunn.

Loy has also previously been open about his battles with his physical and mental health, ones which came to a head in 2023.

He gave up race riding early that year after admitting he was tired of the toll the battle to stay light was taking on his body.

He spent five months away from riding, which included attending an elite mental skills course in New Zealand called “Calm Under Pressure.”

Loy believes the time out of the caper and his reconnection to his Indigenous heritage helped greatly in getting back to his best, both physically and mentally.

“To be honest when things get a bit tough or less connected, you can go for a walk or go through nature and feel that connection,” Loy said.

“I probably learnt that peace when I did a bit in New Zealand - the locals there are very in touch with their heritage and proud of their country and they walk through it if they feel a bit disconnected.

“So that was cool to learn over there and I thought pretty much the same over here as well.

“If work’s getting a bit too much or any bit of life is just getting a bit down, I just try and go for a swim, go for a walk on the beach, go for a hike.

“I do that rather than getting upset and turning to the drink or something like that, so definitely learnt that over the last year.”

Loy returned to racing in November 2023 before hanging up the irons for good earlier this year.

The obvious inspiration for Loy while competing in the saddle was legendary Indigenous hoop Darby McCarthy.

McCarthy won the Stradbroke Handicap three times from 1963 to 1966, and became just the fourth jockey to be inducted into the Queensland Hall of Fame in 2004.

He was inducted into the Aboriginal and Islander Sports Hall of Fame as well as being posthumously awarded the title of a Queensland Great and inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2021.

Loy was honoured to be on board Uncommon James to take out the Darby McCarthy at Doomben in July 2022.

McCarthy’s nephews Richard and David were on hand to help celebrate the victory, two years on from their uncle’s passing.

Loy paid homage to the trailblazing achievements of the Queensland legend, highlighting McCarthy’s efforts in pacing the way for Indigenous participants across the industry.

“I never met Darby but winning that race, I got to meet his family on that day and that was good,” Loy said.

“I think it’s pretty amazing in that way for any Indigenous sports person in that day and age to step up.            

“I think it’s a lot easier now, we’re a lot more understanding, a lot more forgiving and so on with Indigenous people.

“I think racing’s a very accepting culture of everyone from all different walks of life, as long as you can get up at 3:30am.

“I think everyone is treated equally now which is nice so back then it must have been tough.

“It’s pretty inspirational that side of things that they’re able to be incredible sportspeople in that day and age.”

Loy has ruled out a return to riding, saying he is happy with where he is at in life.

He is keen to see more people of Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander background enter the racing industry.

“Across the board or any sport really, Indigenous people are quite good at any sport they do,” Loy said

“I would say to people to just source outside work, go to a stable - anyone is willing to kind of give anyone a go.

“Go find your local stables and ask to start there and you’ll probably pick it up pretty quick.

“It’s a very rewarding job to anyone so I guess if racing decided to go down that avenue there would definitely be a place for it.”