Lyall Appo aiming to inspire next generation of First Nations jockeys

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

By Andrew Smith

Lyall Appo does not hold back when recounting the racism he used to endure as an Indigenous jockey.

The proud Wakka Wakka man is determined that no other First Nations racing participant will ever have to go through what he did.

Appo was candid when describing his experiences during a 37-year career in the saddle as part of Racing Queensland’s Racing For Reconciliation series.

Based in Chinchilla these days, the 59-year-old officially had his last ride in March of 2017 at Esk.

While he entertained the thought of getting back in the saddle in early 2023 – even going so far as to get medical clearance – he has now ultimately ruled out a return to race riding.

Appo’s first foray into the racing industry began back in 1980 when he left his Aboriginal community of Eidsvold, in the North Burnett region.

The teenager began his apprenticeship under Bruce Cameron in Toowoomba in October of that year, and had his first race ride in December.

“It was not only a change, but a very big cultural change for me as a 15-year-old Aboriginal kid from Eidsvold,” Appo said.

“I left the town with a pair of jeans and three shirts, and I started my career from nothing – all I wanted to do was ride a horse.

“In my family, my people were stockmen and belonged to the country, and the opportunity was given to me to become a jockey and I took that opportunity.

“People don’t understand that we do grow up in two worlds - I grew up in my Aboriginal world and I also grew up in the racing industry.

“It was a big change in society but cultural wise too and it’s something that I’ve been very, very proud of to have been able to achieve.

“As a 15-year-old-kid leaving Eidsvold, I never thought I’d do and see the things that I’ve done and it was racing that gave it to me.”

Appo would go on to ride his first winner on a horse called Rio Del in Dalby in early 1981 and competed at all the major tracks across Queensland after landing his metropolitan licence in 1983.

He rode alongside some of the Sunshine State’s greatest jockeys in Mick Dittman, Graham Cook and Mel Schumacher throughout his long career.

There were also stints at Randwick where he shared the jockey’s rooms with champion hoops Lestor Pigott, Ron Quinton and Peter Cook.

They were not only rivals, but became Appo’s close mates.

Those friendships became important as the jockey faced discrimination due to the colour of his skin.

“I sat in the jockey’s room with the greatest jockeys, looked around the room, and there wasn’t to many sitting in the room the same colour that Lyall Appo was,” Appo said.

“I was taken off horses that I’d won on two or three times - not because other jockeys were better than me, but I was taken off for that reason.

“I’ve had trainers pull me up in a bar and say ‘you’ll never ride one of my horses’ because of that reason.

“As an Aboriginal person, I call it the snake - it’s when the snake shows his head, and the influence through the industry was rampant.”

Appo recalls an incident at the track on one occasion where he was on the receiving end of some particularly vile racial abuse.

“I remember one day I trotted out and you look up into the crowd, and the grandstand was just full of people,” Appo said.

“A bloke came over and he yelled out ‘hey look, there’s a monkey on that horse!’

“For a 16/17-year-old kid there wasn’t someone like my old man that I could turn around to and say ‘Dad, did you hear that?’

“I always tried to look through it and over the negative part of the industry, but it was always there - the snake showed its head all the time.”

It was trailblazing Indigenous jockey Darby McCarthy that Appo turned to for support during his lowest moments.

The three-time Stradbroke Handicap winner and Queensland Racing Hall of Fame member became a mentor for the young hoop as he struggled to find his feet as an Indigenous man.

“My heroes were Aboriginal stockmen with cowboy hats on, they were all my uncles, and when I started riding and I looked for those influences I couldn’t see any,” Appo said.

“And then I learned about Darby McCarthy, and learnt about Frank Reys and Darby Munro, and all I wanted to do was be like these fellas.

“It wasn’t until I met the great Darby that I could see that the influence was there - the things that me and Darby could speak about, you can’t speak to anyone else about it.

“Darby had this calming influence over me and he just knew what to say, he knew how to talk, and he was such a big influence in my career because I could talk to him.

“He knew what I was going through in the industry and he gave me strength.”

The family connection to racing runs deep for the Appo clan.

Lyall’s son Beau-Dene and brother Bradley are both jockeys, while his uncle Frank was also an amateur hoop who worked at Eagle Farm.

Lyall was a special guest as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags were raised outside Racing Queensland’s offices in Deagon in June 2022 as part of National Reconciliation Week.

For Appo, it was a watershed moment reflecting how accepting the industry now is of First Nations participants.

“It was something that I thought I’d never see in my lifetime and to see that flag raised at headquarters, for me was not only very special, but also very spiritual for me as a participant of the industry,” Appo said.

“It brought a lump in my throat and it still does today talking about it.

“When I was riding, I tried to look through the racism and everything, but it was there and I had to deal with it, and everyone else in the industry had to deal with it too.

“We have come a long way and we’re going forward and kudos to Racing Queensland.”

Officially retired from racing, Appo works for Australia Post and is also involved in native title claims around the Western Downs region.

He is keen to share his experiences in a mentoring role for Indigenous participants within the industry.

Like his late great role model McCarthy, Appo is determined to see jockeys of all backgrounds be treated equally on and off the racecourse.

“I think there needs to be more Aboriginal participants in the education of the industry - to sit down with an Aboriginal person and have another Aboriginal talking to them is a different thing,” Appo said.

“Any young Aboriginal person out there that wants to better themselves, there is definitely an opportunity with the industry.

“I think if Racing Queensland want to go forward they need to be able to get this support for them - there’s a lot of gifted Aboriginal kids out there and they just need someone positive to give them that role model.

“No Aboriginal apprentice will have to go through what I went through - I’ll walk through anyone just to give them that support and say the same thing Darby said to me, that ‘it’s ok, we got this.’”