Horses for courses for Warwick

When Lucy Warwick was halfway through high school, she was baffled as to what she was going to do with her future.

She did not see herself finishing Year 12 and she did not intend on going to university.

She came across a jockey apprenticeship program at the age of 15 and hailing from a farming family, the then teenager thought she may as well try her luck.

Today, the 22-year-old is one of the most successful jockeys in the South West.

She has an impressive collection of silverware, from the Perth Cup to the West Australian Cup, yet remains humble and down-to-earth.

Warwick grew up on a farm in Serpentine where she adored animals and spent most of her time with her horses.

“From a young age, I would always be outside with my dogs, horses and sheep,” Lucy said.

She travelled around a lot before her family decided to settle in Myalup just over a decade ago. Her dad Justin is a horse trainer and her mum Carol a talented showjumper.

“We were always around horses,” she said.

My parents actually sat me on a horse at six months old, it was the first time I ever sat on one.

Through years of dedication and hard work, Warwick got to a stage where she was ready to race. “It was in February 2014 when I had my first race.” she said. “It was a pretty awesome experience and I was so full of adrenaline.”

Warwick said the sport was full of “really high highs and really low lows”.

It has not always been an easy ride for the country girl, she has taken her fair share of tumbles and broken many bones in doing what she loves, but it is a risk she said she is willing to take.

The young rider fractured her knee and then her vertebrae in two separate falls in the past year. In her first fall, her stirrup broke causing a brutal and painful fall.

“I had another random fall where the horse’s toe clips got caught and it tripped,” she said.

I came off the horse and I was unconscious on the ground for a minute. I was very lucky to not get trampled.

Warwick said she had also overcome struggles with weight.

“It is all about being healthy and doing physical exercise.

“I started doing hot yoga which was also really therapeutic,” she said.

It is obvious Warwick cares for her horses.

“I often say they are better looked after than people with all the chiropractor appointments and regular Bowen therapy they receive.”

The 22-year-old said it was great to see an even playing field between men and women.

“The split is about 50-50, I am really privileged to ride in an era with equality,” she said.

Racing is also one of the few sports allowed to continue during the coronavirus pandemic.

“It is great that things are kept as normal as possible for the horses.”

Warwick said she had hopes of winning a Group 1 race, however, in the meantime she said she was happy to just keep riding winners.