Apprentice Tyler Leslight building into riding career

By Jordan Gerrans

Tyler Leslight relocated to Queensland with ambitions of making his way in the racing industry as a track work rider.

He never really considered eventually becoming a jockey.

Just over a year later, the 22-year-old is a professional race rider, making his debut at Bundaberg on Saturday afternoon.

Leslight bounced around to a number of stables in Victoria, aiming to work his way up from stable hand to track work rider and while many promised him opportunities, they never really eventuated.

His big chance to breakthrough came when he made the call to move to the Sunshine State, where his father lives, landing on the Darling Downs and his fledgling career has flourished since.

Veteran trainer Pat Sexton gave Leslight his first opportunities to ride track work, before the chance to work for stables such as the Sears’ and Stacey Mesken followed, with his apprenticeship through the Oakey-based Mesken barn.

“I realised at that time that I needed to move if I wanted my chance so I got in my car and drove for three days to Queensland,” he recalled.

A mare named Breaker Breaker was Leslight’s first ever race riding at Bundaberg on Saturday afternoon, with the four-year-old bay finishing fifth in a maiden over 1090 metres.

Gladstone-based trainer Denis Schultz was positive with his feedback to the rookie rider for his job on Breaker Breaker with Leslight pleased to get around safe on his first day at the races.

“I thought it was a good first experience, you can always improve,” he said.

“I always try and point out what I have done wrong and there is always things you can fix.

“The trainer was reasonably happy with it; the horse improved a few lengths from his start before and I was riding him on a track that I had never been to before.

“I was happy to get around safe in my first go.

“I am glad I got that first ride out of the way, all the pressure and being anxious, I can just focus on my riding going forward now.”

The debutant hoop was glad to see a familiar face or two in the crowd at Bundaberg, his uncle there to watch along, as was fellow hoop Rhiannon Payne, who travelled with him and helped him pick up the ride from Schultz.

The Toowoomba-based apprentice hoop has been around horses in one way, shape or form across his life.

Originally from the Murwillumbah area in northern NSW, both his grandfathers - Robert Hohnberg and Jack Leslight – trained decades ago before he  relocated to Victoria as a youngster.

As a teenager, Leslight moved for 18 months to Rockmount, which at the time was one of Victoria's most renowned thoroughbred pre-training facility.

Plenty of classy gallopers went through the Rockmount facility in country Victoria during his time there, including Nature Strip and So Si Bon, among others, who he was able to saddle up, which he described as an “amazing experience”.

“They let me ride my first few horses track work there, which were my first couple of horses ever I had ridden like that,” Leslight said.

“That was my start.

“I thought that it looked like more fun riding horses than picking up their poo (laughs).”

Trainer Mesken has been a huge influence on the up-and-coming hoop, as has the Sears family at their stable.

“She has looked after me,” Leslight said of Mesken.

“So has the Sears’, Tony has been a big supporter of mine of late.”

Experienced trainer Tony Sears, who trains in partnership with his daughter Maddysen, said Leslight is as reliable as it gets.

“He is a nice kid and is always there every morning, he does not miss a morning of work,” Tony said.

“I will look after him and hopefully give him a few rides soon, we were going to give him one the other day but it did not work out.

“He knows his stuff about horses as well.”

Leslight will turn to the non-TAB circuit over the coming weeks to gain more experience, heading to Dalby this Saturday with likely trips to Miles and Roma later in the month.