Jim Byrne set for next challenge in racing

By Jordan Gerrans

Champion Brisbane jockey Jim Byrne is being celebrated as a fierce competitor on the track as well as a dedicated family man following his retirement.

The 54-year-old has not ridden in a race since April of last year.

The tough-as-nails Byrne was one of the leading riders of his generation in the Sunshine State, collecting more than 2,900 winners, which included seven at the highest level.

He also rode internationally as well as heading interstate for feature carnivals.

Byrne was also a multiple-time premiership-winning rider in Queensland throughout his career.

He won more than a 100 black-type races.

Despite still being fighting fit and having his weight at a manageable level, Bryne has struggled with injuries in recent times which has halted his momentum.

“I think I've always tried to be as respectful as much as you can be,” Byrne said when reflecting on his riding tenure.

“You understand that this isn’t a team sport, it's an individual sport. It is a dog-eat-dog sort of thing out there.

“I think when I go through and I think back, as long as people think that I was hard but fair, I think I'll be happy with that.”

The history books will show Byrne’s final winner of his glittering career was aboard Persevere at the Sunshine Coast in June of 2024.

The hard-working rider's career was headlined by Group 1 triumphs in the Doomben 10,000 (Redzel), the Kingsford Smith Cup (Apache Chase) and the Ascot Vale Stakes (Gold Edition) at Flemington.

Shane Scriven fought out several premiership battles and Group 1 finishes against Byrne across their careers.

The retired Scriven, like many of his contemporaries, touched base with Bryne this week to congratulate him on all his achievements.   

“Jimmy was a fierce competitor in a race – no quarter given and no quarter asked for,” Scriven said.

“He is a very devout family man with the knack of giving dedication and ethics to being a great jockey and caring and protecting his family along the way.

“Deep down he would give the shirt off his back if someone was in need - I know this from personal experience.

“The role he has joined with the Queensland Jockeys' Association will not only bring objectives from a jockey’s point of view but also relevance from a racing perspective.”

As Scriven remarks, Byrne has been heavily involved with the Queensland Jockeys' Association in recent times as the president of the organisation.

It is a body he is passionate about advocating for and says it is crucial all former and current jockeys are celebrated and cared for.

The Jockeys Association runs an annual raceday where they invite all former jockeys to the track to recognise their contribution to the industry.

“The QJA and its members past and present congratulate Jim on a magnificent career,” QJA General Manager Glen Prentice said.  

“He was always known as a tough but fair competitor out on the track with impeccable integrity.

“Jim has ridden multiple Group 1s and won countless premierships in Queensland and ridden all around the world with great success.

“In recent times, Jim has taken on the role of QJA President and will continue in this role where he has provided excellent leadership and obtained best practices for jockeys working alongside Racing Queensland and Queensland Racing Integrity Commission.”

Like Mick Dittman, Michael Pelling and Mandy Radecker, another others, Byrne is a product of Pat Duff’s production line of quality apprentice riders becoming top senior jockeys.

The late, great Duff was Byrne’s boss in the early days, but he became so much more.

In his own words, Bryne was a bit of a troublemaker as a youngster so the guiding advice from Duff was crucial in his riding career, but also his life more broadly.

“I come from a broken family, so my Dad was very much at the forefront,” Bryne said

“He was someone I looked up to and he worked very, very hard and then I moved to Pat when I was so young.

“I needed those strong people. I needed people that I respected in my life to kind of push me back on the on the straight and narrow.

“For Pat, I'll be forever grateful. He was without a doubt my second father. He brought me into his family and he treated me like I was one of his own.

“He did that with all his apprentices and that's what made him such a great human being.

“He was so giving with his time and I'm forever grateful to the whole family. To this day, I still keep in touch with the family and I'm forever grateful for the start they gave me.”

Before getting involved in racing as a youngster, Byrne did not hail from a racing family.

But, he immediately took to the caper of riding.

“I am a bit of an adrenaline junkie, it is something that has been with me my whole life,” he said.

“I love it. I boxed all the way through my career as well as enjoying fast cars and bikes.

“It is something that I have always loved and sure enough, fast horses are something that was my passion.”

The respected Byrne looks back on his career with no regrets and is looking forward to continuing to work with his former peers in his role in the QJA.

“When I look back at it, would I change a thing?” he said.

“No, I have loved every minute of it.

“I think if I'm able to give something back to the jockeys, through my role with the association, then that's what I aim to do going forward.”