Paula Barron's trip down memory lane ahead of IWD26

By Jordan Gerrans

When Gold Coast trainer Paula Barron entered the racing industry as an apprentice rider in the late 1970s and early 1980s, newspaper columns often reported on her looks rather than her riding ability.

In one story, she was referred to as pretty.

In another, it said that ‘most importantly, she was a striking looker’.

While the reports also touched on her skills in the saddle and family lineage in racing, there were constant references to her appearance.

When a female jockey enters the racing game in 2026, how she looks is not considered a newsworthy topic.

It is all about their ability as a horsewoman and their dedication to their craft.

Ahead of International Women's Day this Sunday, Barron’s journey within the industry underscores just how far female representation has come in her lifetime.

Still preparing a strong team of racehorses at the Gold Coast to this day, the now 61-year-old can reflect on the changes in the landscape when it comes to ladies in racing.  

“I've never been one to split women from men,” Barron said.

“I figured in racing, we were all equal. I never played on being a woman at any time. I just figured we're all equal doing the same thing so it should be fine.

“I think it's great, things such as International Women’s Day, because it does recognise that back in history, a lot of the women, they had to do it hard and they've come through that. 

“Now, we're a big percentage of our racing industry.”

When Barron started her career in racing in the Northern Territory all those decades ago, she was one of just two female riders at local tracks.

She rode under her maiden name Groves.

It was a similar theme across Australia as legendary Queenslander Pam O'Neill only broke through for the girls in May of 1979.

Barron trained a winner at the Gold Coast on Saturday afternoon as Music Fever scored in Benchmark 62 grade over 1400 metres. 

When she was riding in the early stages of her tenure in racing, it was only her and one other lady out there competing. 

If you compare that to Saturday’s Gold Coast program, it is a drastic difference. 

There were six females at the Gold Coast raceday alone, with numerous others riding at meetings around the Sunshine State. 

The numbers in the apprentice jockey and trackwork rider ranks are heavily leaning towards the fairer sex, which showcases that the future generation of riders will be even more so female dominated.

“It's huge,” Barron declared around female representation in the sport these days.

“It's just grown and grown. Gradually, there were other girls coming to it.

“Then as you get around, even the women trainers, they've grown. There weren't so many women trainers. Now, everybody's doing it.

“I think now, we're fine. We're pretty equal. People respect us and our judgment. I think we're going great now. Back in the day, there was a big push.

“We needed help to get people to respect us and accept us. Now, I think we're pretty much there as equals.”

International Women's Day, celebrated annually on March 8, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for advancing gender equality.

IWD has been around for well over a century, with the first IWD marked in 1911.

In 2026, IWD marks an extraordinary milestone: 115 years of collective action, advocacy and progress toward gender equality.

For more than a century, IWD has helped drive transformative change. Each generation has built on the courage of those before it, pushing boundaries and redefining what is possible.

After starting out as an apprentice jockey in Darwin at just 15 years of age, Barron has ridden and trained across the country in the decades since.

Alongside husband and fellow former hoop Donald Barron, they have been involved in racing in almost every state.

She has taken breaks from training and her day-to-day involvement in the industry at times over the years as her children have been welcomed into the world and grown up.

They prepare a team of seven at the Gold Coast these days.

It was in South Australia back in 1991 when Barron, who still went by Groves in those days, tasted her greatest success in the sport.

She prepared the winner of the Group 1 Goodwood at Morphettville with a galloper named Crush.

In South Australia’s famous race, Crush was ridden by the late great Ken Russell on that occasion.

Crush was competitive in a number of big races across the country, but the Goodwood stands out as the highlight. 

Crush ran second in the Goodwood in 1990 to Beau George, but the following year, they turned the tables.

Barron was only 25 years of age back then and says while winning such a prestigious race didn’t really sink in at first, she is proud to be in the history books in Adelaide. 

“It didn't really register to me that it was important to win a Group 1 race,” she said with a laugh.

“It was surreal.  People are ringing me and congratulating me about it and all this.

“But, in hindsight, it's really special. My name's there forever.

“Kenny Russell, he rode Crush. 

"Both their names are there forever. It's history.

“It's pretty good, I think so. It's funny how we had Kenny ride Crush and Kenny, we kept in touch after that.

“Crush was always there. I've had a lot of other horses that have given me a lot of thrills. It's been an amazing road.”

The late great Russell provided Barron with her best day in racing and all these years on, she is stabled at the Gold Coast on a road named after the champion former hoop.

The great Russell hailed from Monto in Central Queensland before developing into one of the star jockeys of Australia, winning numerous premierships and Group 1s in the Sunshine State and New South Wales.

The late Russell was often described as the “King of the Coast” for his elite riding efforts on the Gold Coast.

The Barron stable has runners accepted to race at Grafton on Thursday and Eagle Farm on Saturday.