Fatherhood tames former bull rider

By Glenn Davis

It's fair to say fatherhood changed the life of North Queensland trainer Darby Amos.

Amos was a former bull rider on the rodeo circuit as well as riding trackwork for his father and uncle, Darryl and Norm Amos, in Charters Towers.

However, he quit rodeo on the advice of wife, Merel, after becoming a father for the first time when he turned 30.

“I’m now a father of four but I was told by my wife to give riding bulls away once we had our first child,” 39-year-old Amos said.

“Now I’ve got three boys and a girl.”

Before training, Amos worked as a station hand on cattle properties in North Queensland and also worked as a slaughterman in the Townsville meatworks before being bitten by the training bug.

However, Amos soon found training was not an easy profession and is the first to admit it took him some time to learn the game.

“It’s been hard but I’m now starting to get some quality horses,” Amos said.

“I still ride trackwork and I’m now doing my own shoeing as well, while Dad is a stablehand and helps out a lot.”

Amos is now in his sixth year of training and is the only trainer based at the tiny Home Hill track in the state’s north.

He will head to Bowen on Tuesday to saddle a team of four and will be double handed in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap with Reves Time and Exo Miss.

Both are raced by prominent owner Sue Hammer who is a big supporter of the Amos stable.

“I’ve got 11 horses in work and Sue owns about seven of them,” Amos said.

“Reves Time is the pick of my two in the Three-Year-Old and she was bred by Sue and was educated by the Sweeneys in Toowoomba before she came to me.”

A daughter of Chief Ironside, Reves Time has started three times and is coming off a last start third to the Kevin Miller-trained The House in an 1100m Three-Year-Old Maiden at Mackay on August 20.

“She missed the start by five lengths last start but she trialled well when she ran second in Townsville last week,” Amos said.

“I’d like to spell her after this run but I’m not sure yet and I’ll play it by ear after she has this run.

”She’s definitely the pick of my two in the Three-Year-Old.

“I took Exo Miss to Prairie last start when she was well beaten but she didn’t handle the dusty track.”