Steph Tierney’s metro dream in sight

By Jordan Gerrans

By the age of 40, many jockeys are approaching the latter stages of their riding careers.

Sunshine Coast-based hoop Steph Tierney, however, is at the other end of the spectrum.

After making her professional debut at 39, Tierney is just getting started.

Tierney quickly made an impression on Queensland's country circuit last year before graduating to the provincial level, where her success has continued.

She rode a double at Caloundra earlier this month on a Friday evening program, showcasing her ability against more experienced riders.

After her late start in the riding ranks, the hard-working jockey has her eyes on making the move to the city when the time is right.

“I'd love to work towards getting closer to the metro licence,” she detailed.

“I'm well aware that there's still plenty I need to work on and I've obviously still got a lot to learn in terms of race riding.

“But, getting to know the tracks is a huge help. So, the more consistently you're riding, the quicker that comes along for you.

"Obviously working towards that metro licence is a big one. That would be amazing to be able to ride down at metro, but I'm more than happy where I am at this point.

“I love supporting the country trainers still that were instrumental in getting me to where I am. Obviously, we need those country tracks to teach us, we can go out there, we can learn and that's what gets us onto these better tracks.

“So, I definitely don't take that for granted or any of the trainers out there that have helped me along the way. They've been huge in building my confidence.”

Confidence has been a recurring theme throughout Tierney's journey in racing, which has taken her from New Zealand to Western Australia and Queensland.

It is something she has struggled with throughout her career.

The horsewoman has taken a remarkable path through the industry.

At 20 years of age, after working as a dairy farmer in New Zealand, she relocated to Western Australia and walked into the stables of trainer Warwick Bradshaw, declaring she wanted to learn how to ride.

At that stage, she had zero experience in the saddle.

One of Tierney's grandparents was involved in trotters in New Zealand, so she says horses may have been in her blood from a long way back, even though she didn't know it at the time.

Under the guidance of the Bunbury-based trainer Bradshaw, whom she regards as a close mentor, Tierney progressed from riding trackwork to competing as an amateur in picnic races at tracks such as Landor and Pinjarra in Western Australia.

Records show the Kiwi enjoyed success at Landor in 2007 and 2008, riding several winners on the amateur circuit.

From there, Tierney headed back home across the ditch, where she took out her own training ticket and prepared eight winners, according to Racing and Sports' statistics, between 2015 and 2022.

While her training tenure in New Zealand was relatively short, Tierney did have a number of starters in Group races.

She eventually returned to Australia and arrived at the Caloundra track before landing a gig with the Stuart Kendrick stable as a trackwork rider a couple of years ago.

“My biggest downfall over the years has been being not so confident in myself,” she reveals.

“To be honest, being a jockey has helped me a lot with that side of it.

“Just learning to trust myself and back myself when usually I'd be looking to everyone else for answers.

“When you're a jockey, you've got to do that yourself. People can help you along the way, offer you advice, but you've got to teach yourself and you can only learn from yourself.

“So, that's been a big part of it and I think it's very important to get to know yourself on a deeper level too.

“That helps you push through the challenges that come up within being a jockey.”

When Tierney arrived on the Sunshine Coast, she came over from New Zealand with a couple of horses she had bred herself, with plans to start a pre-training business.

She began riding trackwork at Corbould Park to pay the bills.

A potential career in the saddle was something that had always been in the back of her mind.

Going from trackwork to now being on the verge of riding at Eagle Farm and Doomben has made the past couple of years a whirlwind for the determined Tierney.

She has ridden 52 winners since making her debut in July of last year.

“At that time, I was in between where I was going to go forward,” she reflected on starting her apprenticeship.

“I've had a few setbacks in my life, so the opportunity came up and I was determined to give it one last good crack in the industry.

“There were a few setbacks that led me here, but so far, it's looking like it might have been meant to be.

“I always wondered why I made things harder for myself. I've always been that way inclined throughout the years, but it's becoming apparent to me now that this might have been why.

“I've found the transition pretty easy for the fact that I have always looked after myself and put my body through hard work, so I've been pretty well conditioned for it.

“Obviously when you're in the industry you've got a competitive streak in you whether you're a trainer or a track rider or a jockey.

“I do have to make myself stop and just go back and look at things. I'm just amazed at what I've been able to achieve and just incredibly grateful to everyone that's supported me along the way.”

Despite being an older face in the apprentice ranks, Tierney says she has great respect for the teenagers she rides alongside every day.

“I've got the experience of being in those life situations that I think are helping me,” she said.

“To be honest, I take my hat off to all the young kids that start out straight out of school because it's no joke of an industry when it comes to that side of it.

“When I go to the races and see the young kids there, I am just incredibly proud of them all for what they're doing and how they're handling themselves at that young age.”