Born to Ride
Michelle was born in Ballarat, Victoria, the youngest of ten children in the Payne racing family. Her mother Mary tragically passed away in a car accident when Michelle was just six months old, leaving her father Paddy to raise the children while continuing to train horses.
Growing up on the family farm, Michelle was surrounded by horses from her earliest memories. While some children played with dolls, she was in the stables, learning the language of horses, understanding their moods, their needs, their potential.
The racing industry ran through the Payne family veins. But it was her father's words that shaped Michelle's belief in what was possible.
My Dad used to say, "The girls are just as good as the boys, they just need the opportunities."
Those words became Michelle's North Star - a guiding belief that she carried through every race, every fall, and every moment of doubt that would follow.
Born to Ride
Michelle was born in Ballarat, Victoria, the youngest of ten children in the Payne racing family. Her mother Mary tragically passed away in a car accident when Michelle was just six months old, leaving her father Paddy to raise the children while continuing to train horses.
Growing up on the family farm, Michelle was surrounded by horses from her earliest memories. While some children played with dolls, she was in the stables, learning the language of horses, understanding their moods, their needs, their potential.
The racing industry ran through the Payne family veins. But it was her father's words that shaped Michelle's belief in what was possible.
My Dad used to say, "The girls are just as good as the boys, they just need the opportunities."
Rides & Falls
Michelle rode her first race at just 15 years old. The path ahead promised excitement, but it would demand everything from her - physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Horse racing is unforgiving. Over her career, Michelle experienced multiple serious falls - broken bones, concussions, a fractured skull that nearly ended her career in 2004. Each injury raised the same question: Was it worth it?
Beyond the physical pain was something perhaps more challenging: the constant doubt from an industry skeptical of female jockeys. The implication was always there - that women weren't strong enough, weren't tough enough, didn't belong in the saddle competing against men.
But Michelle understood something the doubters didn't. Racing wasn't just about physical strength - it was about connection, timing, patience, and the ability to bring out the best in a 500-kilogram animal running at full speed.
"Racing is a funny industry. One week you can be going terrible and the next week you're on top of the world. So you just keep showing up."
And show up she did. Again and again and again.
November 3, 2015
Melbourne Cup . Prince of Penzance . 100-1 Odds
The race that stopped a nation became the moment that changed everything - not just for Michelle, but for every woman who had ever been told she couldn't.
Prince of Penzance entered as a 100-1 outsider. But Michelle knew something others didn't - she had built a relationship with "The Prince" over years of patient, consistent work. She understood his temperament, his stride, his heart.
During the race, Michelle demonstrated the philosophy she'd always lived by: patience. She settled the horse behind the leaders, stayed calm when others panicked, and waited for the right moment. At the 800-meter mark, the race opened up. At 250 meters, The Prince bolted for home.
When Michelle crossed the finish line as the first female jockey to ever win the Melbourne Cup, her younger brother Stevie - who worked as The Prince's strapper - was there to greet her in one of the most emotional moments in Australian sporting history.
Her post-race words became legendary: "Get stuffed, because women can do anything and we can beat the world."
That victory wasn't just about one race. It was validation of a lifetime of belief, perseverance, and refusing to accept limitations others tried to place on her.
November 3, 2015
The race that stopped a nation became the moment that changed everything - not just for Michelle, but for every woman who had ever been told she couldn't.
Prince of Penzance entered as a 100-1 outsider. But Michelle knew something others didn't - she had built a relationship with "The Prince" over years of patient, consistent work. She understood his temperament, his stride, his heart.
During the race, Michelle demonstrated the philosophy she'd always lived by: patience. She settled the horse behind the leaders, stayed calm when others panicked, and waited for the right moment. At the 800-meter mark, the race opened up. At 250 meters, The Prince bolted for home.
When Michelle crossed the finish line as the first female jockey to ever win the Melbourne Cup, her younger brother Stevie - who worked as The Prince's strapper - was there to greet her in one of the most emotional moments in Australian sporting history.
Her post-race words became legendary: "Get stuffed, because women can do anything and we can beat the world."
That victory wasn't just about one race. It was validation of a lifetime of belief, perseverance, and refusing to accept limitations others tried to place on her.
Beyond the Barrier
After the Melbourne Cup victory, Michelle could have rested on that singular achievement. But that was never who she was. The win opened doors, and Michelle walked through them with the same courage she'd shown on the track.
In 2017, she published her autobiography "Life As I Know It," sharing the full story of her journey - the triumphs, the tragedies, the moments of doubt, and the unwavering belief that carried her forward. The book became a bestseller, resonating with readers far beyond the racing world.
In 2019, her story was adapted into the feature film "Ride Like A Girl," starring Teresa Palmer as Michelle. The film introduced her story to a global audience and cemented her place as an Australian icon.
That same year, Michelle retired from racing as a jockey and transitioned to the role she'd always dreamed of - trainer. At Nottingham Farm in Ballarat, co-owned with her brother Stevie, Michelle now applies decades of wisdom to training both horses and aspiring riders.
Michelle's highly anticipated second memoir, "Ride On", explores the journey that began after the world stopped watching.
Over the past decade, Michelle has also discovered a new calling as a motivational speaker. Corporate audiences, schools, sporting organizations all seeking to learn from someone who had faced impossible odds and emerged victorious, not through luck, but through patience, belief, and resilience.
