A decade after her dramatic launch into fame, celebrated jockey Michelle Payne reflects on what she's learned about love, loss, courage and kindness.
The Melbourne Cup: the most prestigious horse race in Australia and never won by a female jockey—until 2015.
When Michelle Payne swept past the post, she made history and galloped straight into our hearts. Yet what came next for Michelle was an even wilder ride: a whirlwind of international celebrity that drove her to breaking point, a second catastrophic race fall and a gruelling road to recovery.
Ten years later, Ride On reveals how Michelle found the courage, resilience and determination to keep fighting and triumphing in the face of extraordinary adversity and pain, the perspective that allowed her to dig deeper and reach further than she'd ever thought possible and the wisdom that can help anyone searching for hope and the power to overcome.
This raw and remarkable story of a life lived against the odds showcases timeless truths: lessons of love and loss, hope through heartbreak, healing kindness, the power of patience and finding the strength—no matter what—to rise up and ride on.
When Michelle Payne swept past the post, she made history and galloped straight into our hearts. Yet what came next for Michelle was an even wilder ride: a whirlwind of international celebrity that drove her to breaking point, a second catastrophic race fall and a gruelling road to recovery.
Ten years later, Ride On reveals how Michelle found the courage, resilience and determination to keep fighting and triumphing in the face of extraordinary adversity and pain, the perspective that allowed her to dig deeper and reach further than she'd ever thought possible and the wisdom that can help anyone searching for hope and the power to overcome.
This raw and remarkable story of a life lived against the odds showcases timeless truths: lessons of love and loss, hope through heartbreak, healing kindness, the power of patience and finding the strength—no matter what—to rise up and ride on.
Published October 28, 2025