Racing is built on those like Margaret De Gonneville

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As we enter the off-season of racing in Australia and the industry decries proposed prize-money cuts in Victoria, a heartwarming story emerged at Port Macquarie this week.

The club named a race at its meeting on Tuesday in honour of a local trainer by the name of Margaret De Gonneville.

Intrigued by this, I decided to call her to learn a bit more about her story. While it’s rude to ask a woman her age, I politely posed the question.

“That’s a state secret, so many people want to know. I’m very mature. I will never see 80 again, so I’m nearing 90,” she told me with a laugh.

As soon as we started to talk, she struck me as one of those unique, wise and genuine racing characters that draw you in.

 Born and raised in New Zealand, horses have been in De Gonneville’s blood for as long as she can remember.

“You went to school on your pony and you had a special paddock for your ponies. Life back then very much involved horses, or anything with horses, because they were used on the farm and there were a lot of gymkhanas in the district. They were a lot of fun,” she said, as she recalled how her passion for racing horses began as a teenager: “I owned and trained my first pony in a pony race when I was 14, which was very exciting.”

In 1956 came the opportunity to move to Australia. An accomplished eventing rider, she soon began riding trackwork for the late, great Tommy Smith.

During that stint with ‘TJ’, she had the unforgettable pleasure of regularly riding the champion mare Denise’s Joy on work mornings.

“She was a lovely mare and beautiful to ride. She was a real pet and an amazing broodmare,” said De Gonneville. 

Soon came the calling to become a jockey and she competed in the inaugural ladies-only race in Australia and in 1977 was the first female rider to win a registered race in Australia.

She competed all over the country, from Bong Bong to Broken Hill, Lightning Ridge to Darwin, and Flemington to Moonee Valley, and even returned for stints back home in New Zealand as well as invitation races in England and Ireland.

Her memories of riding in England are still vivid and she proudly recalled one day in particular.

“I was riding at Newbury races and the Queen Mother had a runner. I patted Lestor Piggott on the knee,” she said. “Back then, jockeys were able to ride among the spectators and I thought ‘this is my moment’. He was such a fantastic rider, so I went up and patted him on the knee.”

She spent seven enjoyable years as a jockey and, just two weeks after hanging up the riding boots, she decided to turn her hand to training racehorses.

“I’ve been training for 41 years, officially, and unofficially more,” she said.

The passionate horsewoman trained horses at Canterbury in 1981 before relocating to Rosehill. Her biggest success was winning the 1983 edition of the Breeders’ Plate at Randwick with My Mate Zero who beat Golden Slipper winner Inspired.

For the past 16 years she has been based in Port Macquarie where, these days, she has six horses in work.

“I cut down on the numbers as I am not so keen to get out of bed in the middle of the night and go training. Fortunately, my health is still very good. I’m still very active and at the stables every morning. I am up at 5am to get there and do the horses,” De Gonneville said.

“I never tire of it. I love to see them in the morning and pat them and touch them. I still love watching them training and love being around the horses.”

De Gonneville’s genuine love of the horse serves as a great reminder, as the industry despairs over the imminent prize-money cuts that are on the agenda, as to what racing and horses mean to people. 

It brings us back to what is, for the majority, essentially being involved is all about. Particularly at the grassroots, the level at which the majority of participants are playing at.

“It’s hard to define. It’s their smell and you just look at their beauty whether it’s their courage and bravery and toughness,” she said. 

“They are also great companions for people and give so much excitement and joy to people and money. Imagine life without horses and racing. You would not get out of bed, would you?”