Pony Club Careers Series, Pony Club Australia
Jamie Kah is an Australian jockey paving the way for women in sports.
Her rise to fame came in the 2012-2013 season, when she achieved the Adelaide jockey’s premiership and won the John Letts medal for excellent riding — all while still an apprentice.
Since then, she has been nothing shy of impressive. She has earned titles like Metropolitan Jockey of the Year and Provincial Jockey of the Year in South Australia, and currently leads the Victorian Jockey Premiership.
Photo: from a Racing.com screenshot
Jamie Kah did not become one of the best jockeys in Australia overnight. She has put in a lifetime of hard work and devotion to horse riding, and she attributes much of her success to her time in Pony Club.
Kah first joined One Tree Hill Pony Club at two years old. At the age of 10, she began riding at Mount Pleasant Pony Club. She appreciates the community that Pony Club fostered for her as a budding equestrian.
Photo: Pony Club Australia
“Once you join Pony Club, you sort of start knowing all the Pony Clubs around the area and start making more friends and more connections,” said Kah. “That’s how I got into racing as well — a girl in Pony Club introduced me to the racing stable.”
Not only did Pony Club Australia provide her with a tight-knit community and introduce her to horse racing, but the games, events and competitions that Pony Club offers to all levels of riders helped Kah build the skills she needed to become a jockey.
“I’m lucky enough to have gotten to compete in games when I was younger,” she stated. “A lot of people go right into being a jockey, but I think the games teach a lot about balance. Being a jockey is very difficult, so being able to be a part of Pony Club my whole life and grow up with horses has helped me massively.”
Pony Club Australia didn’t just teach Kah riding skills. She said it also helped her mature into the resilient person she is today. She gained the bravery she needed to travel all over the world as a jockey, including to the UK as part of the Pony Club Australia International Mounted Games team.
Photo: courtesy of The Advertiser, SA.
“Being a jockey and traveling overseas has made me grow up really quickly. I’ve had to toughen up a lot.”
The social skills that Kah developed through Pony Club come in handy in her life as a jockey, too. She frequently has to approach owners and trainers, and as someone who was coy as a child, she believes that the Pony Club community gave her the confidence to overcome nervousness today.
Pony Club introduces people to the wonders of spending time with horses, which is what Kah said is her favorite part about being a jockey.
“The best thing about horse riding is the horses themselves. They’re amazing creatures — they’re just so different, all with unique personalities and attitudes.
”Jamie Kah’s journey with Pony Club sparked a lifelong love of horses that changed her life, and she believes that everyone, especially young people, can benefit from horse riding.
Watch all of Jamie Kah’s 100 Victorian metropolitan wins this season.
Find out more about Pony Club Australia.
