Sport
26 February, 2025
Jockey rapt to be back in saddle and riding winners
Brooke Stower hadn't ridden in a race for almost a year until she lobbed up in Mount Isa on Saturday.
Expect to see more of Brooke Stower at the races this year as the one-time leading country jockey rekindles her love of racing in the North West.
Stower, a full-time station hand at Millungera Station, was once considered a leading apprentice in Queensland and rode winners for fun in New South Wales before she was nearly confined to a wheelchair after a horse she was riding flipped over in the mounting yard at Grafton in 2020.
While she made a comeback and continued to ride winners, the now 31-year-old battled with her weight, leading her to scale down from race-riding.
However, since being based at Millungera with her partner Aaron Willis, Stower said her weight had dropped and she was now able to walk around comfortably at 56kg, the minimum that horses are allocated in the North West.
“Once we get started into a bit more work, like branding, and the season starts up, I can get down to 52kg quite comfortably,” she told North West Weekly.
The energetic jockey said she was thrilled to be back at the races, the first time since April last year, and was stoked to ride a winner.
Stower piloted Bitterblue to victory for Julia Creek trainer Tanya Parry in the Class B Handicap (900m).
“I actually really enjoy racing up here; it’s really fun,” she said.
“I’d been away for a little bit and my weight is really good at the moment so I thought, stuff it, why not? It’s good money and good people (at the races).
“I actually really like Mount Isa. It’s a good vibe. There’s always a good crowd there.”
Stower, who admits she’s more into campdrafting than horse racing, is saving up to buy a horse truck with her partner and said the prizemoney earned on Saturday would go towards that.
“It’s just different (campdraft). All I’d done was racing so to get out and actually do something different has been fun,” she said.
“It’s been very challenging but very rewarding.”
Stower said winning her maiden campdraft at Sedan Dip had been the highlight since making the move to the region.
“It was heaps of fun. It was a really good weekend,” she said.
However, she’s still likely to be seen at North West tracks for a little while longer – or at least until the campdraft season heats up.
“I’ve got quite a few meetings booked in,” she said.
“It’s such a good program up here. Nearly every weekend until June, you can race somewhere.
“I’ll miss Maxwelton but I’ll ride at pretty much every meeting until May.”