Hayley Hassman kicked off her riding career in the best possible fashion at Te Rapa on Saturday when winning aboard Hill Of Kings in her first raceday ride.
It was a sentimental day for the 17-year-old amateur jockey, who was riding in front of her adoring family and friends, with her support crew cheering down the stand as she urged her charge to the line.
“My entire family were there to support me and my Nana and Pop were there and they were crying because they were so proud of me,” Hassman said.
“Going up the straight you could hear the whole crowd cheering. It was an amazing feeling to get through the line knowing I got the win.
“It was great because it felt like I could say thank you to everyone for giving me that opportunity. It just warms my heart, it was amazing.
“I have come from a non-horsey background and for them to support me in something they have no idea about has been great.”
While the win meant a lot to all her family, Hassman singled out her mother and said Saturday would not have been possible without her unwavering support of her riding dream.
“My mum is a single mum and she supports me in whatever I want to do,” Hassman said.
“When I was little, I went to a holiday school where you got to ride horses. I started out doing that and that wasn’t enough for me, so I got a few lessons at my local equestrian centre.
“When I was in school, I wanted a job, and I got a weekend job with Chris Wood (trainer). At that point, I didn’t know anything about racehorses but I was just so interested.
“Mum would drive me over to Cambridge from Hamilton every morning. We have family in Cambridge, so she would go there for a bit and then come pick me up after work in the morning and drop me back in the afternoon.”
They subsequently moved to Cambridge where Hassman’s dream continued to be supported by her family.
“When we moved to Cambridge, I got my moped and I would ride to work in the morning,” she said.
“I left Chris Wood’s and I went to Stephen Marsh’s where they taught me a lot and got me going on the ground.”
While she enjoyed working with horses on the ground, Hassman’s real passion lay in the saddle, and she went about following that dream when signing up to be one of the first inductees to the NZ Equine Academy at Byerley Park.
“Donavan Mansour had the NZ Equine Academy and they were teaching people how to ride trackwork and do Level 1 and 2 in Equine Skills,” Hassman said.
“I moved to Auckland and stayed at Byerley Park and learnt how to ride track work there. Kylie Grass took me on while I was up there and trusted me on her horses.
“I finished my course and I was thinking about staying up there, but I wanted to come back to Cambridge and be with my family and friends.”
Hassman had gained a solid foundation in the course, and being intent on moving back to Waikato, course facilitator Renee Faulkner went about ensuring she joined a suitable stable that would cultivate her riding talent.
Faulkner identified Cambridge jumps jockey and trainer Shaun Phelan and was delighted he was happy to take Hassman on.
“Following the course, Renee said ‘I have the perfect person for you’, talking of Shaun, and from there Shaun took me on and I have been with him for about eight months,” Hassman said.
“I have learnt so much because he has all of that experience. It is great to have (apprentice jockeys) Kelsey (Hannan) and Elen (Nicholas) around as well. They have all been a great support, I am very lucky.”
Hassman also highlighted fellow Cambridge horseman Colm Murray, who trains in partnership with Shaun Ritchie, as another great mentor.
“A few months into being at Shaun’s, he wanted me to get some experience riding for another trainer,” she said.
“Colm offered to take me on in the mornings. I start for him at 4:30am and I ride about three for him.
“He has taught me a lot with my gallops, he would ride next to me and teach me my timings and how to hold the horses.
“He has also put me on a lot of his horses in the trials and has been a great support.”
With Hassman’s progression, Phelan wanted to nurture her passion for riding and ended up purchasing Hill Of Kings for $600 online in February with her in-mind.
Initially earmarked for the Castlepoint Beach races, Phelan had to change tack with the gelding after the iconic race was cancelled earlier this year and he elected to press on with a racing preparation.
The son of Time Test has now had five starts for the barn for two wins and two placings, culminating in Saturday’s success with Hassman aboard.
Lumbered with 69kg, paired with Hassman’s slight build, Hill Of Kings was set to carry plenty of dead weight, but that proved no issue for the three-year-old.
“My saddle was about 13kg, so that was a lot of dead weight on his back, but he handled it amazingly,” Hassman said.
“I have never ridden a horse that has listened so well and relaxed underneath. We worked perfectly together in that race and he listened the entire time.”
Hassman harbours ambitions of becoming an apprentice jockey, but in the meantime, she is lapping up as much knowledge as she can while in the amateur ranks.
“I think the amateurs is a good way to learn,” she said.
“I want to do a bit of travelling and get myself out there and get some experience under my belt, and by this time next year, I will hopefully start my apprenticeship.
“I have been riding track work for less than a year and I am already at this point, which is amazing. It’s cool to think of what I could be in another year and how far I could really get.”
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