Just a few days after her career-best victory, Queensland jockey Rikki Jamieson has revealed she plans to hang up her riding boots before the end of this year to focus on family commitments.
The Ramornie Handicap-winning hoop is planning to have her third child with husband and trainer Jeff Dunn and doesn’t want to miss out on seeing the kids grow up on their property at Beaudesert in southeast Queensland.
Dunn and Jamieson created a special moment in Australian racing history at Grafton last Wednesday when the married couple combined to win one of Australia’s true time honoured races.
“It was the biggest win of my career for sure, and Jeff’s,” Jamieson said about her dominant triumph on Sha Of Gomer in the $200,000 Listed race.
“It was such a thrill, the adrenaline was pumping.”
Jamieson was back riding at Ipswich the next day so herself, Dunn and their small team of staff postponed celebrations until Saturday night, with a few drinks but “nothing crazy”.
The Ramornie triumph has fuelled the fire in Jamieson’s belly but she also wants to make room in there for another bundle of joy to join Maci, 8, and Piper, 6, from a previous marriage.
“I am looking to hang the boots up,” the 33-year-old said.
“Obviously Sha Of Gomer’s win is making me want to stay on a bit longer.
“I have been talking about it for a year and we’re ready to have one more baby.
“Whenever the time comes for that is when I’ll be finishing up but I’m thinking in the next few months I’ll just give it away and focus on family and things like that.
“I really love the horses so I’ll always ride trackwork. I’ve had a nice career and there’s stuff I’m missing out on now with the kids.
“There’s a lot of weekend work, I’m away a lot and I don’t want them to grow up before my eyes and miss out on it.”
It’s a fascinating dynamic for a jockey to work for their partner but Jamieson says the relationship is mostly smooth sailing, although she’s not afraid to express her opinion.
“We’re pretty easy-going and we’ve both got go-with-the-flow temperaments,” she said.
“If anything I can arc up more than he can but only when necessary. He definitely stands his ground when he thinks it’s necessary too.
“We barely argue and we just get along really well. I knew Jeff for a lot of years before we were together and he’s just a really nice guy.
“It’s very rare that we don’t get along at work.
“I definitely will put my opinion forward if I think there’s something that we should be doing differently but the final decision is always his.”
So will she miss the sweet taste of success that she’s savoured with Sha Of Gomer in this month’s Rockhampton Newmarket (1300m) and Ramornie Handicap (1200m)?
“Definitely. I think everyone would have days where you go ‘nah, I wouldn’t miss it’ but it’s in your blood and you can’t help it,” she said.
“I don’t know what it is, but it’s something that just runs through your veins.”
Article courtesy of Racenet
