Born into a family with no interest in horses, Kristen Smart’s passion came as a surprise.
“I’ve always loved horses. I don’t really know why but for as long as I can remember, I wanted one.”
At 12 years old she got her first horse, which she describes as a “huge learning curve.”
“He used to try and buck me off every time I’d ride him, and I was so scared that dad always had to lead me everywhere even though he doesn’t really like horses. But I stuck with that rat-bag horse, and he ended up turning into a nice old boy.”
With practice, Smart was drawn to the thrill of going fast.
“I spent heaps of time just riding around on the farm. I’d jump over trees and ride across paddocks. I think mum used to have a heart attack looking out the window and seeing me galloping down the road.”
Having grown up on a dairy farm with plenty of land to ride on, Smart is grateful for the opportunities she had to pursue her passion.
“I was lucky that I was able to have a horse. I think if I never had the opportunity to tear around the farm it would never have happened, since no one else in my family was a jockey or really had any interest in horses.”
The Kangaroo Valley Show and the tremendous support she received from other locals also helped pave the way to her professional career.
“It was always my favourite time of year. I remember when I first entered the show jumping and got eliminated at the beginning. But so many people were happy to help me out and try to get my horse to jump for me. I think all of that probably helped me on the path to where I ended up.”
The long-term friendships and sense of community she gained through the shows and Kangaroo Valley’s pony club, which is currently dormant, are something she will treasure forever. However, for those interested in meeting fellow horseriders there are clubs operating nearby, such as the Berry Riding Club and Kiama Pony Club.
Smart’s involvement with horses progressed into a weekend gig when she was in year 12, where she would feed horses for a trainer in Nowra.
Once she graduated from high school she moved into the role of a “wash bay girl”, hosing down the horses when they came off the track. This was when the trainer’s son started joking around about turning Smart into a jockey.
“I thought it was crazy,” She laughs.
“I didn’t know anything about racing.”
Upon telling her parents about the idea, they had strong reservations, which drove her to pursue horse riding more seriously. Despite the barriers of living in a small, remote town, she explored all potential avenues that would lead her closer to becoming a jockey.
“I’m one of those people that when someone tells me I can’t do something, I want to do it even more. That’s how it all started.”
She began a strict regime of training the horses six mornings a week, starting her days around 4am.
“Horses don’t know if it’s a public holiday or Christmas Day or whatever. You must be quite dedicated to the job, rain, hail or shine.”
Despite attaining some minor injuries throughout the years, it never deterred Smart from returning to the sport.
“It never made me scared to get back on” she states.
“I guess if you love something enough, you push past any fear.”
She competed in her last race in 2016 but continued riding trackwork all throughout university, where she studied Primary Education.
However, she was forced to step away from her hobby when she broke her back in 2020.
“It took a long time to heal” she explains.
“Eight months passed before I got clearance to go back to riding, but I didn’t ride properly again until quite recently.”
At 34 years of age Smart has entered a new chapter of life, currently residing in Hong Kong with her husband and daughter. She keeps two horses at her parents’ house in Kangaroo who’ll be waiting for her when she returns to visit.
