A TRANSGENDER jockey has spoken of the pain he went through after his mum refused to speak to him ever again.
Brave Tyler Leslight said the devastating experience ‘broke him’ – but that he has found happiness as a history-making jockey.
Transgender jockey Leslight overcame personal pain to land the biggest race of his fledgling career
Can't beat this @TylerLeslight full of emotion as he rides his first TAB winner at Mackay today! Congratulations champ
#QLDisRacing
https://t.co/lP3OnI0LDO pic.twitter.com/v3RdeVpbhO
— RaceQ (@RaceQLD) May 10, 2022
Leslight became the first transgender jockey to win a top class race on Fire King at Mackay racecourse in Australia on Tuesday.
The jockey, 22, had previously ridden a winner but this latest one was in a higher quality race and broadcast on national TV.
Leslight was born a female but when he was 16 decided to medically transition and now identifies as male.
He is believed to be Australia’s first transgender jockey – following in the footsteps of Victoria Smith in the UK.
Leslight said his grandfather used to train horses and he knew he would be delighted watching his first big win.
But he also opened up on how his family was torn apart when he told his mum his desire.
He told Fox Sports: “There’s been loss, I lost my mother as she doesn’t speak to me anymore.
“At the time when I was 17, that broke me as a kid and I thought my world was over, it took me a good 12 months to get over that.
“I was 18 when I started my medical transition.
“But things happen for a reason, I can’t worry about that sort of stuff and I just have positive people in my life.
‘THEY WERE EMBARRASSED ABOUT ME’
“I moved from Victoria as I couldn’t even get a job working as a trackwork rider down there, I started working trackwork in Queensland and I probably couldn’t even ride a donkey.
“There were also people who didn’t want to give me a go or didn’t want the world to know the truth about me.
“They were embarrassed about me.”
But remarking on the joy his grandfather would have felt, he added: “I was so happy when I crossed the line first, I had only had 12 race rides before that.
“My pop used to train and he would have been sitting at his mate’s place watching it.
“He hasn’t been able to watch my races until now because they have not been broadcast on TV.”
PEOPLE SUPPORT ME NOW
Speaking previously of losing contact with his mother, Leslight revealed: “I was lucky enough to figure out who I was as a person. Mentally for me it was a big deal and I was scared.
“But at the end of the day I wasn’t happy and I knew if I medically transitioned I would be happier.
“Even if you lose people if they don’t want to support you, then they’re not worth having in your life anyway.
“I’ve never been happier. I may have lost a couple people in my family because of their judgement, but just surround yourself with people who support you.”
Leslight is reaching new heights as a jockey aged 22, with years in the saddle ahead of him
