Episode 320: Glyn Schofield

Racing fans have been pleased to see Glyn Schofield’s presence at three recent barrier trial sessions at Rosehill. Until his resumption in late August the veteran jockey hadn’t been seen since Boxing Day of last year. He reveals that a painful problem with his right arm required extensive surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation. Glyn takes us back to early childhood in his native England and the job transfer that took his family to Johannesburg. He says horses were of no interest to him at this stage of his life. The ace jockey talks about his time as a pupil at the famous Durban Jockeys Academy- the institution which launched the careers of several champion jockeys. Glyn talks of his apprenticeship to Alister Gordon and his very first winner at Scottsville. He makes mention of some special horses who got him going in South Africa. He remembers a working holiday he had in 2001 at the Caboolture training operation of the late Bruce McLachlan. Glyn recalls another visit to Queensland for the 2002 winter carnival. He won a race for Gai Waterhouse on the Gold Coast. Schofield talks about the three month contract in Hong Kong that would last for four years. He talks about the amazing career parallels shared by himself and brother-in-law Jeff Lloyd. They made a joint decision to leave the political instability of South Africa and move their families to Australia. Glyn talks of the gradual acceptance by Sydney trainers and a few special early winners. He didn’t know it at the time, but he got to ride a budding champion in 2009. He wasn’t able to retain the ride. He talks of a Randwick fall in 2011 and the surgery that got him to Singapore a few weeks later. He won the Singapore Gold Cup with 14 screws in his collar bone. Glyn reviews his association with a number of his favourite horses with special mention of the amazing Hay List. The jockey recalls the emotional day in the Rosehill jockeys room when he watched son Chad win the Cox Plate on Shamus Award. He talks of Chad’s progress and his current activities in Hong Kong. Glyn speaks affectionately of daughters Demi and Whitney. He looks back on the dark days of 2014 when Whitney lost husband Nathan Berry to a rare disease. The top jockey talks of wife Tiffany’s love affair with Sydney. The fifty four year old speaks of his eagerness to get back into active competition against some of Sydney’s hottest young jockeys. Glyn’s an excellent storyteller.