MICHAEL RODD: 'MY OLD SCHOOL APRRENTICESHIP MADE ME INTO THE JOCKEY I AM TODAY'
By Graham Potter | Friday, December 13, 2019
Michael Rodd is riding in the Jockey Origin Series in Brisbane this weekend. He has ridden in the Origin Series before. That was back in December 2016 and, at that time, HRO’s Graham Potter spoke to Michael about his career. Part of that conversation covered Michael’s time as an apprentice with trainer Bryan Guy and, given the fact that the standard of apprentice riders is very much in the spotlight at the moment, Michael’s story as an ‘old school apprentice’ really highlights just how much things have changed over time with regard to apprentices. This extract comes from a story that was posted on HRO three years ago, but it is well worth repeating here.
Bryan (Guy) was my father figure for four years of my life ... because as an apprentice you move away from home when you are indentured to a trainer.
Remember I was an old school apprentice.
There weren’t many old school apprentices left after me ... hardly any! I was old school and by that I mean I lived at the stables. Bryan was my master and I did as he said and he worked me very hard.
I didn’t get away with much. There was always a clip up the side of the head if I was getting a bit cheeky ... to the point that one day, when I was the leading jockey in Queensland, I was suspended and getting a bit cheeky so he made me strap Jar Jar Binks in one of the big races over the Winter Carnival.
He always made sure my head wasn’t getting too big.
The apprenticeship was hard to start with but I am so lucky. I went to a good boss and a family that really cared for me. They didn’t just want to see me succeed as a jockey. They wanted to see me succeed as a human ... and they instilled that outlook that in me.
I just spent so much time with them. My first time overseas was with them. They took me on a family holiday overseas. I was invited and they took me to Hong Kong. It blew my mind.
I was included in everything. Any time they were going out for dinner or something was happening, I was always there. It was just a stunning support base and that obviously helped get me through it all because it was a hard early on.
I knew I had to respond properly if I was going to make it. I had to stand up to the hard work and the demands and the difficulties that came along to test you.
There were some tough days when you would be left shaking your head. Even when it was tough going Bryan would never say,’ well, you’ve been doing well ... have an afternoon off ‘or something like that. It was always ‘get back to work’.
Riding all Bryan’s good horses while I was still an apprentice and having all of that trust put on me at such an early age made me mature a lot quicker and prepared me for going south to Sydney and Melbourne later on.
Daniel (Guy) did all my rides. He managed my life and Bryan was my master and I had a lot of respect for them.
Bryan took me on as an unknown. When I went to his stables I couldn’t even ride, you know. He took me under his wing straight away and looked after me. I thought, wow, this is amazing.
I had heard stories about apprentices going to stables and all of the bad things that can happen. I was a small sixteen year old kid and I was shitting myself for the first few weeks there but I did have a guy staying with me who looked after me ... he ended up being my best man at my wedding ... and, of course, Bryan wouldn’t let me out of his sight.
I wasn’t allowed out of the stables without someone to mind me.
Bryan never stopped moulding my riding skills. For example, I was never allowed to use the stick in my right hand. From day one I had to walk around the stables having the whip in my left hand ... left hand, left hand ... all day.
On the horses at track work ... left hand. Bryan said, I don’t want to see it in your right hand but I want you to pull it through.
In my racing days here, when I was still learning as an apprentice, when a horse wasn’t so good, Bryan would go,’ today I want you to pull it through to your right hand’ ... so I’d be coming into the straight and thinking, oh shit, here we go, and I would pull the whip through knowing Bryan would be watching every move.
Now I can do it without thinking because I was taught so well.
There are many other examples of why I have such a bond with the Guy family.
Looking back, I can see how great that whole situation was for me.
Tough days yes, but also some of my best days.
Without a doubt my apprenticeship made me into the jockey I am today.
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The life of an apprentice has changed dramatically from my time to the present day.
There is more pressure on them now.
They’ve got to be more professional. They’ve got to deal with the media. There are replays from different angles where everybody can see what they are doing wrong ... so it is pretty intense for them and, in that sense, it is a lot harder on them now.
Having said that ... and this is definitely not a criticism, it is just a different time ... I do feel that apprentices are missing out these days by not spending as much time at the stables with the horses like the old school apprentices used to do.
They are riding so many times a week now so they seem to not do as much stable work and that’s where they are definitely missing out because I’ve got all of those skills that you acquire being hands on in the stables and working directly with the horses from day one.
I can go and help the farrier. I know what is happening with the shoeing. I got to know all about the horse. I had to get up early to go and help the vet during the day.
I was hands on all of the time in the stable itself. Then I was doing the riding as well. I was leading the horses to the track. Bryan was telling me things. I was learning all of the time. Just sucking it all in.
As I said, it is no criticism of the system that has evolved. It is just the way it has gone but I wouldn’t swop my background in the sport, as strict as it was at times, for anything.
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