Trailblazer: A person who blazes a trail for others to follow. A person who is the first to do something. An innovator.
Paula Wagg was a trailblazer during her time in the saddle and was instrumental in paving the way for the prominent role female jockeys now play in Australia.
In an era when Australian racing was historically a male dominated sport, Paula battled against entrenched stereotypes and attitudes that was commonplace at that time.
Who could have imagined that a horse mad young girl from Derbyshire, England, broke down the barriers to become Western Australia’s first licensed female rider.
Paula, born in Lincoln, England in 1955, was always involved in horses and by the tender age of eight was fortunate enough to buy her own pony, a 40-pound purchase named Black Magic.
At 15, Paula and her family migrated to Australia and although in a new and foreign country, one constant for Paula was her love of horses. Her first job in WA was on a farm in Wongan Hills, exercising showjumpers before teaching beginners how to ride at Wyandra Riding School.
Then came a sliding doors moment for Paula, one that changed her life and ultimately altered the course of WA racing.
On the advice of a friend, Paula learned there were better wages to be earned at a racing stable and she gained a job at John O’Connor’s Helena Vale stables before teaming up with a larger racing operation at Tibradden.
It was there that a trainer recognised Paula’s riding skills and wasted no time in asking the permission of WATC Stewards to grant her a trackwork license at Ascot.
Paula’s first race ride experience was the 1974 Powder Puff Derby, a restricted race for amateur women, chiefly created to drive publicity. Paula ran second on a horse called Grand Alliance, she described the experience as exhilarating. The seeds of her riding journey were planted.
Drawing on the inspiration of Linda Jones, the first woman to be granted a professional jockey’s license in New Zealand, Paula was granted her license by the WATC in 1979.
Despite her acceptance by officialdom, the public and industry sentiment of female riders in Australia at that time was brutal and intense.
Champion Sydney jockey Malcom Johnston said women were not built to be jockeys, they would be hopeless. Iconic trainer Bart Cummings said it would be a retrograde step for the racing industry.
Their attitudes only entrenched Paula’s determination and resolve, she was determined to do what she loved, but they didn’t make it easy for her. At 24, she was considered too old to be granted an apprenticeship and commenced her career on the same level as fully fledged jockeys.
In her first ride she ran 12th on Flying Lou at Belmont, five days later at Northam, on the same horse, she created history as the first female to win against men in WA.
In 1981 Paula set new ground again when she became the first female to ride in Singapore and Malaysia. Her reputation enhanced with signature Group 2 and Group 3 wins including the Singapore Derby Trial Stakes.
Paula’s popularity skyrocketed while riding overseas, she and fellow female rider Irene Pateman became firm favourites with local racing patrons, their presence at meetings charmed big crowds.
Paula’s fast-growing reputation extended to riding top horses for the powerful Teh Choon Beng stable, her successful strike rate amplified and no better evidenced than when she rode more winners in a month overseas than a whole season in Perth.
Paula has no doubt that her stint overseas was the making of her as a rider. Her improved physical prowess in the saddle and the confidence she gained from riding multiple winners afforded her more acceptance for when she made her return home to Perth. Although still tough, it steeled her resolve to compete against Perth’s golden era of jockeys.
Although Paula preferred to let her work as a jockey be her mouthpiece, she couldn’t shy away from the spotlight, her good looks and glamour attracting publicity on and off the track. Her celebrity status opening up racing to a new audience. She made regular appearances on Appealathon, drew Lotto numbers for the state lottery and fronted various magazine front covers.
After more than 150 winners spanning a decade, including the Listed Challenge Stakes on one of her favourite horses, Flash Kali, Paula retired from the saddle in 1988. The physical and mental demands on her body through dieting was tough, Paula hung up her boots and turned her hand to training.
From star jockey to accomplished trainer, Paula’s transition to the training ranks was seamless, going on to prepare Kim Angel to win the Group 1 WATC Derby.
In 2017 Paula was inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame and in 2022 she was awarded an Order of Australia (OAM) for her services to horse racing.
Paula Wagg: trailblazer, pioneer, accomplished jockey, skilful trainer and now a worthy inductee into the Western Australian Racing Hall Of Fame.