Williams to bow out at Riccarton after 30 years in the saddle
Kylie Williams has been a staple of New Zealand’s jockey ranks for three decades, but at Riccarton on Saturday she will don silks for the last time.
It will be a full-circle moment for Williams, who had her first ride at the track on its biggest day as a fresh-faced 16-year-old.
“I had my first ride there on (New Zealand) Cup Day in 1996,” she said. “It is not my favourite track, but my family are all going to be there, and it will be quite nice to finish it (riding career) up at Riccarton.”
Williams has enjoyed a decorated career in the saddle, which currently stands at 1019 wins, with the Cantabrian having reached her 1000th win in September last year at Riccarton.
Williams has 32 stakes wins to her credit but said riding a maiden for close friends has meant just as much to her.
“In the end, it all comes down to those special moments,” she said. “It didn’t matter what the horse or race was, it was the people or the story behind it that means more.”
One of those special moments was when Williams rode against her son, leading Victorian apprentice Logan Bates, on the opening day of New Zealand Cup Week last year.
“He was never going to be a jockey, he was in the greyhounds and trotting, and then he decided when he was 20 that he wanted to do it,” Williams said. “I never encouraged it, but he is flying and I am very proud. It was pretty cool to ride against him.”
