Their Last Ride: Fallen Jockeys of Australia 1810 to 2020
Australian History True Crime Horse Racing Sports Biography Australiana Animal Sports Equestrian Safety
John H. Payne’s epic 645-page paperback “Their Last Ride: Fallen Jockeys of Australia 1810-2020” is the only complete roll-call of every jockey who never made it home from the track. Spanning two centuries and every state and territory, this heavily illustrated true-crime-meets-sport volume gives each rider a human face: where they grew up, the horses they loved, the race that claimed them, and the safety reforms their deaths triggered. Readers who devour Australian racing history, equestrian biographies or simply crave a page-turning non-fiction adventure will find the book impossible to put down.
What makes this copy collectible is its sheer scarcity—published in small-run 2020, it is already out of print and sought-after by turf clubs, riding schools and collectors of Australiana. Condition details are transparent: first five pages have neat staple holes (likely from an old newspaper clipping that was removed), light rippling from a once-damp shelf, one small page mark and a tidy tear to the top edge of the laminated cover; the rest of the block is crisp, unmarked and tightly bound, making it an affordable first edition for readers rather than investors. ISBN 9781925742091.
Beyond the grandstands, Payne weaves in bush race meetings, wartime meets when women jockeys first competed, and the evolution of helmets, safety rails and on-course ambulances. Young adult readers studying Australian history or animal-care modules will appreciate the graphic yet respectful treatment of risk in sport, while adult hobbyists and ex-jockeys value the meticulous footnotes and state-by-state index for genealogical research. The book doubles as a travelogue: maps show isolated outback tracks where champions fell, turning any reader’s next road-trip into a living museum tour.
For horse-lovers, sports enthusiasts or anyone hunting a unique gift that shouts “Australia,” this gently used copy delivers the emotional punch of a novel with the authority of a reference bible—without the collector-level price tag. Grab it now before the remaining stock disappears and secondary-market prices climb.
Refer to our eBay listing for a full condition report and many more high-quality pictures of this item.
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