FEATURE
Hard work, guts and determination have seen Jamie Melham rise to the peak of her sport. The Pony Club kid from the Adelaide Hills has come a long way … Jamie Melham ... the Cups Queen
W hen Jamie Melham streaked across the finishing line and won the 2025 Lexus Melbourne Cup, there were a couple of things on her mind. Her thoughts turned to her beloved grandfather, Albert, who’d died only a week earlier – but not before watching his determined granddaughter win the prestigious Caulfield Cup. As Jamie weaved her way through the pack on Lexus Melbourne Cup Day in November 2025, she felt that Albert was providing some divine intervention. “He was such a big supporter of mine. He was up there opening those gaps for me, because I needed a few gaps opened,” she said shortly after becoming the first female jockey to win the Caulfield- Melbourne Cup double. Jamie’s other thoughts were for Half Yours – the Tony and Calvin McEvoy- trained horse that had carried her to glory during both big races. “He’s a legend of a horse and he gave me the most incredible ride. He has the best attitude. I just wanted to jump off, not talk to anyone and give him a hug! What a champion,” she said. And when she looked back at the field in those final strides, the magnitude of what she’d done hit her all at once. “I just remember those last two strides – looking
back and thinking, we just beat that whole field, beat everyone in Australia, pretty much. This is the best race in Australia, in my opinion. And I thought, well, I’ve actually done this.” Jamie’s triumph during the 2025 Spring Racing carnival was built on years of hard- earned success. Since the girl from the Adelaide Hills first sat in the saddle of her beloved pony, Bessie, she’s had an affinity with horses. “I grew up on horses. At 18 months old, Mum would lead me around on a miniature pony while my friend from daycare was pushed along in a pram,” said Jamie. Formerly Jamie Kah, she married fellow jockey, Ben Melham, in January 2025. Jamie’s equestrian career began when she joined One Tree Hill Pony Club and Mount Pleasant Pony Club and began showjumping. In 2010, at the age of 14, she was selected for the Pony Club Australia International Mounted Games team and travelled to the UK to compete. She won a series of national and international titles with Bessie. “A lot of people go right into being a jockey, but I think my equestrian background has had a big influence on my riding style,” she said. Those mounted games, in particular, sharpened an instinct she still draws on today. “Every [mounted]
WORDS SARAH MARINOS
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