Darby McCarthy
Encyclopedia
Darby McCarthy was born Richard Laurence McCarthy in a sandhills camp at Cunnamulla
in Queensland
, the son of Albert and Kate, who married at 13.
He became one of Australia's best jockey
s in the 1950s and '60s.
He has done much to further the Aboriginal cause.
Cathy Freeman
said of him, "Darby influenced me and encouraged me to strive for excellence in all that I do and to persevere against all odds and for this I will forever be thankful ... We first met in Queensland when I was 15 and Darby and his family were kind enough to let me stay on weekends away from boarding school at Toowoomba." (quoted in Against all Odds)
Darby raced frequently in Brisbane
, where his records include three Stradbrokes, the Brisbane Cup
and Doomben 10,000
before he moved to Sydney
.
He won the 1969 AJC Derby
on Divide And Rule and the Epsom with Broker's Tip on the same day.
Darby then went on to race in Europe, including at Royal Ascot and in Paris
. He was inducted into the Queensland Racing Hall of Fame during the Industry Awards Night held in Brisbane
, July 2004.
Cunnamulla, Queensland
Cunnamulla is a small town that lies on the Warrego River in south west Queensland, Australia, south of Charleville, and approximately west of the state capital, Brisbane....
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, the son of Albert and Kate, who married at 13.
He became one of Australia's best jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
s in the 1950s and '60s.
He has done much to further the Aboriginal cause.
Cathy Freeman
Cathy Freeman
Catherine Astrid Salome "Cathy" Freeman, OAM is former Australian sprinter, who specialised in the 400 metres event. She became the Olympic champion for the women's 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics, at which she lit the Olympic Flame.Freeman was the first ever Aboriginal...
said of him, "Darby influenced me and encouraged me to strive for excellence in all that I do and to persevere against all odds and for this I will forever be thankful ... We first met in Queensland when I was 15 and Darby and his family were kind enough to let me stay on weekends away from boarding school at Toowoomba." (quoted in Against all Odds)
Darby raced frequently in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, where his records include three Stradbrokes, the Brisbane Cup
Brisbane Cup
The Brisbane Cup is a Group 2 Australian Thoroughbred horse race for three year olds and upwards, run under handicap conditions over a distance of 2400 metres at Eagle Farm Racecourse, Brisbane in June...
and Doomben 10,000
Doomben 10,000
The Doomben 10,000 is a Group 1 Australian Thoroughbred Weight for Age horse race, run over a distance of 1350 metres at Doomben Racecourse, Brisbane in May. The race was originally called the T.M. Ahearn Memorial but was changed to the Doomben 10,000 after the 10,000 pounds prize money on offer. ...
before he moved to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
He won the 1969 AJC Derby
AJC Derby
The Australian Derby also known as AJC Derby, is a Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run by the Australian Jockey Club at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia. Open to three year olds, the race is held annually in the latter part of March or early April...
on Divide And Rule and the Epsom with Broker's Tip on the same day.
Darby then went on to race in Europe, including at Royal Ascot and in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He was inducted into the Queensland Racing Hall of Fame during the Industry Awards Night held in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, July 2004.