Success in harness racing has not come easy to Casey Leijen.
Six years ago, Casey had no interest in the sport, and would go as far as to say she disliked it. Today, she is a trainer with her first win under her belt – the first of many, if her record in other equine pursuits is anything to go by.
While Casey was not steering the horse that delivered her breakthrough victory at Bendigo on July 10, she certainly is the driving force behind the steed that raced away from its rivals that cold Wednesday night.
Born and bred in Kyabram, Casey, 24, has lived around horses since she was two years old, and practically grew up alongside foals she would eventually train and ride.
Before she got involved in training standardbreds professionally, she would enter her horses into agricultural shows, enjoying much success across northern Victoria.
She also worked in film and television, training pigeons and farm animals used in productions alongside big names such as Delta Goodrem, Alicia Banit and Justin Theroux.
One night out at the Middle Pub in Tatura flipped her life upside down.
She ran into Craig Turnbull and Bec Cartwright who were looking for a stablehand at the Shepparton Harness Racing Club to do early morning work.
“That’s where it all started … I started doing boxes and gearing up horses and then after a while they said ‘Do you want to drive one?’” Casey said.
“I said, ‘Sure, why not?’”
Now, a day for Casey starts at 4:30am when she makes the half-hour drive from her home in Kyabram to the Shepparton Pony Club where she tends to the seven horses she trains.
And, while Casey has lived with horses her entire life, it was only after working with pacers and trotters under trainer Nathan Jack that the sport of harness racing piqued her interest.
“When I started working for Nathan Jack for the last two and a half years, that’s when I noticed that I really enjoyed this sport, and I guess you can say I got the drive to do something with the sport,” Casey said.
Now, six years after she began working at the Shepparton Harness Racing Club, she has finally achieved her first win as a trainer.
On July 10, Casey’s pacer I’m Easy On The Eye won a maiden pace at Bendigo, with stablemate Nell’s All Bliss finishing third.
Thinking back to that day, Casey said she was confident her horses could place, but there was one rival that stood out as a danger.
“Going into the day there was one horse in the race that, I thought, could give us a run for our money,” she said.
“But I knew that she [I’m Easy On The Eye] probably would be there if she could get the right run.
“And 50m out I knew she was home.”
And she hadn’t just won the race, she had outrun the competition by nearly 13m.
“It wasn’t just a win. It was a win,” Casey said.
“It was quite an emotional thing to train your first winner — it’s quite a big thing.
“I’ve only been on my own [training] for 12 months now, and don’t get me wrong, I have help and support from the trainers around me, but I was really by myself for this, so it’s quite emotional.”
Casey said that while the night was special for her, there was no time for celebrations given she had to drive back to Kyabram for a good night’s rest before yet another early start.
In addition to her success on the track, Casey is still enjoying success at agricultural shows across Victoria — except now she can say that she is a certified winner in another field.
Thinking back to when she couldn’t imagine herself in harness racing, she emphasised the importance of perseverance.
“If I had to say something to my old self, I would say to never give up because you will get there,” she said.
“It’s been a long road.”