In the early 1900’s an orphan from Western Australia named Wilhemena Smith, who had been born a man in a women’s body, travelled across the Nullarbor to Far North QLD where I live and became a jockey named Billy Smith.
Billy was the first – and until a year or two ago the only – known transgender person ever to ride on an Australian race course, although his gender identity didn’t become known until after his death, mainly because we were a backward nation back then, and didn’t understand the simple complexities of chromosomes.
Times have changed since then, although only recently, and praise the stars for that, for it has allowed the gutsy as hell young hoop Tyler Leslight to be himself and to speak out openly about how he – just like Billy Smith – was born a boy in a girl’s body, and then when he was old enough to do something about it decided to be himself.
In two weeks time Tyler is going to win the Queensland Country Apprentice of the Year title.
You’d have to know him well enough for him to tell you his life story to understand what a momentous achievement this is, both for Tyler and for men like him whose true identities have been forcibly suppressed for centuries, just like Billy Smith’s was.
Tyler is too modest and unassuming to realise it but he is a warrior for equal rights, a young man who has almost single handedly broken down Berlin walls in racing and created an eternal path for others to follow. What he is about to achieve will create history, and will be reported around the world. And he has done it all just by having the guts to be himself when it seemed like the whole world was against him, and to smash down the walls of discrimination and prejudice by being himself too.
This kid is an extraordinary young man. I’ve met him and we became friends, so I know.
Tyler is someone that you would be proud to call your son, and I am blessed to be able to call him my mate.
Apprentice of the Year.
Good on you brother, and congratulations.
You deserve every single piece of acclaim that you are about to get, and you’ve earned it too.
You’re a champion mate, from head to toe.
You always have been, it just took the rest of the world time to catch up to the fact.
The future is yours now son..
Grab it with both hands baby and ride real fast.
I know you will.
A metropolitan career and a Melbourne Cup await.
Love you mate.
Go you good thing, go!
