The producers of In A Life Time, which charts the extraordinary life and times of Australian Racing Hall of Fame jockey Darby McCarthy OAM, have made a plea for funding to ensure the feature-length documentary gets off the ground.
McCarthy, who passed away aged 76 in May 2020, was a true pioneer in the saddle, riding in his first Melbourne Cup at the tender age of just 16 before becoming Australian racing’s most successful and celebrated indigenous jockey.
In a riding career spanning three decades, he rode more than 1,000 winners including several at Group 1 level. An impressive highlights reel features three victories in four years in his native Queensland’s most famous race, the Stradbroke Handicap, and he also achieved the rare double of winning both the AJC Derby (on Divide And Rule) and the Epsom Handicap (Broker’s Tip) on the same day at Randwick in 1969.
His globetrotting career took him to the United Kingdom, where between riding at Royal Ascot he found time to socialise with members of the Beatles.
After retiring from the saddle, McCarthy threw his passion into advancing the cause of indigenous communities across Australia, and was heavily involved in the Buldau Yioohgen (or ‘Big Dreams’) Indigenous Youth Leadership Academy which continues to arrange annual visits to Melbourne to showcase potential career pathways across various sporting and cultural organisations, including Racing Victoria (RV) and Racing.com.
In 2016, he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for his services to racing and his work with indigenous youth, and was later inducted into the Aboriginal and Islander Sports Hall of Fame.
RV and several racing organisations and stakeholders have pledged their support to In A Life Time, with the fundraising effort led by Documentary Foundation Australia which supports independent documentary filmmakers.
To make a contribution, please click on the following link