A year and a half into jockey training with four wins under her belt, Leticia Griffin's job was put on the backburner to focus on her health after a cancer diagnosis.
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While she comes from a farming and horse family, she is the first to enter the racing industry, but the health scare led her down a different path.
"I spent a lot of time racing but I never felt like I found my niche," Ms Griffin said.
Interested in staying in the industry, she went on to work as a clerk of the course.
"It's a very hard job to get into," she said.
Ms Griffin said the clerk supports jockeys that are racing.
"Our job is to keep the horses and jockeys safe and make sure they get to the barriers and from the barriers," she said.
"If there's an issue we're the ones that are first on course, with a horse."
In 2021, Ms Griffin was the first female clerk of the course
"I was absolutely privileged to be accepted into that role," she said.
"The best part is you get to train and ride your own horse."
Racing in Ballarat grows
Ms Griffin said the growing racing opportunities in Ballarat have brought people from different areas to the city.
"When I first started working [at the racecourse], you know, it was quite a small [group] of trainers," she said.
"There was the odd bigger trainer there but now it's expanded and the facilities are now huge, which has given a lot more job opportunities."
The Invermay resident enjoys the area because you can have both a country and city lifestyle.
"Ballarat is quite a big place now but there is a lot of community involved," she said.
"In 10 years time hopefully those things will all become better and bigger."
She started working with horses while she was still at school which she said "was just the ultimate dream".
"They are just the best to be around and they're always wanting to be with you and around you," she said.
"It gives me a purpose every day to get out of bed, come out and see them and care for them."
Finding her niche
Following her cancer battle, Ms Griffin said she felt like she "hadn't found [her] niche in life".
As part of her clerk role she was retraining her horse and realised she really loved the training aspect of the industry.
On the hunt for a job that she loved, Ms Griffin decided to open her own business - LJ Griffin Retraining.
Most of the work she does is taking racehorses, teaching them new skills and finding them new homes with people who are interested in equestrian or riding for pleasure.
Once a racehorse has retired they come to Ms Griffin's facility in Invermay and she said she teaches them a new career.
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"There's a lot of fundamentals in racing that go ahead and help the training later on," she said.
"We are teaching them a whole new life that is less full on."
Ms Griffin said she is living out her new dream.
"This is the ultimate life retraining horses and working as a clerk on course."