Darby In a Life Time Bernadette Cooper

Through Darby McCarthy life, on his own merit and his incredible riding ability he was able to travel the world meet the most incredible people, and become a legend.
• At the age of 10years he had rode his first winner of (over) 1000 winning rides in Australia, England and France.
• His horse falling in a field of 32 in front of one hundred and one thousand people who packed Flemington race course for the 1960 Melbourne Cup, 16year old Darby McCarthy fall changed the running field to 24 horses forever in the rules of the Australian turf.
• Creating history 1969 by winning the Epsom (Brokers Tip) and AJC Derby (Divide and Rule) double at Randwick on the same (day) meeting.
• Darby McCarthy record winning rider of three (3) Stradbroke’s.
• His racing life plunged into controversy and personal dramas, with a court case the longest every run by the VRC (Victorian Racing Club) 3 months from which he was suspended for seven (7) years.
• Darby McCarthy (the Boy from Cunnamulla) life journey is one of extraordinary achievement and purpose, and told on an international stage.

Darby McCarthy has played an important role in Queensland’s unique ‘Murri court’ system designed to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders to make changes in their lives. ‘The esteem and respect of Uncle Darby McCarthy is evident each time he sat in the Toowoomba Murri Court,’ the local press recently reported.

Darby, through his post racing career, become a mentor for many young people wanting to attain a position in the racing industry and beyond supporting their endeavours through incentive and educational programs specifically initialled by Darby McCarthy, who was an accredited adviser to the University of Southern Queensland and has an honorary doctorate for this work

Racing Victoria has a scholarship for young Indigenous horsemen and women in Darby McCarthy honour.

Throughout Darby Lifetime, he has been the advocate for many women in sport.

Cathy Freeman being one of whom Darby mentored with knowledge he gained on the national and international scene in his extraordinary career.

Please consider your contribution to this production through The Documentary Australia Foundation.
The Darby McCarthy PROJECT “In a Life Time”.
https://documentaryaustralia.com.au/project/darby-mccarthy-project-in-a-life-time-working-title/