Believed to be the first woman in Australia to be granted a trainer’s license Betty is being remembered as a giant among jockeys following her death in Tea Gardens recently.

Born in Sydney, Betty spent most of her childhood in the country around Moree where she quickly took to horses and the outdoors.

“She always loved horses, if we had a neighbour nearby who had a horse she’d always offer to muck out the stables for them,” said her sister, Pam James.

Pam said Betty rode trackwork with major names of the racing industry including Tommy Smith and George Moore and taught Corey Brown to ride.

But Betty’s influence on the industry came in the 1970s when she and a group of other women pushed to allow female jockeys in the industry.

“She got together with a few girls and it was very hard starting up back then. Men were so against women becoming jockeys,” Pam said.

“They were against building ladies toilets, which was difficult because they had no place to shower but they got their own caravan and got there eventually.”

As president of the NSW Lady Jockeys’ Association in the late 1970s, Betty saw the Australian Rules of Racing amended to allow women to obtain racing licenses and be recognised as apprentices.

“Ladies would not be riding today if it wasn’t for that first group,” Pam said.

Just as she was in the racing industry Betty was fondly remembered a character never without “a tube of lippy”.

“She was a very lively lady, like a gust of wind when she walked in the room.”

The 88-year-old spent 14 years in Tea Gardens following the death of her husband in Taree but she always kept up with horses.

“She wasn’t much of a gambler but whenever she went down to the club she’d always be asked who she thought was a winner.”

But Pam said wherever Betty was concerned she’d much prefer the company of horses over people.

“She’d always rather ride horses or muck out stables than do any vacuuming or cleaning like that. When we were children coming in from outside mum would always have to say “Have you washed your hands Betty.”

A rider for three years Betty rode winners across the Northern Territory to Randwick and Canterbury, the first woman to prepare a winner on a metropolitan track she also won the Darwin Cup on Chattel in 1974.