Sam Clipperton will be among the jockeys riding at this year’s Melbourne Cup, a remarkable turnaround for the rider who stepped away from racing just over a year ago. Now booked to ride Juja Kibo, the third-favourite in the race at Flemington, Clipperton reflects on his unusual journey back to elite racing.

Last year, Clipperton had left the jockey ranks at the age of 30, following a career highlight when he won The Everest in October 2023 aboard Think About It, the world’s richest turf race. Instead of continuing in racing, he transitioned into a very different life as a cowboy and rural real estate agent in Beresford, near Newcastle. His work involved mustering cattle on horseback, and he recounts a memorable, if harrowing, encounter with a bull at a saleyard—an experience far removed from the pressures and pageantry of Australian racing’s biggest event.

“You expect to win,” Clipperton said of the Melbourne Cup, “but you’ve got to train yourself to lose as well.” He emphasizes the mental demands of racing, calling managing expectations and staying ready “a big thing.” Despite stepping away from the sport, he said he was never fully content with that decision. “I was 30, and realistically had 15 years at the peak of my powers,” he explained. “I just felt like I had so much more to give.”

Clipperton’s departure from racing at the end of 2023 was quiet and personal, with very few close friends and family aware of his plans. He described the time following his Everest victory as a period of lost self-belief and disengagement from racing. Yet, through life changes and support from his fiancée Georgia and daughter Adeline, he regained confidence and a renewed sense of purpose. “It feels like I’m 18 again,” he said. “I’ve been revitalised.”

Jockey and trainer Ciaron Maher, who trains Juja Kibo, noted Clipperton’s dedication since his return. Though Maher had a limited history with Clipperton before, the jockey’s work ethic and rapport with connections earned him the mount for Juja Kibo in both The Metropolitan and now the Melbourne Cup. “The owners are rapt,” Maher said, “and you’re going into the Melbourne Cup with a horse and jockey who have confidence. That can count for a lot.”

Clipperton’s path to racing success was not typical. Growing up as a surfer on Sydney’s northern beaches, his start in racing lacked family influence, yet he quickly rose through the ranks, winning Sydney’s champion apprentice titles twice and securing victories in major races.

His first vivid memory of the Melbourne Cup is watching Glen Boss ride Makybe Diva to her historic third win in 2005, an event he recalls as inspiring. Now, after a year away from the sport and facing personal challenges, he is preparing for only his second Melbourne Cup ride.

Reflecting on the journey from rural life back to racing’s grand stage, Clipperton expressed gratitude simply to be competing. “Twelve months ago, I wasn’t back riding yet, and now I’m riding in the Cup,” he said. “Life goes on.”