Sport
6 October, 2025
New mum’s back in saddle
CAIRNS apprentice jockey Krysten Swaffer is back in the winner’s circle and balancing motherhood, work and a return to racing with a smile.
The 26-year-old returned to the track last year after welcoming her first child, Lainey, in April 2024, and says her young daughter shares her love for horses.
Ms Swaffer has enjoyed an impressive start to her comeback in North Queensland. Last season, she landed three winners in the first few months of her return and she has already notched a victory in the 2025-26 campaign aboard Major Artie in the feature Banana Cup at Innisfail late last month.
The jockey has been riding primarily at country meetings across North Queensland on Saturdays, alongside midweek engagements at Cairns TAB meetings.
Young Lainey is often cheering her on from trackside.
“She loves going to the races, and whenever my partner is home, as he works away, they will go together,” Ms Swaffer said.
“They are supporting me over the fence when they can be there. It is wonderful for her to be on the sidelines and be able to watch.”
Ms Swaffer has a long-standing connection with the father-and-son Rowe training partnership. She began her career riding for Trevor and Peter Rowe and has returned to their Cannon Park barn following Lainey’s birth.
Co-trainer Peter Rowe praised her dedication.
“It is a big achievement and there is a lot of pressure on her. She grew up on horseback and that is where she feels most comfortable. It is onwards and upwards from here. She is riding extremely well and is full of confidence,” he said.
Fellow Cairns trainer Scott Cooper, a former jockey himself, echoed the praise. “For her to come back as a rider with a little one at foot, it is a big achievement. She is a good little rider,” he said.
Veteran stayer Merry Old Soul has been central to Swaffer’s return. She rode the seven-year-old gelding to victories at Mareeba in late May and again at Innisfail in late June, marking her first wins since May 2023.
Mr Rowe said the results had boosted her confidence.
“She is a very dedicated worker,” he said.
“She needs to juggle riding, being a mother and working outside of racing in admin as well. She does an impeccable job managing it all and is getting the rewards.”
Ms Swaffer comes from a racing family. Her older brother, Braydn, also rode for the Rowes, and Krysten followed in his footsteps. She describes the Swaffer-Rowe relationship as “like family” to both her and Lainey.
Fitness was the biggest challenge in her comeback, she says, but Lainey’s love for horses helps keep her motivated.
