Mikayla Jones is the newest recruit to get signed off and tonight she will make her debut to race driving, a moment that has been years in the making.
Jones, who felt the force pulling her towards horses as a teen made her way to the stables of Paula Petricevich, eventually learning the craft of driving and the rest was history, she was hooked.
“It started when I started jumping the fence next door for my horse job to Paula Petricevichs stables, where I stayed for eight years.
“Before her, I didn’t know anything about the trots, and over the years I started to get interested.
“Six years down the line I decided I could get into driving and once I had my track licence it was too much fun to not pursue it further.” Mikayla Jones said
Jones’ introduction to horses began when she was 17, a fresh graduate from high school, she took up a live-in stable hand position at Christel Equine Park, conveniently located next door to Paula Petricevich’s harness racing property.
“(I was) living for free in exchange of managing the 15 horses there.
“My parents wanted nothing to do with me and my horse obsessions, so I made my own way forward.
“It wasn’t easy, but I’m a firm believer that with God, anything is possible.”
Jones made her trial debut on the 18th of August in 2024 at Byford on board Hi Tommy, finishing third in the trial.
“Briana Edman passed him on to us when she had gone through the school, so he then took me through the school.
“I broke him to saddle when he’d done his job for me as a racehorse and passed him on to a beautiful adult rider in Pinjarra.
“He is now a very loved and spoilt pleasure horse sand was a true gem for every driver and handler. One in a million.”
Jones now runs her own equine business by the name of MJ Equine Services, dedicated to helping people with their equine problems, competing, breaking in, teaching lessons, selling/campaigning horses, groundwork and problem-solving horse issues.
“It’s extremely rewarding work, many owners have no one to turn to and it’s great to be there to help with them and their horses.
“I still drive trackwork at least twice a week for anyone who needs me, mainly Debbie Padberg, who has been instrumental also in helping me get started and giving me lots of trial drives on her horses.
“It was hard stepping away from working at Paula’s for so long as she is such an amazing trainer and boss to work for, but this leap of faith has definitely been worth it and it’s been a big blessing to have the freedom I do now.”
Ashleigh Paikos