By Duane Ranger (Courtesy of Redcliffe Paceway)
Matthew Learoyd sometimes wonders how his life would have played out had he been born a decade before or after 1981.
Learoyd, who is Racing Queensland’s Chief Harness Racing Farrier, is an outstanding golfer and Masters sprinter, who has played and ran alongside the best in Australia.
The now 41-year-old father-of-two regularly competed against Australian professional golfing giants like Adam Scott, Aaron Baddeley as well as many other now touring and the club professionals- that we now all enjoy watching of TV.
“We are all a similar age, and it was tough competing against them and other great players growing up, but at the same time it certainly improved my golf. I held my own, and looking back perhaps could have made a better go of it like many others had my life not swung in other directions.
“On hindsight, I wouldn’t change what I have now. I have a beautiful wife, Jennifer, and two daughters, Mikaela (12) and Courtney (7) who are everything to me plus a fantastic job. Sometimes I do look at the TV when those guys are doing well and wonder,” said Learoyd, who now plays to a two handicap.
Family aside, most of Learoyd’s time these days is being spent as the governing body’s Farrier at Redcliffe, Marburg and Albion Park. He said he was drawn into harness racing by his wife of 16 years, and her family.
“I wasn’t born into racing at all. I spent most of my youth playing as many sports as I could before I focused on golf. Then later enjoyed the Masters Athletics when my children started their journey in that direction.
“When I left Rosewood State High School (20km from Ipswich) I played sport and worked as a Dispatch Manager for a furniture company for six years. Then I was a Machine Operator for another company for four or so years before becoming a Sand Technician in a foundry laboratory for a couple of years.
“I then got a job working in the horse industry managing and selling supplements and horse gear for a local company .Within these times I was also doing some part time shoeing.
“My wife’s family have all been involved in harness racing. Her Mum – Ann Manwaring trained and drove horses as did her grandparents Dudley and June. I grew up on a farm where we rode motorbikes – not horses.
“Jen’s family welcomed me and encouraged me to get involved in harness racing, and I’m glad I did. I met Jennifer in Year 8 at school and in Year 12 she became my girlfriend. I still to this day scratch my head as to what she seen in me.
“I even had a handful of drives on horses when Jen and I trained them. Even though I enjoyed driving them, I soon realised that wasn’t the job for me,” Thagoona-based Learoyd said.
Learoyd said it was his wife’s ‘Pop – Dudley – who first taught him the basics of shoeing a horse before West Hartley pointed him in the direction of being a professional.
“ As I look back now I don’t know how West ever dealt with the million questions I had, plus the constant looking over the shoulder to learn. I put him through a lot, but am so very thankful.
“Both men taught me so much early on. West was a perfectionist, and that is one trait I have carried on to this day. If you can’t do something properly then why do it at all? Half-hearted and me have never got along at anything,” Learoyd said.
Then about just over a decade ago Racing Queensland’s Chief Farrier, Jeff Langdon, contacted Learoyd asking if he would be interested in assisting him as a race day farrier or in those days Learoyd said the job was known as a shoeing Inspector at racetracks in Queensland.
Langdon was another person that Matthew had looked up to and been taught by in the early days. He trusted Jeff’s judgement and decided to take the job which started at the Gold Coast track.
“Gavin Crone helps me greatly today in the role as well, as does Daniel Russell and Mat Wright on the odd occasion. I took over the role when Jeff sadly passed away in 2016,” Learoyd said.
“I miss the weekly phone calls, support and great times I had with Jeff that never made it feel like a day of work. He had my back in everything, the confidence in me that I didn’t have and hope I have done him proud as he looks down on us today. I owe my job as Racetrack Farrier wholly and solely to Jeff.
“I’m at most meetings every week, and I also do a bit of athletics coaching at different times of the year at my kids school West Moreton Anglican College using techniques taught to me by my Masters Athletics Coach Vic Pascoe who was also a great mentor of mine in the athletics field.
“These days it’s more about giving back and putting time into my daughters’ sports – and the oldest of them is now a State athlete. I was one of six kids, five of us being boys, so the competition was always fierce. Because of that I know how important sport was for me growing up,” Learoyd said.
So how good was the former scratch handicap golfer?
Really, really good! He has won multiple Club championships, tournaments and been part of many representative teams, and still to this day holds the Rosewood course record of 65. A record he has clung on to for some 21 years.
“That was a round to remember, the front nine I couldn’t miss. I just couldn’t quite hold on as well as I would have liked. Then I three-putted the last hole for bogie,” Learoyd said.
“A bit of a choke really. It’s not too much later on in life with a little calmer head that I realised my ability but that can be said for so very many in their chosen sport or job,” he added.
Learoyd said he still played but mainly for fun with his mates these days. He quite often has a round with some of the trotting lads.
“Those days are always fun. There are a few choppers out there but it is all played in the best of fun, Matty (Elkins) and Nathan (Dawson) go alright,” It’s all about the banter when you play with those fellas.”
On the track Learoyd has won multiple State medals as a Masters Athlete over the 60m, 100m, 200m, 400m, including being part of the 4 x 200m M35 Queensland record team and an occasional small cheque in some Professional Gift Races.
“It’s all about family now, and of course shoeing horses. You do get a sixth sense when you become a farrier and genuinely the job is a safe one, but you always have to be aware of the horses and surrounds in particular in a race environment.
“I shoe for many of the state’s trainers, so I’m kept very busy even on non-race days. It’s a job that comes with a lot of pressure, especially when you know you are on TV shoeing a horse and there’s thousands of people waiting for the race to kick off.
“That can be a bit of a pressure cooker at times but that’s what I thrive on. I love competition and then giving my best – all the while trying to be perfect with it,” he said.
“Each and every single horse and their connections matter to me. I value the trust and support that everyone has in me to do my absolute best for the horse and them as trainers. I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunities both them and the racing community have given me,” Learoyd said.
