I'm a 24-year-old jockey who's made £14million but live a secret double life in nightclubs and on farms
A JOCKEY who’s won £14million on the track has been living a secret life off it - as a superstar DJ.
Top Australian rider Ben Allen is a Group 1 winner on the track but loves nothing more than spinning decks off it.
"Full-time jockey, part-time farmer, part-time disc jockey."
Ben Allen has spent his life surrounded by horses, but now he’s seeking solace in animals of a different kind as he looks to cope with the demands of racing. ��@benallen44pic.twitter.com/N4N6zeoUf9
— 7HorseRacing �� (@7horseracing) August 27, 2023
Oh, and he also loves looking for the cattle he bought on his farm.
And if some of the videos on social media are anything to go by, he even DJs to his cows. Yes, really…
With 615 wins under his belt, Allen rose to fame after his top tier triumph onboard Marabi at the 2022 Oakleigh Plate.
Victory in that was worth just under £250,000.
As a jockey he could expect to keep around £25,000 for his work in the saddle that day.
But rather than have his cash ‘just sitting in the bank’ - he spent it on 60 cows and indulging his other passion.
Explaining how he relaxes off the track, Allen, whose mates call him Whiz, told 7 Racing: “Cattle farming is something over the past few years that I have grown a fair interest in.
“I have always just seemed to enjoy just being around the cows.
“I can get away from racing and come out here on my days off and do farm jobs.”
The combination of being a cattle farmer and DJ blowing away his mates with awesome sets might seem at odds with life as a jockey.
Horsemen tend to get up while it’s still dark to ride out for the day.
While DJs are only just getting the party going in the early hours.
But Allen has found a way to cope with both - because music was something he always loved.
He said: “I had my first gig around my 21st. It was always something I had wanted to do.”
Allen's passion for being a disk jockey has seen him play sets at well known Melbourne clubs such as Tramp, Bunny and Empire.
He added: “It’s just something I enjoy, and it’s always good fun if you get a good crowd.”
Racing is a notoriously tough sport, with jockeys fasting to make weight and constant dieting a part of life.
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And it’s one of the few jobs where an ambulance follows you round all day.
It means jockeys really have to savour the high to deal with the low, something Allen struggled with after his big Group 1 win.
Allen described feeling ‘sour’ after his win, with the notion of not having ‘much to look forward to’.
He added: “I ended up having about three or four months off racing, and I wasn’t sure if I would return and ride”.
Succeeding where others have struggled and turned to vices for help, Allen’s secret double life allowed him to ‘take his mind off’ work.
He said: “I’m not worrying about racing or worrying about if I’m getting on this horse or that horse.”
Not only has it led to him gaining a wealth of success in the saddle, but has also resulted in support from friends and followers.
A recent Instagram video has led to comments such as 'Fantastic! Legend!' and 'Great story'.
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