- Michelle Payne gives update after death of sister
- Bernadette Payne tragically passed away, aged 51
Melbourne-Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne has spoken out after the tragic death of her sister Bernadette, who passed away at the age of 51 last week.
Michelle learned the heartbreaking news about her sister after doing a photo shoot for International Women’s Day.
‘I’m OK, thank you,’ she told News Corp.
‘We are so deeply sad … Our family feels so grateful and appreciate for all the love and support.
‘We thank everyone for the love and understanding. We’re very grateful for the support received for Bernadette and us from Racing Victoria and our close friends through a very difficult time.’
Bernadette, also a successful jockey, passed away on Tuesday, according to a family statement.
Michelle Payne has spoken out after the tragic death of her sister Bernadette
Former jockey Bernadette Payne (pictured right, next to her father Patrick, left, and brother Stevie, second from left) has tragically passed away, aged 51
‘It is with deep sadness that we confirm that Bernadette has passed away,’ the statement said.
‘She had a very difficult and challenging time in recent years and we find solace in the hope that she is now at peace.
‘She was loved by many throughout her life.
‘We ask that our family’s privacy is respected at this time. Thank you.’
She and her 10 siblings were brought up around horses, with their father, Paddy, raising the family as a single parent after Bernadette’s mother mother Mary tragically died away in a car accident in 1986.
Bernadette’s passing also comes after her sister Brigid died suddenly from a heart attack in 2007, age 36.
She was one of eight of her siblings to go on to become a jockey, with Bernadette riding her first winner at Nhill in 1993.
During her racing career, Bernadette would secure 192 victories before retiring in 2009.
Payne thanked fans and the racing community for the love and support
In an interview in 2015, Michelle paid tribute to Bernadette for looking after her when their mother tragically passed away.
Bernadette was 11 at the time, with Michelle, then only a baby, stating to The Sydney Morning Herald: ‘She used to get up in the middle of the night and feed me, then fall asleep in school.’
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