Damien Oliver, an Australian former thoroughbred racing jockey, was born on June 22, 1972. Oliver comes from a racing family; his father, Ray Oliver, enjoyed a great career in racing before his away in a crash in the 1975 Western Australian Kalgoorlie Cup.
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Oliver was enshrined in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2008. In 1988, Oliver began his riding career, and with the help of Lee Freedman and his stepfather Lindsey Rudland, he successfully finished his apprenticeship.
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His first victory as a trainee came in the AJC Warwick Stakes in March 1988 while riding Mr. Gudbud at Bunbury, Western Australia. He fell at Moonee Valley in March 2005 and sadly sustained a number of injuries, including a shattered spine.
What happened to Damien Oliver’s brother?
Jason Oliver is Damien Oliver’s older brother; during the week leading up to the Cup in 1995, Jason was killed in a training accident. Following a race fall in 1975, his father Ray also passed away. Oliver honored his brother Jason, who passed away during a race fall. Oliver made the decision to participate in the Melbourne Cup as a tribute to the two, racing in his brother’s breeches.
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