THE racing industry was rocked over the weekend, with the passing of jockey Melanie Tyndall after she fell from her horse at a Darwin racetrack on Saturday.

The 32-year-old had spent time with Gary and Nichole Searle’s stable in Gawler for a number of years before she moved up to the Northern Territory.

Nichole Searle posted a tribute on the Searle Racing Facebook page and its Twitter, remembering the young jockey.

“Yesterday, racing lost a beautiful lady in Melanie Tyndall,” it said.

“Mel was apprentice to us here at Gawler for a few years.

“Whilst here, she grew as a rider.

“She rode her first metropolitan winner on Grand Taj for us, her smile said it all that day.

“She started to struggle with her weight and Gary suggested that she move to the Northern Territory where the weight scale and weather would help her.

“Mel was more than an apprentice, she was family…she was loved by all our family so much so she came to many family functions, she was loved by other staff and our owners.

“The racing industry and the world has lost a genuinely good person, Gary, myself and our two kids are heartbroken by the loss of Mel as are many in the industry and no doubt the NT police force.

“To her partner Tony, and her father Chris, we send our sincerest condolences.

“Heaven needed another pretty blonde jockey who doubles as a cop, rest peacefully Mel.”

Ms Tyndall was the second female jockey death in as many days, following apprentice jockey Mikaela Claridge, who died from injuries suffered in a track work accident in Victoria.