How do jockeys prepare for a race?

Jockeys are required to have strength, cardiovascular fitness and specific handling skills because of the strenuous nature of their profession. They are required to spend numerous hours honing their skills and preparing horses for racing, with their days typically starting around 4am up to seven days per week.

What do jockeys do before a race?

Jockeys typically start their day early in the morning, warming up the horse they'll be racing later in the day. They will also confer with trainers and horse owners to talk about race strategy and what the horse requires from the rider.

What is the best exercise for a jockey?

Exercises ranging from squats, jump-lunges, burpees through to bear crawls, flutter kicks and single-leg deadlifts are all included. There's even a video to help walk (or run!)

What is the weight limit for jockeys?

Jockeys must be at least 16 years old. There is no set height or weight requirement, but the majority of jockeys do not weigh more than 125 pounds, many even less, with height (usually around 5 feet tall) or proportionate to their weight.

Do jockeys train with the horses they ride?

Jockeys ride thoroughbred horses in professional competitions. Jockeys must become familiar with the horses they ride on a regular basis and often are part of their training. A jockey contracts with the horse's owner or trainer and may ride as many as 10 horses in a single day.

Video: How jockeys prepare for races

Do jockeys talk to their horses during races?

Jockeys do talk to each other during races. The day after he won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on The Dikler and celebrated into the early hours, a badly hungover Ron Barry only won a race at Uttoxeter thanks to two fellow jockeys shouting a warning to him and his mount every time they approached a hurdle.

Do jockeys talk to each other during a race?

It depends on the race day and the tension in the room. Sometimes there is chatter during a race, and sometimes there is not. Once again, it just depends on the race.

How much does a jockey get paid?

Prize Money

The percentages a jockey receives for a Thoroughbred race range from 5% for a second- or third-place finish to 10% for first place. In less competitive races, the jockey's earnings can be as low as 0.50% for a third-place finish, 1% for placing second and perhaps 6%-10% for first place.

What is the max age to be a jockey?

A person has to be a minimum of 16 years old to apply for a jockey license. The oldest jockey to still compete at the highest levels was 58 years old (Bill Shoemaker). The average age in this profession is currently about 40 years old. What is this?

Why do jockeys sit so high?

Jockeys "don't follow the movement of the horse but stay relatively stationary," says co-author Alan Wilson. By, in effect, floating above his mount, the jockey saves the energy the horse would otherwise expend to shove him back up after each bounce down into the saddle.

How do jockeys stay so small?

“Starvation is still a very common practice in that the jockey may not eat for 24 hours or more before a race, and combine this with a sauna or hot bath.” Among Irish jockeys, 14% use vomiting as a method for meeting weight requirements, Dr McGoldrick and his team found in a 2011 study into dieting habits.

What do jockeys eat to keep their weight down?

Training diet for jockeys

High fibre, low glycaemic index carbohydrate-rich foods (for example wholegrain bread, high fibre breakfast cereals or fruit) will be more satisfying and help with weight control compared to low fibre options.

What is a typical jockey diet?

Plenty of starchy foods such as bread, rice, pasta and potatoes to help to keep you feeling full. At least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day to provide vitamins and minerals. Avoid drastic measures. Don't eat too much fat. Consume 2-3 portions of dairy foods a day to help keep bones strong.

What do jockeys do after a race?

What does a jockey do after a race? After the race, the winning and placed jockeys will unsaddle in the Winner's Enclosure. This gives punters the chance to see the victorious horses come in to celebrate a successful race.

What do jockeys do during the week?

As a jockey you would work a standard number of hours each week. You may need to start work early in the morning if you need to exercise horses, Races meetings take place during the week, but more commonly, at weekends. Pre-race training may require long work hours.

What is a female horse rider called?

horsewoman. a woman horseman. jockey. someone employed to ride horses in horse races. postilion, postillion.

How skinny do you have to be to be a jockey?

Strict weight requirements

This includes about 7 lbs. of gear, so that an adult male must weigh less than 119 lbs. in order to participate in the Kentucky Derby. There is no height requirement, however, jockeys tend to be shorter due to this weight requirement.

How many years does it take to become a jockey?

You must be at least 16 years old to start a jockey apprenticeship, though this number could vary by state. Apprenticeships can take up to four years to complete.

Can you be too light to be a jockey?

For years, US jockeys have been advocating for a higher scale of weights. At most tracks in this country, riders need to be able to weigh out at 115 or 116 (22 pounds below the healthy weight for men, 9 pounds low for women).

How many times can a jockey whip a horse?

The whip can be used a maximum of six times in a Flat race or seven times in a Jump race. Any more than this will prompt the stewards to review the ride.

How hard is it to become a jockey?

It is a tough demanding life, physically, emotionally, mentally, and even dietary. There are no guarantees, no off seasons, and the competition gets tougher with more success and recognition. Staying on top is as hard or even harder than getting there.

Why do jockeys weigh after the race?

16. Most people probably know that jockeys are weighed both before and after a race to ensure they are carrying the weight printed in the program or on the changes list, but unless you've spent time in the jocks' room, you may not know the finer points of how the process works.

Why are so many jockeys Mexican?

Historically, the vast majority of professional jockeys have come from Latin America – trained in the jockey schools which opened in the 1950s and 1960s in Panama, Puerto Rico and Mexico City. “Most American trainers train for speed,” explained Arias, in Spanish, prior to the 1971 Derby.

What race are most jockeys?

The most common ethnicity among jockeys is White, which makes up 72.8% of all jockeys. Comparatively, there are 8.9% of the Black or African American ethnicity and 7.5% of the Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.