What age do flat jockeys retire?

Jockeys usually retire from riding by age 45 (35 for jump jockeys). At the end of the racing career, Jockeys can get advice on retraining and employment from the Jockeys Employment and Training Scheme.

Who is the oldest flat jockey still riding?

1. Gary Bain (c. 1953 – present) Gary Bain is the oldest jockey still riding today at the age of 69.

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?

What is the career span of a jockey?

Much like in golf, the career of a professional jockey can stretch for three decades or, for a select few, even longer. Unlike golfers, however, jockeys must endure the incredible strain (and the life-threatening danger) of sitting on top of thousand-pound animals running in packs as fast as automobiles.

Do jockeys get paid if they don't win?

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.

Jockey Bill Shoemaker - Final Race & Retirement

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.

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 is the ideal height and weight for a jockey?

Most jockeys are shorter and have weight restrictions

So, ultimately the jockeys should not weigh more than 119 pounds, according to Bustle. While there is no height restriction, most jockeys tend to be around 4-foot-10 and 5-foot-6 due to the weight restriction.

Who had the longest career as a jockey?

All told, Bill Shoemaker rode in a record 40,350 races. In 1990, he was voted the Mike Venezia Memorial Award for "extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship".

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.

Do you need a degree to be a jockey?

Formal schooling is not required to become a jockey. However, if you would like to take courses in horse care, nutrition, fitness and technology, you may choose to apply to the North American Racing Academy in Kentucky, which is the only jockey college program in the country.

Is it hard being a jockey?

Jockeys are professional athletes who ride horses in competitive races. Not only do they need to have a high level of athleticism, they also need lots of knowledge and experience with horses. This is a fast-paced career that can be difficult to break into, but also highly rewarding.

How much do Flat jockeys get for riding?

This ranges from 8.5 to nine per cent of winning prize-money over jumps, depending on the race. It is 6.9 per cent on the Flat. Under both codes they take home 3.5 per cent of placed prize-money. The only deduction is a ten per cent cut to their agent.

How much does a jockey have to weigh for flat racing?

Claiming jockeys

On the Flat, an apprentice jockey starts with an allowance of 7lb. This reduces to 5lb once they have won 20 races, to 3lb once they have won 50 races and disappears when they have won 95 races.

What is a jockey diet?

Training diet for jockeys

Jockeys should try to eat three meals per day with foods from each of the food groups; breads and cereals, fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy.

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.

What is the average jockey age?

Interestingly enough, the average age of jockeys is 20-30 years old, which represents 36% of the population.

Do horse jockeys talk during races?

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.

Why do jockeys weigh themselves after the race?

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.

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 happens if a jockey is overweight?

If the rider is too heavy, he may be replaced by another rider, or be permitted to carry 'overweight', which will always be announced on the racecourse before a race begins. However, no rider is allowed to weigh out at four pounds or more over the weight he is set to carry.

Do jockeys have to be in shape?

“(Jockeys) need to be strong to be able to control the horse … you need the strength to hold them together,” Turner says. “You need strong legs, particularly when you're pushing them.

What is the maximum weight a jockey can be female?

while female horse jockeys weigh in on average at 107 lbs. The actual average horse jockey weight is on the lower side although the race requirements range up to 126 lbs. because the weight has to include an average 6-7 lbs. of horse gear.