What happens if a jockey is over the weight?

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.

What happens if a jockey weighs in heavy or light after a race?

If a rider weighs in two pounds or more over the weight that he weighed out, the Clerk of the Scales will report the rider to the Stewards and may be suspended. The one pound under and two pound over tolerances reflect the weight loss or gain a rider may incur dependant on weather conditions.

How heavy is too heavy for a jockey?

There are horse carrying weight limits that are set by racing authorities. The Kentucky Derby, for example, has a weight limit of 126 lb (57 kg) including the jockey's equipment. The weight of a jockey racing on the flat usually ranges from 108 to 118 lb (49 to 54 kg).

Can a jockey be overweight?

It's far from unknown for a friendly clerk of scales, often a retired jockey himself, to turn a blind eye to both overweights and underweights (at most tracks, jockeys can ride as much as four pounds over the listed weight, as long as the difference is announced to the bettors).

Why do jockeys have a weight limit?

Weighed in.” Trainers prefer jockeys to be as close to the allocated weight as possible, as it is harder for the horse to carry this than a human which can move with it.

Rules of the Game | The Importance of Weight

Why can't jockeys be tall?

While there isn't a height requirement (or minimum) for jockeys, there is a weight requirement. This makes it tougher for a taller person to become a jockey, as they will have a more difficult time meeting the weight requirement.

Do jockeys lose weight during a race?

Jockeys typically reduce their body mass by 2–3% on race days³⁰ with one study noting a reduction by as much as 4.5 kg (approx. 6.7% of body mass) to achieve the desired racing weight.

How do jockeys lose weight fast?

The need to keep weight low week after week has caused some jockeys to turn to extreme measures to control weight including severe dieting, laxatives, appetite suppressants, and the use of saunas, hot baths and diuretics to facilitate fluid loss.

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.

How heavy is the average jockey?

In most cases in the US, a jockey can weigh between 108 to 118 pounds. In Canada the standard including equipment has been raised to a minimum of 118 pounds overall at one track, with the horse allowed to carry as much as 126 pounds depending on the race.

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 a female horse rider called?

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

How do horse 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.

Is being a jockey hard on your body?

The average jockey gets sidelined by injuries about three times a year. A jockey's life off the horse is grueling and, at times, dangerous. The spectre haunting almost every rider is extra weight.

Does it hurt when jockeys hit horses?

There is no evidence to suggest that whipping does not hurt. Whips can cause bruising and inflammation, however, horses do have resilient skin. That is not to say that their skin is insensitive. Indeed, a horse can easily feel a fly landing on its skin.

How much do jockeys make if they lose?

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.

Is it illegal for a jockey to own a horse?

“The dumbest rule in racing.” That's how attorney Bill Gotimer said TVG analysts have described New York's Commission Rule 4040.2 which reads: “No jockey, nor such jockeys' spouse, parent, issue nor member of such jockey's household, shall be the owner of any race horse.

How much do jockeys make a year?

How much does a Jockey make? The average salary for a jockey in the United States is $52,645. Jockey salaries typically range between $35,000 and $77,000 a year. The average hourly rate for jockeys is $25.31 per hour.

Is there an age limit for jockeys?

Other Requirements

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.

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.

What is jockey wasting?

Wasting is the term used by jockeys for how they get to the required weight. In the mid-90s, that was 8st 6lb. Writing in his autobiography 'Form', six-time champion Kieren Fallon tells of a method he used early in his career.

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.

Do jockeys talk during races?

shoulder. 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.

How much do jockeys get per race?

Prize-money and sponsorship

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.

Why do jockeys lean forward?

“It's like sitting in a car when on a flat road, rolling along at constant speed.” Some researchers have hypothesized that a jockey could in effect “drive” the horse faster than it could go on its own. Pfau believes this might be possible if the jockey is moving the right way at precisely the right time.