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.
After the race the jockey must weigh in with all his kit, to confirm that the horse carried the right weight.
The horse involved will be disqualified and the rider penalised.
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.
You will often see jockeys running around a racecourse before the meeting begins. They will do this with lots of layers of clothes on. This is done to lose a few pounds of water weight which could put them overweight for their ride. Boxers might do this before a weigh-in for a fight as well.
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.
While most men in Britain devour around 3,000 calories a day and women consume up to 2,000 calories – jockeys manage to perform a highly active job on around 1,500 calories per day.
The word "jockey" originated from England and was used to describe the individual who rode horses in racing. They must be light, typically around a weight of 100-120 lb., and physically fit.
The average national salary for a jockey is $80,496. The amount jockeys earn is typically dependent on their reputation and performance. Most jockeys are self-employed and control their own training, career progression and for whom they work.
The minimum weight for jockeys will rise to 56kg at all country and metropolitan meetings in Victoria from Tuesday. It is the latest initiative announced by Racing Victoria to help keep jockeys healthy as the country tries to protect itself from the Coronavirus pandemic.
Bouncing is caused when you get out of phase with the up and down motion the horse does when they trot. With the stride of the trot, the back comes up and lifts then travels back down again. If you don't move with that motion you end up not traveling down in tune with them as they take the next step forward again.
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.
Today, we tackle the even more controversial subject of the female jockeys allowance, a topic re-ignited by the decision of the French racing authorities in 2017 to introduce a weight allowance of 2kg for female riders (reduced to 1.5kg in March 2018).
Does that count as a win, though, in the eyes of the officials and according to the rulebook? There the answer is no. Without a jockey on-board, a horse is considered disqualified and, as impressive as his or her run may be, it is not within the legal bounds to take home a trophy.
Riders also get performance-related pay in the shape of a percentage of any prize-money their mounts earn. 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.
This enables horses to run faster. In fact, in those early years after this position was adopted, horses were 5% to 7% faster than those with jockeys riding upright.
Jockeys are entitled to 5% of the prize money earned and will usually also receive a small amount for booking the ride. While the race horse owners are entitled to keep the Melbourne Cup trophy, jockeys are presented with a miniature cup which is worth $10,000.
In the present day, more than 90% of jockeys, in most racing nations, are men. This is likely an unconscious bias toward male jockeys being, on average, physically 'stronger', able to push horses harder, and thus performing better in races than female jockeys.
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.
The reason jockeys are often so light is to protect the health of the horse. Thoroughbreds are very durable, but carrying too much weight can cause the horse unnecessary pain.
A jockey contracts with the horse's owner or trainer and may ride as many as 10 horses in a single day. A jockey usually specializes in a specific type of racing, such as steeplechase, jump racing, or thoroughbred racing.
Breakfast: A bowl of porridge with some honey or a banana with a green tea. Sometimes a coffee too. Lunch: Depending on what's on offer at the races, I'll usually have something protein-based with a bit of salad. This might be some roast chicken or slices of roast beef mixed in with a green salad.
4 answers. 60 hours per week.