Does anyone have advice on how I could become a jockey?

Question

I've always wanted to become a jockey, ever since I watched my first Kentucky Derby when I was eight. I'm a girl, though, and I know that some people don't think girls should be jockeys. I'd really appreciate some advice on becoming a jock, and I'd be forever grateful to anyone who gave me some really good advice. Thank you!

Answer 1

You'd definitely be in the minority but in an age where there are female NASCAR drivers, I don't see why you can't be a jockey. You might find it hard to get some jobs if owners and trainers think you aren't "tough enough" to race with the male jockeys. Prove 'em wrong!

To become a jockey you are going to need to learn how to ride a horse, obviously. Then you will need to spend time at a track. Many jockeys begin their careers as exercise riders (the riders that workout the horses and train them but don't ride in races). The biggest thing is that I hope you are skinny. Jockeys try very hard to be as close to 100 pounds as possible. You definintely would have trouble getting rides if you weigh over 110 pounds. Horses carry specific weights and you need to be at that weight (with the saddle, too!) to ride in a race. No one would hire you to ride if you can't make the weight (they don't want their horse carrying more weight than it has to in a race). It is a tough job -  you will always be looking to be hired to ride horses in races, might not always get rides,  and there are no benefits that most people get from an employer such as paid time off and group health insurance.

Answer 2

Chris McCarron has a riding academy that teaches all aspects of the racing world. He focus' not only on the riding but nutrition, finances and what to expect when you graduate.

Here is a story link :http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp... And here is a link to the North American Riding Academy itself: http://nara.kctcs.edu/

They had 11 students for the first semester, and I believe there are also scholarships offered. I'm pretty sure there is student financing available also. This is an accredited College degree, and it's linked to Kentucky Community College.

Answer 3

build up muscle a lot, ride as much as you can and don't give up hope! good luck!

Answer 4

You don't say how old you are.  If you are really serious about becoming a jockey, you need to start working with horses to acquire the skills necessary.

There are all kinds of "roads" that can lead to becoming a jockey.  Some jockeys cut their teeth, so to speak, on the show circuit;  Julie Krone, who is probably the best-known woman jockey and still the only woman jockey to win a Triple Crown race, did a fair amount of gymkhana riding (timed events like barrel racing and pole-bending) before becoming an exercise rider.  Some jockeys get their start working on a farm breaking young horses and "legging up" lay-ups to return to the track.  Some start out as hot-walkers for a trainer and move on up to exercising horses in the mornings, although most trainers are going to want to see that a rider has real horsemanship before they get put up on horses to exercise.  

The minimum age for apprenticing as a jockey is 16, and you have to have a trainer who is willing to sponsor you as an apprentice.  Unless you know someone in the racing business, this is a tough one.  Therefore, if you are serious about becoming a jockey, you need to start getting involved with people who work in racing.

You might want to get a copy of Julie Krone's biography and read that before you decide if becoming a jockey is really for you.  It's a very tough life.  Most people who set out to become jockeys don't make enough of a living at it to do it for very long, or as their sole job;  for every successful jockey, there are dozens of riders who barely scrape by.

You also need to be absolutely honest with yourself about your attitude towards getting hurt.  Jockeys know that it's not a question of if they will fall or get thrown and get hurt, it's a question of when and how bad.  And when you start out as a rider, the horses you will most likely be asked to ride are the ones nobody else really wants to-- which can mean horses that are unsound or inclined to be unpredictable.

If you're serious about becoming a jockey, then the first thing to do is find a trainer at a track or a training center or farm who is willing to hire you to start working with horses, and then take every opportunity you can get to ride.  That's your first hurdle.  If you can do that, then you need to find a trainer who will sponsor you as an apprentice and who will give you horses to ride in races.  That, more than anything else, is what you need to do.

Good luck to you.

Answer 5

no i am sorry

Answer 6

Read up on the careers of as many female jockeys, past and present, as you can. I'm sure you will get a lot of insight as to how they got started and the trials and tribulations they had gone through.