I was told a long time ago that jockeys are not allowed to have facial hair?

Question

I have been watching horse racing for 40 years and I've never seen a jockey with a moustache.

Someone once told me that jockeys are treated as boys ,regardless of their age by the jockey club.

Can you shed any light on this?

Answer 1

calm down miss salsa chil out i hope you are going to watch the dancing tommorow night with a nice glass of red.

Answer 2

That's a lie I tell ya...... Look at Noel Edmonds and Dave Lee Travis.  They had BIG facial hair going on.  Oh hang on... they were DISC Jockeys.

My husband informs me that it has something to do with aerodynamics.

Answer 3

It is a lie.  There is no such rule regarding facial hair.  A jockey can grow a mustache, goatee, or beard.  I know of a few jockeys who have a goatee or mustache.

Answer 4

if you go and watch amateur racing at point to points you will see beards,sideburns,moustaches the lot-the difference is the majority of the jockeys are riding for themselves or family.the pro.jocks want to look neat,and tidy.simple as that,there was a jock who had a beard a few years back but father time has taken him from my memory,but they do exist.

Answer 5

jockeys need to be very light so their horses can ride as fast as possible with as little resistance as possible, very often, jockeys get eating disorders as a result of trying to keep their weight down. A side effect of an eating disorder where the person looses so much weight or are at a very low weight, is that the hormones that normally are present from puberty, stop. Girls stop having periods and men stop growing facial hair.

Its likely that as oppose to not being allowed to grow facial hair, they are actually not ABLE to grow facial hair.

Answer 6

As racing is known as the Sport of Kings, jockeys were not allowed to have a moustache as it was considered insulting to greet members of royalty in an unshaven manner.

Answer 7

It's completely true. They are also banned from having pubic hair.

Answer 8

Ok this is the last time I am going to answer this question - it must get asked at least once a month!

There are NO rules that state the jockeys cannot have facial hair.

It has nothing to do with aerodynamics or weight (come one people - do you really think a moustache is going to affect the weight of a jockey?!).

It is a simple matter of looking neat and tidy, and probably for comfort too.

Jockeys are constantly on the look out for more work from new owners and trainers and the easiest place to meet them is at the racecourse, if they were scruffy and unshaven they would be less likely to make a good impression.

I believe it also stems back to the days when most stable lads rode morning work in a shirt and tie - I actually saw someone doing this yesterday! - a jockey turning up at the yard would be expected to do the same thing, and part of being neat and tidy is being clean-shaven.

Also, you guys still run most of your races on dirt - having seen the kickback on that and the state that horses and jockeys finsih in, covered from head to toe in the stuff, can you imagine trying to get that out of a beard or moustache?

Answer 9

Any mentally competent person over the age of 18 is treated as an adult, not as a boy. If the jockeys were treated as "boys" then that would mean their parents would have to accompany them to the track at all times and act as their agents, since boys would not be allowed to enter into a legal contract. Also, would female jockeys be treated as boys?

It's more aerodynamic for jockeys not to have facial hair, not to mention the fact that they wear several sets of goggles and pull them down throughout a race. I can imagine one of those straps getting caught in a mustache. ouch.

Answer 10

Doesn't the Kent Desormeaux wear a mustache?

Answer 11

There are no rules that prohibit a jockey from having facial hair.

Its a myth.

However, most trainers do like their jockey's to look smart and presentable so they expect them to be clean shaven.

Answer 12

that is not true, my boyfriend is a jockey and i am an aprentice jockey, my colegues are not treated as boys, why should they be, we earn people a lot of money

Answer 13

It might be (and this is only a guess) to keep people from using a disguise to switch jockeys after the weigh-in but before the races begin.

Answer 14

Theres a few girl/lady jockeys out there with facial hair