Jockey - Definition and Overview

In sports, a jockey is one who rides horses in racing, primarily as a profession. Jockeys are nominated by horse trainers to ride their horses in races, usually for a fee (which is paid regardless of the prize money the horse earns for a race).

Jockeys usually start out when they are young, riding trackwork in the morning for trainers, and entering the riding profession as an apprentice jockey. All jockeys must be licensed and usually are not able to have an interest in a bet on a race. An apprentice jockey has a master, which is a horse trainer, and also is allowed to "claim" weight off the horse's back (if a horse were to carry 58 kg, and the apprentice was able to claim 3 kg, the horse would only have to carry 55 kg on its back). After a while, the jockey becomes a senior jockey and would usually develop relationships with trainers and individual horses.

Famous jockeys include Sir Gordon Richards, Willie Shoemaker, Eddie Arcaro, Lester Piggott, Frankie Dettori and Tony McCoy.

See also

• List of jockeys
• Thoroughbred horse racing
• Thoroughbred Hall of Fame