Many people coming into the industry in a job where they are working with horses aspire to becoming a Jockey, either on the flat or across jumps. (This area of racing is known as National Hunt.) Most Jockeys have worked as a Stable Hand at some point in their life and may have completed their NVQ via one of the routes detailed above. They’ve attained their position by showing superior riding skills and enormous levels of dedication and commitment.
The first stage in becoming a Jockey is to be employed by a Trainer as an Apprentice Jockey (or Conditional Jockey as you’re called if you’re racing over jumps). You will then need to attend a mandatory Apprentice or Conditional Licence course, depending on whether you are training for the flat or for jumps.
Apprentice and Conditional Licence Courses
The aim of these 5 day training courses is twofold. Firstly, they will build on your skills as a Jockey. Secondly, they will assess you to ensure you’ll be able to ride racehorses safely in public. Riding out daily, you’ll receive coaching on stalls work and riding at speed. This will be accompanied by lessons on the rules and conditions of a licence. The final element of the course is all about how you should handle yourself as a Jockey. It includes areas such as professionalism and integrity, motivation, diet and nutrition, personal fitness assessment and training programmes.
Serving your apprenticeship
Once you have passed your Licence course, you will return to your Trainer’s yard to serve your apprenticeship as a Jockey. Most apprenticeships are served between the ages of 16 and 25, at which point it is possible to become a professional Jockey. (The age is 27 if you’re racing over jumps). Your apprenticeship is a yearly agreement between yourself and your trainer, with the apprentice still working as a member of the stable staff.
You will then need to continue your training by completing and passing a further continuation course which will build your skills further as a Jockey.
Register your interest
If you’re interested in becoming an apprentice jockey or apprenticeships like this, register your details below.
[form 35 "BHA"]
