How much are jockeys paid?

As in other walks of life, how, and how much, jockeys are paid depends on whether they are employed, or ‘retained’, by an owner or trainer or self-employed. The vast majority of jockeys, Flat and National Hunt, are self-employed and, as such, are paid on a fixed-rate, ride-by-ride basis. They do, of course, receive a fixed percentage of win and place prize-money, alongside sponsorship income, if applicable. However, jockeys also have expenditure, not least travel, taxes and deductions, paid to agents, valets, the Professional Jockeys’ Association and Weatherbys among others, to consider.

According to the ‘Racing Post’, average earnings for jockeys under both codes are around £30,000 a year, although apprentice and conditional jockeys earn substantially less. Since July, 2020, apprentice jockeys split their riding fee and prize money 80/20 or 90/10 with the trainer concerned, while conditional jockeys receive 100% of riding fees and prize money; both apprentice and conditional jockeys are responsible for full expenses. While the majority of jockeys are modestly paid, at the apex of the profession, world-class jockeys can be paid six or seven-figure salaries, including sponsorship deals and retainer fees, the details of which remain private.

What does ‘warned off’ mean?

Beyond the idiomatic sense of being discouraged from doing something, in the world of horse racing, a individual who is ‘warned off’ is subject to a specific punishment imposed by a regulatory body, such as the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), in Britain, or the Irish Horseracing Board (IHRB). Once ‘warned off’, an individual cannot enter premises licensed by the regulator, such as racecourses or training establishments, including their own, or associate with jockeys, trainers, owners or any other licensed or registered persons. The duration of the punishment could be months or years, at the discretion of the regulator.

For example, in March, 2021, Simon McGonagle, head lad to Co. Meath trainer Gordon Elliott, was warned off for nine months, seven of which were suspended, for taking an infamous photograph of Elliott sitting astride a dead horse. The photograph circulated widely on social media and led to the trainer being fined €15,000 and having his licence suspended for six months. Both men were found guilty of acting in a manner which was ‘prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct or good reputation of horseracing’. Other serious rule breaches include corruption, in all its forms, and administering prohibited substances, such as anabolic steroids, to horses.

What are some of the best horses ever?

What are some of the best horses ever? Every generation of racehorses produces it own outstanding performers but, from time to time, horses capture the public imagination in a way that transcends generations and achieve almost legendary status. Arkle, for example, is best remembered for winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup three years running in 1964, 1965 and 1966, but has since become the benchmark against which every steeplechaser is measured. Likewise, in the sphere of National Hunt racing, Red Rum, who won the Grand National in 1973, 1974 and 1977, as well as finishing second in 1975 and 1976, has also gained ‘immortality’.

On the Flat, Dancing Brave, who won the 2,000 Guineas, Coral-Eclipse, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in 1986 – and should have won the Derby, in the eyes of many observers – falls into the same category. So, too, does Frankel, who was unbeaten in all 14 races, including ten at the highest, Group One level and was the first horse for 60 years to be a champion at two, three and four years. On the other side of the Atlantic, Secretariat, nicknamed ‘Big Red’, became the first horse in 25 years to win the Triple Crown in 1973; his 31-length demolition of the opposition in the Belmont Stakes remains one of the best performances ever seen on a racecourse.

What are blinkers?

In horse racing, blinkers are one of the most commonly used types of headgear. Standard blinkers consist of pair of fabric, leather or plastic cups positioned, one either side, on a headpiece. The cups are placed next to the horse’s eyes with the intention of restricting its field of vision to the rear and, in some cases, to the side. Naturally, horses have a 275° field of vision, such that they can be easily distracted or upset by events on either side or behind them. Thus, by restricting the field of vision – to a greater or lesser degree, depending on the design of the blinkers – trainers hope to encourage a horse to focus on looking, and moving, forward and thereby improve its racecourse performance.

So-called ‘French’ blinkers, also known as ‘cheek pieces’, are less restrictive than standard blinkers, but serve a similar purpose. They consist of strips of sheepskin, which are attached to the straps on either side of a horse’s bridle and restrict how much the horse can see behind it. Blinkers and cheek pieces must be declared overnight and horses wearing these types of headgear can be identified by a small letter ‘b’, or ‘c’, next to the their names on a racecard.

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