Part 3: A Day In The Life - Jockeys & Track Riders
By Steph Whiteside
Becoming a jockey is on many a horse loving child’s dream job list - and some adults too! After all, how great would it be getting paid to ride a horse every day and getting a front row seat to some of the best days and tracks in racing?! But like all good things, there is much work to be done, and often elements of safety and self discipline that are tested.
Lachlan Neindorf started his career off in Adelaide and is now riding for some of Australia’s best stables primarily across Victoria. This particular morning, he was riding trackwork and also jump outs at Cranbourne for our partners, Enver Jusufovic Racing.
“I fell in love with the sport through my Uncle who works at Morphettville as a trackwork supervisor opening and closing the track. I’d just turned 15 when I first sat on a racehorse, left school and really got serious about things then. I did my apprenticeship with Richard Jolly up until I was 18 and then came to Melbourne and worked with Anthony Freedman and also Lindsay Smith.”
Rhonda is also a track rider with Enver Jusufovic Racing and has been in the saddle since she was very young. “When I was little, my grandparents had horses so I left my parents place and moved in with my grandparents and have since always been around horses - race horses, trotters, you name it.”
We asked Rhonda about the process of becoming a track rider in Victoria and what she needed to complete to get her qualification. “I’ve really been riding for a very long time and because I was a bit older when I got into serious riding, I went and rode at the picnics then rode trackwork and trials everywhere and did it that way in terms of my experience.”
“When I became certified to ride which was about 20 years ago now, I had to do a trial for the stewards and they watched it and ticked me off to ride at the picnics and I also did an apprenticeship about 8 years ago so I’m an older apprentice really, and I had to go to Tasmania to do that. I did my apprenticeship with Brunton’s and then went to John Luttrell and had a bit of success there. I then became a senior and came back over to Victoria and got my dual license to both ride and train and I’m still riding trackwork most days of the week.”
To ultimately move into the senior jockey ranks, riders must serve their time as apprentices and there are now many State run programs to support up and comers that offer specialist jockey coaching, mental health and wellbeing services to media, finance and business skills just to name a few. Having the backing of a stable to help you on your journey is also paramount.
As we showed in the first article of this series, horse racing isn’t a 9am – 5pm job. Lachlan runs us through what a day in the life of a jockey really looks like. “On an average day, I’d be up at 3.30am or 4.30am depending on what was on that morning, but up early to trackwork where I ride as many as I can before I have to leave for the races or the track closes for the day. Then it’s home time for a shower and have a sweat if I’m riding light and lose a little bit of weight then straight in the car and drive to wherever the races are. That’s basically the rest of the day, then head home usually quite late, straight to bed and wake up again the next morning and into the same routine.”
Something else jockeys must remember to look after besides their fitness is their gear. The average jockey has a number of saddles, each of varying size and weight to be used dependent upon the days rides that could range from say 53kg to 61kg.
Jockeys and track riders also have the option to use a crop or a whip, offering a different type of persuasion for the horse. There are now more strict rules on whip use in line with animal welfare and fairness of the sport. A rider’s boots are also very important to give then enough grip and balance on the horse, and you will see many riding with barely their toes in the stirrups.
While we’re on the topic of clothing, the majority of today’s jockeys will wear breeches with elastic bottoms that tuck neatly into their racing boots. On the top is generally a skivvy covered by a protective vest.
These body protectors have come a long way in their development and must past strict standards and be certified by Australian Racing. They are made to be light weight and use shock absorbing foam rubber and generally polypropylene to provide protection to the torso. Racing silks go over the top of these. Track riders on the other hand may wear slightly comfier attire in jeans or the like and a warm jumper or jacket, but that protection vest is paramount. Another important safety element for all riders is the helmet. Size, shape and comfort are down to the jockey, but as with the vests, they must meet Australian Racing safety standards. Lachlan kindly let us take a picture of him in all his gear.
Nowadays you may often see a small camera attached to a jockeys helmet during races, better known as the ‘jockey cam’. These give spectators a great view of what it’s truly like to be out there riding, and also how dangerous situations can get, and the real skill required by our riders to maintain their own safety, that of their horse and also those around them.
We are fortunate to have groups advocating for jockey safety and looking after effected families in the likes of the National Jockeys Trust, and also ensuring the mental health and wellbeing of our industry participants is vital. Many past and present jockeys are ambassadors and head up these organisations, and they make the sport of horse racing all the better for doing so.
So for any young or seasoned horse lover wanting to get into the sport, there is no better time. With dedicated training programs and mentors, focus on safety and wellbeing, an amazing card of racing Australia wide, world class facilities and a plethora of stables to support up and comers of any age, there is no better time than now to chase that dream.
Thankyou to Enver Jusufovic Racing, Lachlan and Rhonda for their time and insights.
