Advice For a Wannabe Jockey

PeteFourEyes

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Hello! My name's Peter and ever since i was 5 years old, when i watched my first Grand National; i have always dreamed of becoming a jockey. When i was 11/12 i started taking riding lessons for a year, but after moving house i stopped. I also started to grow into a rather heavy lad, peaking at around 12 and a half stone about a year or so ago. However, in the last few months i have decided to give my dream a proper go. I've started dieting, running and most importantly; i've started riding again. It's an ambition i'm taking very seriously, however if i'm being honest; i really have no idea how to actually go about getting into the sport.

In my mind, i feel like once i've got my weight down and i've got my riding to a better standard; i'd be more comfortable getting in touch with local stables, asking if they have space for a work rider. I'd spend a few months with them, getting used to riding race horses etc before going to the Northern Racing School and making overtures towards taking out an amateurs license... but that all just sounds too simple to be true!

Also, two things i feel like are holding me back is my height (5' 10) and my age (22).

The questions are; am i chasing an impossible dream? Do i simply not have the build? And perhaps most crucially; have i left it too late in life?

Any advice would be really, really helpful. Please forgive me for being really naive!
 

bonny

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Hi Peter, to be blunt you are probably too heavy and too old to make it now as a jockey but all is not lost....if you are serious then why not try and get a job in a yard and see if it really is a life you want. If you enjoy riding racehorses and want to try raceriding then you could consider a job in a point to point yard which could involve riding in races if you are good enough. Get going though, at 22 with no experience you are already playing catch up and it's a competitive world out there. Good Luck and don't give up on your dream.
 

bonny

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Just thought - an alternative if you have the facilities and money would be to get your own point to point horse, nothing beats training and riding your own !
 

Exploding Chestnuts

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Just thought - an alternative if you have the facilities and money would be to get your own point to point horse, nothing beats training and riding your own !

I don t think that s advisable lol
You might get a job as a yardman in a NH hunt yard, but season is nearly over.
Work riding is a highly skilled job, you wont be up to that.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=840831825958539
 
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wench

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If the OP can get enough riding experience then I don't see a problem with him getting a P2p schoolmaster when he's ready!
 
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