Childhood obesity threatening future jockeys?

[WhiteCamry]

An article in The Times of London (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/racing/article5254343.ece) mentions a Ph. D. candidate's study citing how fewer teens are considering careers in the horseracing business, for a number of reasons:

Deborah Butler, a college tutor and stable lad, found that fewer teenagers were light enough or eager to tackle the relentless manual work of looking after horses. She will say in her PhD on the industry: “This once ready supply of potential staff has been gradually contracting due to low levels of unemployment, the urbanisation of society, the trend for young people to stay on in further education, the younger generation's increasing body size and their unfamiliarity with the very physical nature of stable and stud work.” Anyone noticed a similar pattern on this side of the Atlantic?

[Vitriolic]

I see more and more females, South Americans, Mexicans and Chinese riding here. Few locally born people aren't too big by 15!

[Acertainsmile]

Well, from what I'v seen I think it's more about the physical strength and work that is involved, then weight... there has always been a weight battle with most jockey's...there are very few men that will be 114 or so naturally, and less when you talking about an apprentice, make that number 104.

I think the reason there are more women (who still have weight issues) is because it is now more accepted... as far as the South Americans, they churn out some decent riders down there!

It takes alot of maturity and dedication from a 16 yr old that wants to become a jockey... their still out there though, but maybe not as many. The tracks a hard life, and I think alot of parents would rather see their sons and daughters go off to college instead. I know I do, unless my kids are super talented, and really, really want to pursue a riding career... chances are they may even be light enough to.

[sk_pacer]

Acertainsmile hit it dead on - lack of dedication and initiative combined with a loathing to start at the bottom and have to do something that doesnt involve sitting on their collective backsides. It just isn't the kids, t is the whole X generation is like that too (yeahm yeah, painting a broad stroke) that is this way - they are ENTITLED to a 'free ride'. We hired a 20-something or maybe early 30 something one year. After two days of cleaning stalls, he wanted to drive in RACES...and told us he was going to drive and we could shovel out stalls. Went so far as to want to apply for a licence to drive and was so pissed when he found he had three increments and 6 years to go through he just never came back. Lots like this - give them a few days and they know everything, want to take over and are deeply offended when the stable management gets pissed over the hired help's "needs" and say we are constrictive and quashing their initiative and drive. Balls..we are looking out for our livlihood, not their fragile egos and overdeveloped sensitivities. Overweight children has nothing to do with this attitude that is so pervasive in today's society. Most of the weight issue is due to the sense of entitlement coupled with the fact that most park their backsides on the couch and play video games and eat chips and chocolate bars. It is bad enough for people who have a weight problem because they have lost mobility, but to see it in kids that should be outside playing and riding bikes and things, no, not good.

[danceronice]

I was too heavy at twelve--I'm well within my weight-for-height range for a normal, healthy human and I knew there was no way I could maintain it. (Literally. It would take starvation dieting, per my doctor, to get below 120--I'd have to be anorexic to get to 104!) I wanted to ride racehorses, but I had barely hit puberty before it was obviously out of the question.

And it IS a brutal life. You can hardly blame most parents for not wanting kids to enter a profession where odds are they're going to have to starve themselves, break bones, and get very little pay for doing it. Combine that it's a harsh job with little to no chance for advancement or long-term security (and a statistically significant chance of premature crippling or death), the fact that obesity aside, people are simply getting taller and heavier on average, and that the weights involved have always limited it to a very small portion of the population, and I'm surprised the issue's never come up before.

[Eireamon]

I see both sides of it. Yes children are much taller stature these days. My 11 yr old son is as tall as me already and although I have no idea what he weighs is not likely to be much less than me already.

But I do go along with SK pacer. I hire reguarly and the attitude of kids these days leaves much to be desired. The majority have no clues and show absolutely no iniative or work ethic. They want everything now and many are so arrogant.

I would get one in ten that actually has the right work ethic to even work out.

Its a very hard industry and unless the kids really have a passion they aren't going to cut it.
Lets face it its a job for love for most as the percentage that make big money is small.

[SteeleRdr]

I don't know whether "obesity" is it. My cousin would love to be a jockey, he's hard working, very fit...however, at 17, he's 114lbs (and trying to get to 107 for wrestling). He's about 5'7", maybe 5'8", and he's pretty much starving himself to maintain that weight and be that small (he didn't eat a thing at Thanksgiving, and we had both breakfast and dinner together).

I rode 'chasers in high school, while I would not make flat weight (130-ish), I still exercised...I didn't try to drop the weight to ride races mostly because my parents, family, and friends didn't want me hurt. As my friend said, my brain was more important. Maybe one day I'll get back to that life....

[Glimmerglass]

Not to mention a lot of more successful jockey's came from families where a father or brother rode as well or at least the family was involved in horses and racing. It's tough to envision someone unconnected to riding to suddenly show up and start to ride.

I think back at the interviews given by Steve Cauthen where he remarked that's all he ever wanted to be. Program's like the Chris McCarron's Riding Academy would've been unheared of back in the 1970's - today that is the only way perhaps some younger interested people could get into riding.

I'm sure every few years there is evidence that younger women are filling in the ranks and its some big movement but I will say that now more then ever a lot of women are riding professionally and with success. Example - Elaine Castillo from Mexico City (http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20081118/SPORTS0101/811180343) and riding at Finger Lakes might succeed with 100 wins for the season. Riding right now in Rochester is worthy of praise owing to the conditions but to take home 90+ wins is impressive.

With 12 live racing days left before closing day Dec. 6, she looks like a cinch to reach her goal of 91 wins — and could hit 100.

Castillo hopes to exercise horses in the mornings at Gulfstream Park this winter and plans to return to Finger Lakes for the 2009 season.

When Elaine began her career, she thought she'd ride for 10 years. Now she isn't sure.

"I'm having fun, my family is proud of me. My father watches some of my races on the Internet in Mexico City," she said. "As long as I'm successful, and if I keep improving, I plan to continue riding."

[Blinkers On]

Loads of South Americans, Panamanians, Mexican's and few white guys here.
The best riders I know. Are some of the most dedicated, dilligent individuals I have ever seen. They all run, no matter what the temperature, in plastic, sweating their bums off. The really good one's knock your socks of with their single mindedness.
I don't think one can judge children too harshly. I was 5'3" too heavy at 12. BUT it was baby fat. I didn't get any taller, but I definitely got lighter and tighter. Light enough to be a very good work rider. Rode one whole race.
Kids do grow up. And who's to say they won't grow too tall to ride regardless of weight. Not everyone stops growing at 12.

[Glimmerglass]

Along with Elaine at Finger Lakes I should've mentioned the current "it" female rider Maylan Studart (see her web page with blog and vids (http://maylan007.spaces.live.com/)) who has received a lot of attention. She is supposed to be on "Fox & Friends" the morning news show December 2nd at 8:30 a.m. EST.

Mind you she's been sent to the hospital already in the last 30 days (http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=47922) from a spill at Meadowlands but also has been given a great deal of praise - see Brazilian Teen Riding High (http://www.nypost.com/seven/11222008/sports/horseracing/brazilian_teen_riding_high_140143.htm):

WHAT are the odds of a little teenage girl apprentice from Brazil pulling into Aqueduct and riding the silks off one of the best male jockeys in the world?

Take the odds, because that's what happened last week when Maylan Studart, a tiny 108-pounder, not long off the plane from Rio, outsmarted that slick old pro Edgar Prado in a match-of-wits stretch run.

Maylan might be a Cinderella in the making. She learned to ride at a jockey school in Rio de Janeiro and launched her career at the local tracks. In August, she moved to Calder in Florida, where she quickly established a presence, winning 10 races, including a stakes race.

She and several others will have their work cut out in the winter colony at the Big A after several leave for Florida: DRF 12-2-08 "Lots of new faces for winter meet" (http://www.drf.com/news/article/100292.html) - still I think if she has the natural talent and drive she'll be in for the fight.

[Blinkers On]

Excellent! May she be the next great female!:)

[Glimmerglass]

Along with Elaine at Finger Lakes I should've mentioned the current "it" female rider Maylan Studart (see her web page with blog and vids (http://maylan007.spaces.live.com/)) who has received a lot of attention. She is supposed to be on "Fox & Friends" the morning news show December 2nd at 8:30 a.m. EST.

Here is the video of her appearance on Fox yesterday morning: 'Riding High: Teenage Jockey Riding to the Top' (http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&StreamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=3229903&referralPlaylistId=playlist)