Clare Wills & Watership Down At Newbury

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kathy
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Now you know that's not true, Colin. How else would you account for all those 'brilliant rides' you so often compliment them on? :suspect:
 
If you back a horse you should at least expect the trainer to put up a jockey who can ride Kri, rather than just hang on to the reins and hope for the best
 
Au contraire, my little sweet pea - if you don't know a good rider from a moderate one, you really shouldn't be offering up your £2 Exacta, should you? I don't think there are any claimers, let alone fully-licenced riders, who meet such low criteria, IS. They don't stay in the game long if they're utterly useless. Jockeyship is like any other job - you have some people who are just a little more innately brilliant than others. You also have plenty of journeymen jocks perfectly happy to NOT knock themselves out pot-hunting and racking up too many miles, taking rides on the bread-and-butter circuit. Because they're seen on more moderate nags, doesn't mean they're less of a rider than the flashier entrants.
 
You have to attend & pass courses at the BRS before you're issued with a licence Kri, along with having a trainer certify that they will provide you with x number of rides [at least the latter used to be a condition a few years back]
 
I know a good jockey from a bad one Kri, millions of punters out there don't. They'll sit in there local Ladbrokes see a horse with 12221 in it's form figures in points and a Mr A N Other(7) after it and back it blindly before finding out the chap rides like he's had 3 double brandy's inside him.

Nothing against the journeyman jockeys of the North apart from the few who have an occasional appetite for non-trying it's those who ride in hunter chases on the basis that they own the horse so should be able to ride it. Think Rory brought up the case of the jockey down at Cheltenham recently who put up a shocking amount of overweight etc.
 
IS, may I humbly suggest - as Headstrong does fairly often - that it's not MANDATORY to back every race? Hunter chases are ridden by amateurs, usually by the horse's owner, and if you don't know your jockey well enough, just swerve the race. Crikey, it's not as if all punters are addicts, surely, unable to swerve the odd race or horse now and then? Also, if 'millions' of punters don't know their riders, then they should stick with the ones they do know - goodness knows, enough burble passes the lips of racing presenters every day. If you don't KNOW something, don't back it with your money.

Shadow - thanks for that, dearest. I thought it probably hinged on something formal, but how gruelling the testing is - any idea?
 
Originally posted by krizon@May 18 2007, 11:05 AM
Hunter chases are ridden by amateurs, usually by the horse's owner, and if you don't know your jockey well enough, just swerve the race.
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Exactly, this was a HUNTER CHASE, not the Gold Cup for gawds sake. I have seen a lot worse than Lowlanders rider galloping around our tracks and I would have thought that you would have too IS.

Lowlander wouldn't have won last night if he had AP or Ruby or his back.
 
The amateurs have to attend BRS for a couple of days during which they have to ride different horses and ride various pieces of work, use the equiciser, etc. A former housemate of mine attended/passed one of the earlier courses about 7 years ago when she was working for Barry Hills but she never did get her licence out.
 
Thought she rode a great race, very energetic and was in for 2nd or 3rd place at one time. Unfortunately missed the interview as have to put the racing on the "red" button when that clown Chapman is presenting :angy:
 
Brendan takes great pride encouraging his owner/jockeys to take part and why the hell shouldn't they. They pay the fee's their enthusiasm is infectious and they get great tuition from Brendan, even if their style is different to his. They (Guy, John Maxse and Brendan) were sat around the breakfast table last Saturday morning discussing which races they should enter. Clare Wills also gets to join in and always seems to end up in the same races as John Maxse.
 
Those wishing to ride as amateurs have to attend seminars at the BRS or other locations. The seminars focus upon the rules of racing, use of the whip, which side of markers you should go and other such topics. Attendance of this seminar is key.

You do not have to pass a riding exam.

The application form needs to be signed by two trainers vouching for your ability to ride, and, in the case of flat racing that you have gone through starting stalls, and in the case of national hunt racing that you have schooled over fences or hurdles.

I attended a week long course at the BRS for prospective NH amateurs. The only KEY part that went towards the licence was one afternoons seminar regarding rules. The riding and tuition with regards to the riding itself and other things such as the equicisor were voluntary and not a condition of getting a licence, though it most certainly does help and can be used as a reference.
 
Excellent, thanks, Shadz and Unca Goober. It's great that we have members on here who actually know things like this, otherwise one ends up conjecturing endlessly (and God knows how painful that can be!). Many questions arise in the course of a discussion, things you hadn't thought about until 'then', so it's brill we seem to have enough people with expertise and experience on here to answer them!

I'd begun to imagine wannabe jocks being trailed at speed on a course's chase road by JA and HRA assessors, while some unruly beast hurtled them considerably further and faster than intended! :D
 
Slightly more is required for Amateurs wishing to ride against professionals. They need to have ridden a certain number of amateurs only races, for example.

I was slightly surprised about the course I attended in that the only totally necessary part was the attendance of the seminar. But I am sure that the abilities of those on the course , as rated by the instructors would most certainly make its way to the licensing department.
 
Is that for amateurs and pros alike, tetley? I'd have thought it would be very important, especially to rule out the possibility of any damage from previous fallings-off. And on that note (see, another question leads on!) do jockeys have mandatory regular check-ups, regardless of any crashie-bashies in the meantime, to retain their licences?
 
Yes - amateurs and Pros have to have a medical book that they have to take with them every time they go racing.

As for the yearly MOT - I think they have to renew their licences annually - I guess they would have to have a medical too - someone will be able to confirm that for sure before I can ask P I s'pect
 
It all seems pretty thorough, doesn't it? I wonder if all countries apply similar rules? Thanks for the interesting and educative replies, folks.
 
The medical becomes once a year once jockeys reach a certain age.... I think its 35 , but I'm not sure.

There is also a 'brain test'

:laughing:

This is a series of timed mental tests that are undertaken in a state of good health. The test must be retaken after a bash on the head that has resulted in a concussion. In order to be passed fit to ride the jockey has to produce a score close to his good-health score.

I know someone who was boasting how easy the test was... not realising that most of the guys were going slow on purpose so they wouldnt be stood down longer than necessary when tested after a concussion and still feeling a bit duuuhh!
 
I don't hold a licence Tetley, no. I have ridden in several races in the past but as they were Arab races they don't really count!
 
Cheers, Uncle G. Always nice to have an insight into what goes into the work into bringing races to our screens, whether it's the dope catcher or the jockeys!
 
Originally posted by uncle goober@May 18 2007, 06:20 PM
There is also a 'brain test'

This is a series of timed mental tests that are undertaken in a state of good health. The test must be retaken after a bash on the head that has resulted in a concussion. In order to be passed fit to ride the jockey has to produce a score close to his good-health score.

I know someone who was boasting how easy the test was... not realising that most of the guys were going slow on purpose so they wouldnt be stood down longer than necessary when tested after a concussion and still feeling a bit duuuhh!
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Pro's only?
 
Amateurs take this test at some point. I dont know whether it is for those of a certain age or not, but amateurs do take it
 
I know Clare Wills had to have a concussion test. I thought it meant they gave her a bang on the head to see how she would react? :suspect:
 
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