Jockey Facts

According to Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, the primary definition of a jockey is someone who rides or drives a horse and the term usually refers to a horse racing professional. A jockey can also be someone who works with a specified device or object, such as a disc jockey, who works with musical recordings to create programs for radio stations, televisions or dance halls.

  1. Jockey Responsibilities

    • Horse jockeys are independent contractors, or "freelancers," employed by a horse's owner, trainer or both--who must often go through agents to find the jockeys. Jockeys cannot own the horses they race, but do own and are responsible for the upkeep of their equipment, including saddles, crops, pants, helmets, etc. Jockeys must have a riding license in the state they are competing in and be at least 16 years old.

    Weight and Height Requirements

    • Horse jockeys are known for being small, but there are no height requirements. There are, however, weight requirements, which may shift slightly with each race. For instance, the Kentucky Derby specifies that jockeys may not weigh more than 126 pounds total, including the weight of the equipment they wear during the race. Jockeys generally weigh between 108 and 118 pounds and stand between 4 feet 10 inches and 5 feet 6 inches tall.

    Income

    • Each horse jockey receives a mount fee for each race they participate in, generally ranging from $35 to $100. This is paid regardless of the horse's placement. However, if the jockey were to ride a horse into first, second or third place, he or she receives a percentage of the purse--or prize money. Most jockeys make between $30,000 and $40,000 per year, not including costs associated with equipment acquisition, repairs and maintenance or travel.

    Famous Jockeys

    • Red Pollard and George Woolf, jockeys for the famous racing horse, Seabiscuit, are perhaps two of the most famous jockeys in American history. Seabiscuit was an unexpected racing champion; as a seemingly incorrigible grandson of the thoroughbred champion Man O' War, few were able to ride him until Red Pollard. With Pollard and Woolf as jockeys, Seabiscuit went on to become one of the most famous horses in American history, beating the renowned War Admiral in the historical 1938 race at Pimlico with George Woolf aboard.

    Disc Jockeys

    • The original spelling for disc jockey was "disk," as disk referred to the phonographic records the jockeys would play. Disc jockey programs became the mainstay for most radio stations after World War II, in which one person would select, site and play music for the public, creating a friendly chat-like atmosphere between songs or song sets.