How Are Horse Jockeys Paid?

Rather than earn a salary, a jockey receives a “mounting fee” (often $50-$110) for each race, riding sometimes eight races per day. The real money for jockeys comes from prize money, if they can ride a horse to finish first, second or third in a race and earn part of the purse.

How much does a jockey get per ride?

Jockeys are some of the original “gig workers” because they work as independent contractors. Rather than earn a salary, a jockey receives a “mounting fee” — often $50-$110 — for each race, riding sometimes eight races per day.

How much does a jockey get paid each race?

However, as a general rule of thumb Flat jockeys receive around 8.5% of the advertised win prize and 2.61% of the advertised place prize. Jump Jockeys receive around 11.03% of the win prize and 3.44% of the place prize. The riding fee is negotiated annually between the PJA and the ROA.

Who is the highest paid horse jockey?

2022 leaderboard

How do horse races payout?

Your payout is calculated by subtracting the amount of winning dollars from the total pool, then dividing the remaining pool by the amount of cash bet on the winner, and finally adding back in the winning bet amount.

How long does a jockey career last?

You would usually retire from riding by age 45 (35 for jump jockeys). At the end of your riding career you can get advice on retraining and employment from the Jockeys Employment and Training Scheme.

How many hours does a jockey work?

You would work around 40 hours a week, depending on the number of races you take part in, often involving early starts and late finishes.

Can jockeys bet on races?

In most states, jockeys are not prohibited from betting on races in which they don’t ride or on betting on their own mounts. Nonetheless, a jockey betting against himself, no matter how few times it happened, is a serious offense that brings the integrity of those races into question.

How many horses get paid in a race?

In Thoroughbred racing, it was common for 65% of the race’s purse was awarded to the winner, with the second, third and fourth horses earning 20%, 10% and 5% respectively.

What happens if a jockey is overweight?

If a rider weighs in two pounds or more over the weight that he weighed out, the Clerk of the Scales will report the rider to the Stewards and may be suspended. The one pound under and two pound over tolerances reflect the weight loss or gain a rider may incur dependant on weather conditions.

Is there a weight limit for jockeys?

Most jockeys are shorter and have weight restrictions
So, ultimately the jockeys should not weigh more than 119 pounds, according to Bustle. While there is no height restriction, most jockeys tend to be around 4-foot-10 and 5-foot-6 due to the weight restriction.

Do horse jockeys make a lot of money?

The salaries of Horse Jockeys in the US range from $10,049 to $271,427 , with a median salary of $48,880 . The middle 57% of Horse Jockeys makes between $48,882 and $123,036, with the top 86% making $271,427.

Why do jockeys stand up when racing?

Jockeys “don’t follow the movement of the horse but stay relatively stationary,” says co-author Alan Wilson. By, in effect, floating above his mount, the jockey saves the energy the horse would otherwise expend to shove him back up after each bounce down into the saddle.

Do all horses in a race win money?

Typically, the first-placed horse will get around 60% to 70% of the total purse while the second-placed horse will receive a percentage of the purse money that goes between 15% and 20%. The rest of the purse money will be split among the remaining horses, according to their finishing position.

Do all horses in a race get paid?

In some racing jurisdictions, all entries in a competition receive a portion of the purse. In other districts, only the top six are paid. Typically, the winner is paid 60 percent of the total purse, and second place is paid, 20% to second place, 10% to third, 5% to 4th, 3% to 5th, and 2% to 6th.

Where does the money come from in horse racing?

The purse money for a horse race comes from different places, such as gambling, entry fees, and sponsorships. Typically, the amount of money bet at a track is used to determine the racing purses for a season. The winnings from a horse race are usually split between the owner 80%, the trainer 10%, and the jockey 10%.

At what age do jockeys usually retire?

Jockeys usually retire from riding by age 45 (35 for jump jockeys). At the end of the racing career, Jockeys can get advice on retraining and employment from the Jockeys Employment and Training Scheme.

Do male and female jockeys race together?

While the majority of jockeys are men, female jockeys compete equally alongside their male rivals. How does a jockey prepare for a race? Before a race, all jockeys must ‘weigh out’ to ensure that the horse they will be riding is carrying the correct weight for the race.

Do jockeys use their own saddles?

Yes, jockeys use their own saddles. Some jockeýs have three or four different ones that vary slightly in weight. They may prefer a particular saddle for turf racing over dirt tracks.

How many times can a jockey whip their horse?

Current rules and limits on use
Following the 2022 report into the use of the whip, the rules regarding the use of the whip in British racing are being revised. The basic rules are as follows: – The whip can be used a maximum of seven times in a Flat race or eight times in a Jump race.

Can a horse still win if the jockey falls off?

A horse is disqualified when the jockey is thrown off. It won’t be considered a winner even if he crosses the finish line first. The exception is, as stated earlier, the Palio horse race in Siena.