Riding horses is as old as time: man’s main mode of transport for aeons. Racing horses too: humans have always whipped up competitive entertainment, it’s in our DNA. Now a major part of sporting culture, organised horse racing is one of the oldest sports in history, but it continues to evolve. The art of riding a horse is something to behold. The concept of a ‘jockey’ first arose in 17th century England, when horse racing was popularised by King Charles II. Nowadays it’s a fiercely competitive global arena, with legions of ambitious riders at the coalface of a multi-billion dollar industry.
But what does it take? Firstly, jockeys must be relatively small. Lightweight and strong is the key, keeping a low body weight in order to avoid ‘burdening’ the horse – but with enough raw power to control it effectively. Next up are coordination and balance – both have to be stellar to stay on the horse and guide its movement around the course. Communication and rapport with their horse, along with technique and tactical awareness, are vital too. But perhaps the most critical element is something you can’t teach: bravery. To ride a horse at astonishing pace, and to go faster than your competitors, with hooves thundering all around you and millions of dollars at stake, takes immense courage. It can be highly dangerous, so the calculated risks – the split-second decisions – that jockeys make in order to steer a horse to victory are breathtakingly brave. Overall, the make-up of elite jockeys is both simple and complex. Perhaps not given enough credit – they are world-class athletes. Here is our selection of the best jockeys of all time.
FRANKIE DETTORI
World-famous Dettori commands attention wherever he goes. Eccentric and talented in equal measure, his always-extrovert demeanour masks a remarkable inner steel that has seen him rack up immense success in the modern era. With longevity to match, he is rightly lauded as one of the greatest ever. Now an adopted Brit, in many ways, Italian Dettori was born in Milan and introduced to horse riding early on by his father Gianfranco, an esteemed jockey on the national circuit who persuaded his son that his talent for football was not as great as his skill in the saddle. By 14, Frankie quit school to pursue a jockey career in the UK under trainer Luca Cumani at Newmarket. And the rest, as they say, is history: over a 35-year career, Dettori has been a champion UK jockey three times, won the famous Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe six times, racked more than 3,000 wins (more than 250 of the Grade 1 variety), and amassed more than $200 million in career earnings. His biggest single achievement of many came relatively early in his history-making career, on 28th September 1996, when he rode all seven winners on a single day at the British Festival of Racing at Royal Ascot. His outrageous display that day is cemented in horse racing legend, and unrivalled to this day.
WILLIAM SHOEMAKER
Texas, 1931. So tiny was Shoemaker, that he nearly died dramatically at birth. ‘Bill’ wasn’t expected to survive the night, but tucked in a shoebox on top of a stove to keep him warm, he did. And what a life he led, his small stature proving a mighty asset as he went on to become a giant of thoroughbred horse racing – an icon of the sport, leading the US prize money standings an incredible 10 times. Perhaps owing to that tough start in life, Shoemaker was always a fighter – four feet eleven inches of battling durability and guile, with a burning passion for victory and making his name endure. Having kicked off his professional career at only 18, Shoemaker was named USA Champion Jockey [by wins] within a year – an instant impact – and went on to collect this prestigious title on four more occasions. Overall, he won almost 9,000 career races – many of them in top competition – including 11 Triple Crown race wins. His first Kentucky Derby was in 1955 and he took the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 1987 – pure class throughout the decades. He died in 2003, but his name is still up in lights – the Shoemaker Breeders’ Cup Stakes are held annually at Hollywood Park Racecourse, and a statue of him stands at Santa Anita Park.
LESTER PIGGOTT
Almost defying the laws of physics, superstar English jockey Lester Piggott started riding horses when he was 10 and did not retire from the track until he was almost 60 years old.
Born in 1935, he came from a farming family which included a long lineage of jockeys and horsemen – a legacy he went on to fulfil in spectacular style. After becoming the youngest jockey to ride over 100 winners in one season, his almost 50-year career saw him win the Epsom Derby nine times – which remains a record to this day. His thirst for victory was incessant – 11 Gold Cups at Ascot, five Irish Derby wins, eight St. Leger Stakes – but this radiant brilliance across the UK racing scene wasn’t without its challenges. Piggott was five foot eight inches – unusually tall for a jockey – and had to suffer for his sport, going to great lengths to maintain suitable shape and weight. Such was his skill and quality, Piggott did it – romping to 30 British Classic titles, among his 4,493 career victories (to be exact), and riding his last winner in 1994 aged 59 – long after most mere mortals had put down the riding crop.
PAT EDDERY
No list of great jockeys can be complete without an Irishman. Horses are deeply embedded in their culture. Pat Eddery, from County Kildare, rose to the highest heights thanks to a talent in the saddle that owed plenty to the pedigree of Irish racing. Starting his apprenticeship in 1967, aged 15, Eddery wasn’t an instant star like many other all-time jockeys – he built his record and developed his craft, but once established, he started winning regularly and was greatly admired for his ability to control and relax his mounts. As a sought-after rider for trainers and owners all over the world, he went on to claim more than 4,600 winners over a 30-year career and was named Champion Jockey eleven times – sharing the all-time record with Lester Piggott. He was also – seemingly nerveless – collecting wins in most major events on the UK racing calendar.
LAFFIT PINCAY JR
Pincay was plucked from the relative obscurity of the Panamanian racing circuit and hit the big time in North America. Over an astonishing 40-year career, he earned more than a quarter-billion dollars in prize money – the most annual winnings seven times along the way – and his 9,530 career victories including seven wins in the Breeders’ Cup and three career-defining victories to take the ‘Triple Crown’ aboard the famous Affirmed in 1978. Pincay owed a lot to the eye of Jockey Club member and horse breeder Fred W. Hooper, who spotted his talent as a 20-year-old and brought him to the US to ride as a sponsored jockey for his stable – but equally, Pincay repaid Hooper gamble handsomely, romping to almost every major race on the US calendar, including one victory in the famed Kentucky Derby.
With the huge and ever-growing popularity of horse racing, not to mention its massive economic impact, the humble jockey sometimes gets overlooked. There are millions of spectators and billions of dollars swirling around the horse racing world, and none of it would be possible without a select band of impossibly gifted athletes. Brave horsemen, we salute you.
