The Culture Shift in Physical Preparation with Professional Jockeys. Written by Wayne Middleton.
Wayne Middleton. Lead Strength & Conditioning at HRI.
My background: After school, I worked on building sites for many years. I always enjoyed being fit and strong, but probably didn’t have the confidence to pursue a career in sport. However, I enrolled in a personal trainer course at NCHES (now NTC) and began a fitness journey through many workshops and an internship. I graduated with a degree in Strength & Conditioning through Setanta College in 2017. In 2019, I enrolled in an MSc in Strength and Conditioning at St. Mary’s University in London and graduated in 2022. This Autumn I will begin a postgraduate course in Health and Wellbeing at UCC. Throughout my career, I have worked in many sports and different environments; however, working with the jockey athlete is one of the most interesting and challenging roles, but equally fascinating and enjoyable.
The role I am the Strength & Conditioning Lead with The Jockey Pathway in Ireland, based at The Racing Academy and Centre of Education in Kildare. The Jockey Pathway is a suite of professional practitioners who provide professional support services for Irish licensed jockeys. It is funded by Horse Racing Ireland and the Irish Injured Jockeys Fund. I am responsible for physical preparation support and S&C return to riding support. The Pathway provides medical, sports psychology, S&C, nutrition, physiotherapy, jockey coaching, and career support.
Horse racing has two divisions – flat racing and jumping. Flat racing horses can reach speeds of up to 50 kmph, with jump racing horses reaching similar speeds, albeit at different points in the race. A jockey’s bodyweight is probably between 50-68kg, with flat jockeys weighing lighter than jump jockeys. Both male and female jockeys compete against each other, quite unique in the world of professional sport. The average weight of a thoroughbred racehorse is 500kg, yes - half a ton! So, for a 50kg athlete to have complete control of an animal moving at speeds of up to 50 kmph, they need to have a lot of strength and bravery. Horse racing is a high-intensity intermittent type of sport. During race riding, jockeys' heart rates can reach up to 195 bpm, and they will fluctuate depending on race duration. Race lengths can be anywhere between 60 seconds and 9 minutes.
It is fair to say ‘athlete’ may not be a word that most people associate with jockeys. Their sport does not scream athleticism or high performance when it is screened on our TV. Although jockeys are professional sportspeople, it is fair to say that a large percentage of jockeys would not be classed as elite athletes. However, having worked with jockeys for more than 10 years, we are seeing a shift in their approach to physical preparation and the benefits of strength and conditioning.
Over the last few years, we have conducted lots of research and some physiological testing with our jockey athletes (Table 1). Pound for pound, they are as strong as many other athletes in other sports. Aerobically, they are very fit; this is because they are running/cycling every day as part of their weight management routines. Some 50-60kg athletes are deadlifting 150-180kg on the Hex Bar – that is almost three times their bodyweight.
When riding, jockeys are required to balance on the balls of their feet in the saddle stirrups while at the same time attempting to steer the horse throughout the race. Their riding position requires muscular strength to maintain balance and also to push out the horse at the end of the race. One of the most challenging aspects of S&C with jockeys is meeting the physical demands of their sport. In most sports, physical demands can be trained while using the pitch/court, etc., and the relevant sports equipment. In horse racing, all of their extra physical preparation is conducted off the horse.
With a low training age among the population, we usually start right at the very beginning with basic movement education and then build strength from there. Interestingly, many professional jockeys have what we like to term as ‘horse strength.’ The act of handling and riding horses is a form of resistance training, and therefore, many of the jockeys possess good strength levels before they start any gym-based work. The principles of resistance training apply to jockey athletes just as they do for other athletes. One of the most important considerations is their weight – we need to make sure they are not gaining weight unless they can afford to. Therefore, most of our strength work will be low reps with heavy weights. Most of the conditioning work we do is based around high-intensity interval training (HIIT). For my own MSc dissertation, I researched the effect of a low-volume HIIT programme on jockeys’ fitness levels. The majority of the athletes got fitter with just one HIIT (4 x 0.30:3.00 @ 85% MHR) session per week on a Wattbike. I also assist our Doctor and Physio with Strength and Conditioning support when jockeys are going through injury rehabilitation. This is very satisfying and rewarding as it gives us a really good opportunity to educate the athlete, but also to be part of their journey back to riding.
Weight-making strategies of jockeys are extreme, habitual, and often based on cultural practice, and in the past lacked scientific knowledge. Jockeys can fast for 48 hours before racing if they are trying to cut weight - then they will race in that fasted state (maybe with some energy drink or sugar). We know that there are many healthier ways to make weight, maintain weight, and we are consistently working on educating jockeys with proper science and information. It is challenging as they can be somewhat slow to change their weight making habits and strategies. However, we are certainly seeing a change in their approach to eating and weight-making habits.
Horse racing is a unique and fascinating sport. It is a tough sport with many injuries, and the athletes are some of the toughest in the world. They are all friends, but they all compete against each other fiercely if necessary! They are incredibly supportive of each other, especially around tragedy or serious injury. I find part of my role at times is just being a sounding board or somebody who can listen to their problems or dilemmas. Jockeys’ approach to physical preparation and professionalism are changing – we have a long way to go, but we are much further ahead than we were 30 years ago!
Any advice for anyone interested in a similar role:
Like most roles in athletic development, I would say form relationships and contacts with as many people as you can. Volunteer as much as possible in your college years. Research the sport and take a big interest in the person.
LinkedIn: Wayne Middleton | LinkedIn