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Blood, sweat and tears – who’d be a jockey?  By
David Thorpe
From Queen Elizabeth to Michael Owen horse racing attracts glamour and
glitz but behind the exciting facade lies an all together different reality.
It’s a place where corruption looms large and aspiring jockeys starve
themselves to try to secure a future in the sport of Kings.
Top British-based Irish jockeys Robert Winston and Shane Kelly are currently
serving suspensions for alleged corruption but perhaps the most cautionary
tale is that of Kieran Fallon.
The Clare-born jockey has been champion in Britain on four occasions.
Racing has made Fallon a millionaire many times over but as he faces a
corruption trial the demons which have haunted his career highlight the
pitfalls which exist in racing.
If he is found guilty of race-fixing then the sport could suffer a blow
from which it may never recover. Fallon has also just completed a ban
for testing positive for cocaine.
Kieran had previously admitted to an alcohol problem, something which
is common in racing with Winston and multiple Derby-winning jockey John
Murtagh having both had problems with drink in the past.
Many riders turn to alcohol to stave off the hunger pangs which they can
suffer after being forced to ride well below their normal body weight.
Murtagh has admitted in the past to using laxatives and spending hours
in the sauna in order to weigh just over eight stone.
Few sports are as difficult to become successful in as racing. For every
20 aspiring jockeys who enter the British racing school only two will
ever ride in a race. Only about one every two years will have a successful
career as a jockey.
With almost every race in Britain and Ireland televised rides are closely
scrutinised and that pressure has often produced tragic results.
The young Kerry jockey Timmy Houlihan had received criticism for some
of his rides in 2003 after enduring a poor season in Ireland. The death
of his best friend, the talented jockey Sean Cleary, in a fall at a race
in Ballinrobe, hit the 21-year-old Killorglin man hard. On November 11,
2003 he tragically took his own life.
Racing in both Britain and Ireland has seen a spate of suicides by young
stable employees who realise that they are too heavy to fulfill their
dreams of being a top jockey.
The Turf Club’s chief doctor Walter Halley says he has never been
more concerned about jockeys’ health as he is now.
Speaking recently he said: “Young people these days are generally
bigger than they were 20 or 30 years ago. But the weights they are required
to do have not really changed. These lads are in danger of seriously damaging
their health in the long-term.”
One rider who has to be more conscious than most of his weight is Andrew
McNamara.
The Limerick jockey is over six foot tall and frequently weighs as little
as 10 stone 1 pound.
Andrew is one of the stars of Irish racing, winning the Powers Gold Cup
on Beef Or Salmon and claiming the Queen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham
on Newmill in 2006.
But away from the buzz of huge crowds and TV interviews Andrew’s
life is a constant struggle with weight.
“I walk and swim every day and would always be watching what I eat.
On most days I don’t really eat until after racing is completed.
I cannot go to a chip shop. I run most days in a suit,” said McNamara.
Speaking to The Irish Post Andrew recounts a typical day in his life.
“I get up about 5.30am and have a cup of tea, get in the car and
ride three or four horses in exercise for a trainer. I try to have a decent
bit of lunch, usually a bit of pasta or something but no potatoes. Then
I drive to races. That can be the hardest part — you spend a lot
of time on the road and can be tempted to eat out of garages which isn’t
healthy and makes it harder to keep the weight down.
“In the evening I would have lots of tea and maybe a bit of chocolate
to give me an energy boost and that would be it for the day.
“The thing I find most unpleasant about weight control is having
to run in a sweat suit or use saunas which can cause dehydration and is
very unpleasant.”
In his early career Andrew had to struggle to make his name and wasn’t
in a position to turn down rides.
He said: “A couple of years ago I had the chance to ride in a big
race. I thought the horse would win but had to lose half-a-stone in less
than one day to be able to take the ride.
“I sat in the sauna, didn’t really eat anything, jogged and
sweated in a long bath and eventually got the weight down. I wouldn’t
have minded so much but the horse didn’t even win.”
What is most astonishing about Andrew’s attitude is that he brushes
off talk that this is remarkable. Among jump jockeys it is a way of life
just like the inevitable injuries. In each of his first four years as
a jockey Andrew has broken at least one bone.
He is currently injured with a twisted knee meaning that he must sustain
his diet and exercise regime without any horses to ride or being able
to earn money.
Andrew’s main employer is the trainer Michael Hourigan whose horses
have not been running well this season.
Life is harder, his income has declined dramatically, the buzz of winning
races is a rare thing for him now but he will continue to strive for racing
success.
Like any other addiction racing’s down side is well known but for
those involved the sacrifices are more than made up for by the sheer love
of the sport. |
