Horse Racing
Sports > Horse Racing > Testing
Fitness Testing for Jockeys
Although the horses are the main athletes in horse racing, the job of the jockeys is also very demanding, and requires a very specific set of physical attributes. Most importantly, horse jockeys need to small and light. They also need good leg strength and flexibility, and endurance fitness.
Example Testing List for Jockeys
- Body Size — Height, Body mass and Skinfolds
- Flexibility — Sit and Reach
- Leg Strength — Wall Sit
- Upper Body Strength — Grip Strength
- Endurance — Beep test
Example results for a jockey
| Fitness Test | Result |
|---|---|
| body mass (kg) | 55 |
| height (cm) | 168.7 |
| Skinfolds, sum of 7 sites (mm) | 40 |
| Grip Strength (kg) | 45 |
| 1RM Bench Press (kg) | 55 |
| Vertical Jump (cm) | 55 |
| Sit and Reach (cm) | +26 |
| VO2max (ml/kg/min) | 58 |
Here is an example of a series of tests performed on the 2007 Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michael Rodd, conducted in 2009 (as detailed in the Herald Sun Newspaper). A summary of his results are in the adjacent table.
He is short and light as expected for a jockey. His other stand out result is a very good sit and reach score, showing the importance of flexibility in the saddle.
