Female jockeys just as good as men, says UK study

Female jockeys are just as good as the men when it comes to riding racehorses, according to a new in-depth UK study.

The research found that once the quality of horses had been taken into account, the performance of male and female jockeys was no different.

However, when it comes to which jockey gets which ride the sport remains a male dominated profession.
The study, conducted as part of the Thoroughbred Horseracing Industries MBA at the University of Liverpool, showed that only 11.3% of professional jockey licences are held by women, with only 5.2% (Flat 6.5%; Jump 2.9%) of available rides taken by female jockeys.
"This study strongly indicates that female jockeys are every bit as good as their male counterparts," said the author of the study Vanessa Cashmore
The research analyzed 128,488 races and 1,255,286 individual rides over a 14-year period.
In 2016, 24% of the 778 individuals holding a jockey licence -- including professional and amateur jockeys -- were female, a figure which has remained constant for the past 10 years.
Women accounted for just 1.1% of rides in Class 1 Flat races over the study period.
As of June 2017, 51% of stable staff in horse racing was female, up from 42% since 2010, says the study.The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) says it is working to address the disparity between male and female opportunities in the sport.
"This study provides further evidence towards something that many in the industry have felt for some time -- that there is no reason why female jockeys should not be considered as good as their male counterparts," said BHA chief executive Nick Rust.
"We are proud that British racing is one of the few sports where men and women can compete on equal terms. However, if female jockeys are not being given the same opportunities as the men, then this cannot be considered as equality."Hayley Turner is one of only three female jockeys to have ridden in the Derby.
The BHA's recently launched Diversity in Racing Steering Group is at the forefront of the work being done on equality.
One area it will look at is the impact of France Galop's initiative to give female jockeys a weight allowance in certain races.
"The research takes us one step closer to putting the tired argument about strength and capability on the scrap heap and focus on changing perception, on changing attitudes and most importantly driving behavioural change," said Susannah Gill, spokesperson for the Diversity in Racing Steering Group.Only three female jockeys have ridden in the Epsom Derby, British Flat racing's showpiece event, with none winning.
In 2015, Michelle Payne became the first female jockey to win the historic Melbourne Cup in Australia.

Gemma Tutty, jockey and rider of almost 50 winners from over 600 career rides, said: "This study confirms what we already knew and have been saying all along, that female jockeys can be just as good as male jockeys.
"I hope this study helps to persuade more owners and trainers to give female jockeys a chance in the saddle, especially in the bigger races."

Well the French obviously disagree. They have a whopping 2kg weight allowance introduced early last year in favor of female riders, apparently to compensate a lack of strength in the saddle. British horseracing postergirl Hayley Turner was quite keen on it and made her comeback from retirement.
Of course if you give me Linda Meech, Kathy O'Hara, Lucy warwick or Jamie Kah in Aussie all day, I'll take it. give me Jo Gordon in the UK all day and she will ride as good as any. The jumps brigade are coming up too, Nina Carberry, Bryon Frost etc. But most of them are pretty ordinary in the saddle.

......plenty male riders that are pretty ordinary in the saddle too..... :whistle:

Denied a win but great ride by J Baker on Native Dancer

Maybe the report meant that most jocks ride like women

Sammy Jo Bell announces the end of her riding career
BY LEE MOTTERSHEAD6:43PM 12 FEB 2018
Sammy Jo Bell, who looked on the verge of becoming a Flat racing force when riding two winners as an apprentice at the 2015 Shergar Cup, has retired after admitting to dissatisfaction with her subsequent progress.

Revealing her news to the Racing Post, Bell, who was sidelined for ten months from May 2016, having sustained a serious fracture of the pelvis in an accident at Carlisle, also went public on being appointed to a temporary placement position with York racecourse.

The Northern Ireland-born 27-year-old seemed set for big things when making the most of a late call-up to the Ascot international jockeys' competition by claiming the Silver Saddle prize for the meeting's top rider.

However, after ending 2015 with 28 winners, she last year managed only 16 and has taken a pragmatic decision to seek a fresh challenge.

"It's something I've been thinking about for quite a long time," she said on Monday.

"I came back from the injury, but I didn't really get out of it what I'd wanted. I rode 16 winners from 167 rides last year, which is good, and I know a lot of people would cut their arm off to have that, but it wasn't enough for me.

"I tried as hard as I possibly could when I came back. I felt I rode as good as I ever had. I don't think there was anything I could've done differently and there are no rides I look back on and think of as awful.

"Even so, I'm 27 and I think you have to draw a line somewhere. I've decided it's time to move on."

Bell, who was based with Richard Fahey having worked for Jim Bolger and Kevin Prendergast before leaving Ireland, was forced to spend eight weeks in a wheelchair after a horse reared and fell on her at Carlisle.

More recently she again underwent major surgery to remove metalwork, and has just completed another long period of rehabilitation.

"I knew I had to make a final decision about whether to start riding out again and then come back to race-riding or to finish," she added.

"By delaying an announcement I was giving myself the option of changing my mind. Being a jockey was something I'd always wanted to do but I knew I had to make the decision as opposed to prolonging things. I wanted to get this done before moving on to the next chapter."

Bell partnered 72 winners in Britain, having earlier enjoyed ten successes in Ireland. She also bowed out on a victory with what proved to be her final mount, the Pam Sly-trained All My Love, scoring at Catterick on October 10.

"I haven't been emotional about this - although perhaps once this gets published I might feel different, as this is the final part of the process," she said.

"This is the closing stage. I will miss it, because there's nothing that gives you the same buzz or adrenaline rush as race-riding, but I'm sure I'm doing the right thing."

Numbers and highlights

27 age
28 winners in best year (2015)
82 career winners
51 winners for Richard Fahey
£740,951 won in British prize-money

Memorable moments

With her career barely started she enjoyed a first success aboard Celtic Dane for boss Kevin Prendergast at Leopardstown. "It was Guineas trial day and only the third ride I'd had," she says, adding: "I'll never forget that day."

Makes headlines aplenty by claiming the Shergar Cup Silver Saddle thanks to Ascot wins on Royal Signaller and Shell Bay, the double helping the Girls team land the overall prize. "I was buzzing about it for days," she says.

A Beverley sprint handicap success in April 2016 on Arctic Feeling takes her record on the Richard Fahey stalwart to seven wins. The horse now lives with Bell's mother in Northern Ireland.

Only Lisa Prestwood and Jessica Goslett stood out for me in the local female ranks, been quite a while since we've seen a decent female jockette

genievieve michel was by far the best i have seen in s.a

What about Vicky Minot with her start to finish rides at Durbanville