THE recent publication of the Turf Club integrity statistics caught the headlines last week with the decrease in the number of National Hunt jockeys being one area which garnered attention and comment. The number of National Hunt licence holders is presently at the lowest point in over a decade, with the last five years witnessing a decline of eight on the 109 licences which were issued in 2012, the period covered in the latest Turf Club release.

Strikingly, given the attention which was given to the number of national hunt jockey licences, the significant drop in qualified rider permits has to be considered as particularly worrying. In 2016, 337 permits were issued, marking a decline of 133 on the 470 permits which were issued in 2012. Taken in the context of the 7% reduction in the National Hunt rider numbers, the 28% drop in qualified rider permits within the same time period raises concern. The number of apprentices and flat jockeys has remained quite stable over the same five-year period, ensuring the qualified rider figures remain the clear outlier.