I HAVE read a few articles lately that have pointed out the ill-effects amongst jockeys from “flipping” (self-induced vomiting). In my experience, this is very much something that is common amongst the English-based riders and even more so the flat-based jockeys. It’s not something that is common in Ireland. Some may be doing it but none that I am aware of.

Dr Adrian McGoldrick has done unbelievable work on our jockeys nutrition and fitness in the past couple of years. However, jockeys as professional sports people are still lacking behind other sports.

Golf, soccer, rugby - these are all run on strict training and dietary schedules, high performances. techniques and computer analysis. The world has moved forward, yet jockeys are still forced to starve themselves, work ridiculous hours and spend many hours behind the wheel of a car with the likelihood of ending up in the back of an ambulance.

Take an average jockey during the summer. He will ride out most mornings and if he doesn’t have a full-time base then he could be on the road at any hour of the morning heading to a different yard each day. He could ride seven or eight horses in the morning, all on an empty stomach, just running off a cup of coffee and a few cigarettes.

He will get back into his car and begin his trek back home, probably well out of pocket as he often won’t have been paid for his morning’s work, instead settling for the promise of a couple of rides. He gets back home and stands up on the scales – three and a half pounds to lose for that evening’s meeting in Ballinrobe. He puts on the sweat suit and hits the road running, an hour of torture later he showers himself off and is glad to see he has shed two and a half pounds, only a pound more to go.

He jumps into his car and begins his three hour trip to Ballinrobe. He stops halfway to fill the car with diesel and gets himself a can of Red Bull in an attempt to keep his energy levels up. It works but it also puts on half a pound in weight. He gets to Ballinrobe and heads straight for the sauna. 40 minutes later he clambers out of the sauna and with great relief has lost the final pound and a half.

He has a quick cigarette and gets ready for the first of his two rides. The first is in the maiden hurdle, first time out at 66/1. He finishes mid-division and is happy with its run first time. He has hours to wait as his second ride isn’t until the fifth race. To make matters worse, because it’s his lightweight ride, he can’t eat or drink anything. Just another cigarette or two to try to kill the boredom, the thirst and the hunger.

light headed

Time comes for his second ride in the handicap chase. He is feeling a little light-headed as his body is dehydrated and trying to function on a cup of coffee and a can of Red Bull. He heads on out anyway and receives his instructions. They jump off and head for the first, a horse in front falls and ends up right in his path, with nowhere to go, he braces himself for the inevitable. He hits the ground and tries to roll into a ball but gets caught up in an oncoming horse’s legs before he has time to react.

He gets a kick to the back of the head and the horse stands on his back, however he gets up and shakes himself off, gingerly. He hails the ambulance for a lift back to the weigh-room and after a hot shower to try ease the pain, he gets two bottles of water in an attempt to rehydrate a little. Back into his car for 8.30pm to begin the long trip back home on his own. After a quick stop for a sandwich, he gets home just before midnight. A 18 full hours after he left the house that morning. He retires to the bed, sets his alarm for 6am.

He finally closes his eyes, only to look forward to doing the same thing all over again the very next day.