BHA Overhauls Jockey Licensing Process

The British Horseracing Authority has made significant changes to its jockey licensing and training process in an effort to better equip jockeys with the necessary technical, personal development and mental and physical health skills they need to progress through their careers. The enhanced licensing and training process, developed over the last three years, also addresses the fact that racing is spending considerable resources on individuals who may not be successful. At present, 30% of licensing course attendees do not ride a winner, and 88% do not ride out their claim.

The new system has more rigorous entry criteria and restricts the number of places to ensure the most suitable applicants enter the system. All prospective applicants will pass a pre-license assessment, and existing apprentice/conditional courses will be extended from five to 10 days. Those courses will include enhanced sessions on nutrition, personal development, lifestyle skills, media training and introduction to the structure of the racing industry.

The cost of the course has increased to £1,650 from £700, which has been agreed by the Professional Jockeys Association and will continue to be covered by a percentage of the jockeys' riding fees and annual grants from the Horseracing Betting Levy Board.

In another change, there will be an annual training day for all apprentice/conditional riders with content varying by current weight claim.

“The changes announced today ensure that our jockeys will have access to significantly enhanced technical, personal and professional training,” said BHA Chief Executive Nick Rust. “A more efficient and extensive assessment process can help aspiring jockeys who have a genuine chance of success to receive the first-class levels of support and guidance they require. One of our key strategic objectives is to prioritise the welfare of our human and equine athletes and these changes show we are clearly focused on investing in and looking after our people, as well as our horses. We are fully aware of the impact these changes are likely to have on horsemen and thank trainers for their understanding. We will continue to have an open dialogue with the National Trainers Federation and their members as these changes come into effect.”