A question that perhaps you may not have thought of, though no doubt one that raises a number of others.
Perhaps it is something you have subconsciously thought about before, though never actually queried about it, but it got us thinking – if you are a trainer, can you still ride as a jockey? The simple answer is yes, but there are rules around it.
What Is The Ruling?
Under the BHA (British Horseracing Authority) ruling (B) 30, this states that “any licensed trainer who is also a jockey or authorised to ride in a race by another recognised racing authority may only ride in a race if”:
- 1: they are riding a horse trained by them and that is the only horse in the race trained by them, or
- 2: they do not train any of the horses in the race unless they are a permit trainer riding in a hunters’ steeplechase.
With regards to the hunter’s steeplechase exception, permit trainers can ride in hunters’ steeplechase races, even if they train several horses in the race. There is an exception though, that reflects the amateur and community spirit of hunter chases. As such, these are usually raced by owner/trainers and amateur riders, as opposed to professionals.
It should be explained that this ruling prevents trainers from using their inside knowledge or positional advantage as both a trainer and jockey spanning several entries in one race.
In addition, this also prevents questions relating to ambiguity about loyalties in a competitive field – especially important for punters, owners and officials – particularly in open handicap races.
The Prime Case
One of the most famous cases of this happening was when 19-year-old Olive Nicholls entered the Hunters’ Steeplechase event at Taunton earlier this year. It is worth mentioning that these types of races are restricted to amateur jockeys.
The context behind this is that Miss Nicholls – daughter of esteemed trainer, Paul Nicholls, actually held her trainer’s licence but was also a licenced amateur jockey. Unusually, Miss Nicholls was allowed to ride a horse in this race who she trained, but also against another horse in the race who she also trained, in accordance with ruling (B)30.
Being such a rare event, this created intrigue among horse racing enthusiasts around the country.
What Could The Impacts And Trade-Offs Be About This Ruling?
It may come as somewhat of a surprise that most owners are very comfortable about this, because they know that it means their horse will be ridden to the exact specifications, based on the horse’s training routine and trainer’s knowledge.
However, one of the drawbacks is that often there are time and commitment conflicts. Because a trainer literally manages everything, including taking on the role of a jockey, this can lead to burnout and stress, meaning that he may not be in peak condition to perform both roles adequately.
For an owner, this can be a concern – especially if there are other horses under the trainer’s purview. Ultimately it comes down to the specific individual.