Diplomas to create post-career pathways for jockeys

By Darren Cartwright

Three-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Glen Boss has urged young apprentices to take up Racing Queensland’s pathway diplomas to secure their futures beyond the saddle.   

The education courses have been tailored for trackwork riders and jockeys to open up job opportunities after their riding careers and include; a Certificate IV in Racing (racehorse training) and Event Management.  

During Boss’ stellar career, which he drew the curtain on late last year, he said he saw many young hoops become mentally lost after their riding days had finished.   

Whether they hung up the saddle because of weight issues, lack of opportunities or injury, many jockeys had never planned for their career to end, especially prematurely, and struggled with life after racing, he said.   

“We all have high expectations of where we want to be and then reality sets in, and you either don’t make it or something happened along the way, and you have to make a career change,” he said.   

“All of sudden, all their eggs are in one basket, and you’re completely lost.   

“The kids have dropped everything else and when it doesn’t work out, they are in a place they don’t expect to be, and they get quite lost.   

“So, it’s an absolute given that young jockeys have options and once they achieve those diplomas, they could do so many different things and it gives them the confidence they have a life after racing.”   

Racing Queensland’s Registered Training Organisation (RTO) is based in Brisbane but delivers industry training statewide.   

Anyone 15 years or over can become a trainee stable hand or track rider and undertake a diploma course pathway.   

The courses available include a Certificate IV in Racing (racehorse training) and diplomas in Racing Integrity Management, Sport, Event Management and Sports Turf Management.   

The study courses should give rising trackwork riders and jockeys confidence that there is a career in racing well beyond the saddle and riding is not the be-all, end-all of their employment opportunities, Boss said.   

“It’s a great opportunity to learn skills that could take beyond riding,” Boss said.   

“They know they would have something beyond riding and not having to push themselves, thinking that’s all they have got, and it will take a lot of pressure off them.” 

At least for Boss, he retired with something left in the tank, and was not pushed out the door. 

Former hoop Allan Chau recently made the switch from being a jockey to a trainer but had to do it all himself.   

For the first few months, Chau held a dual licence that allowed him to ride and train horses before giving race day riding last December.   

He said there were several Gold Coast trainers who had been mentors over the past 11 months as he crossed over from being inside the track during a race to being trackside.   

“You have to give a jockey something to look forward to and have a pathway and another option in life,” he said. 

Just missing the opportunity to undertake a pathway is apprentice Wendy Peel who will be a senior rider in November.   

Off the back of a showjumping and eventing career before becoming a jockey, she said that when her time in the saddle ends, she would like to teach young apprentices the art of riding.   

“I’m 29 and I’m not going to ride forever, and I would like to do, is get into the side of educating young trackwork riders on riding and becoming jockeys,” Peel said.   

“It’s definitely good Racing Queensland has pathways as school children in Year 10 and Year 11 don’t want to be in a classroom and it means they can leave early, and still do these courses and have a proper education.   

“They then have a career to look forward to and an education.”   

RTO Manager Jill Geiblinger said some courses are funded through the Queensland Government and the courses can take between 12 months and four years to complete, depending on the pathway diploma that has been chosen.  

“There is no maximum age, however, for the jockey program, but ideally they should be fit and healthy and meet weight requirements,” she said.  

For more information on being a trackwork rider, jockey and Racing Queensland diploma courses, click here.