Young Jockeys

They seem to follow a similar pattern to young Hollywood stars.

Burn bright and then fade as soon as they hit the highlights.

Who manages these guys they seem to get a new attitude as soon as they have a few wins under their belts.

The diff between the legends and the not so much ones are their ability to manage the early easy money and continue to master the trade they have chosen.

They need to come into racing after finishing school - should not be allowed to join the academy until they have physically stopped growing(This is not London in the 1800's) - I'd also suggest having psycometric tests to ensure they can handel the constant stress they are under(being on diet permenantly is a major stress factor - just have a look at similar industries - models are a prime example) they are expected to be on diet for upwards of 20 years!! Then there is the constant competition which too is an very difficult state to be in. They deserve their cash but I'm not sure if all of them join the academy for the right reasons and this is the problem - Being a succesful rider is not always about ability and natural talent - it's a balance that not too many riders achieve - I for one would not like to see my child being a rider - remember they are also expected to be consumate PRO's - going into the ring and riding a dog and then being asked by the owner " do you think she'll win a race(20 lengths behind the last horse)" - the youngster then has to make a call without offending trainer/owner(remember they often get the rubbish to ride until they start to show) Very difficult vocation and i'm sure someone will/has done a case study on the stress involved in this section of the game