thumb|Jockey
Ein '''Jockey''' ist ein Berufs-Pferderennreiter. Um sich als Jockey oder '''Jockette''' bezeichnen zu dürfen, muss die Person eine dreijährige Ausbildung bei einem Trainer absolviert, sowie eine Abschlussprüfung bestanden haben und mindestens 50 Klasse-A-Rennen gewonnen haben. Diese Bedingungen gelten für Deutschland, Österreich und die Schweiz. <ref>http://www.rennreiter.ch/nachwuchs/nachwuchs_der_weg.htm</ref><ref>http://amateurrennreiter.at/wiekommt.3.html</ref>

Es gibt offiziell keine Größenbeschränkungen, wichtig ist, das geforderte Gewicht von 55 kg oder weniger zu bringen. Amateurrennreiter sind in der Regel meist größer und schwerer, das Gewicht von 60 kg darf jedoch nicht überschritten werden, ebenso wie bei Hindernisjockeys.<ref>http://www.trainerundjockeys.de/ausbildung/interview.php</ref>. Die Ausbildung nennt sich offiziell ''Pferdewirt Schwerpunkt Rennreiten''. Neben dem Reiten werden die Auszubildenden in der Versorgung, Gesundheit, Fortpflanzung und Körperbau der Tiere unterrichtet <ref>http://www.pferdewirtpruefung.info/Verordn.htm </ref>. Viele ältere Rennreiter, die den Jockeyberuf nicht mehr ausüben oder das Gewicht nicht halten können, werden Trainer oder Futter- und Stallmeister. 

== Siehe auch ==

* Pferderennen, Kistenritt
* Jockey-Club, Direktorium für Vollblutzucht und Rennen
* Pferdewirt

==Weblinks==

:''This article is about the sports occupation. For other meanings, see Jockey (disambiguation)''.

right|thumb|250px|The [[racecourse in Chester.]]
In steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. 

==Horse racing==

right|thumb|250px|[[Six jockeys and their horses taking a curve.]]
right|thumb|250px|[[Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec|Toulouse-Lautrec - The Jockey (1899).]]

Jockeys are normally self employed, nominated by horse trainers to ride their horses in races, for a fee (which is paid regardless of the prize money the horse earns for a race) and a cut of the purse winnings. In Australia, employment of apprentice jockeys is in terms of indenture to a master (a trainer); and there is a clear employee/employer relationship. When an apprentice jockey finishes his apprenticeship and becomes a "fully fledged jockey", the nature of their employment and insurance requirements change because they are regarded as "freelance", like contractors. Jockeys often cease their riding careers to take up other employment in racing, usually as trainers. In this way the appreniceship system serves to induct young people into racing employment.

Jockeys usually start out when they are young, riding work in the morning for trainers, and entering the riding profession as an apprentice jockey. An apprentice jockey is known as a "bug boy"   because the asterisk that follows the name in the program looks like a bug. All jockeys must be licensed and usually are not able to have an interest in a bet on a race. An apprentice jockey has a master, who is a horse trainer, and also is allowed to "claim" weight off the horse's back (if a horse were to carry 58 kg, and the apprentice was able to claim 3 kg, the horse would only have to carry 55 kg on its back) in some races. After a while, the jockey becomes a senior jockey and would usually develop relationships with trainers and individual horses. Sometimes senior jockeys are paid a retainer by an owner which gives the owner the right to insist the jockey rides their horses in races. 

Racing modeled on the English Jockey Club spread throughout the world with colonial expansion, and in one view is a vehicle of hegemony. The emergence of women jockeys in the 1970s followed a wider cultural trend in female interest in sports. The emergence did raise argument about the suitability of women in the demanding role of jockeys, and whilst there are a number of high-level female jockeys, the profession is still dominated by men as illustrated in the list below:

Famous jockeys include Tony Cruz, Sir Gordon Richards, Jose Santos, Willie Shoemaker, Ron Turcotte and Ruby Walsh

Various awards are given annually by organizations affiliated with the sport of thoroughbred racing in countries throughout the world. They include:

*United States
** George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award
** Isaac Murphy Award
*United Kingdom
** BHB Champion Jockey Award

== Racing colours==

<!-- Silks worn by jockeys are ephemeral, accoutrements - but they are of special interest to semiologists seeking to find out the magic in symbols. -->The colours worn by jockeys in races are the registered "colours" of the owner or trainer who employs them. The practice of horsemen wearing colours probably stems from medieval times when jousts were held between knights. But the origins of racing colours of multifarious patterns that are seen today may have been influenced by racing held in Italian city communities since medieval times. Such traditional events are still held on town streets and are remarkable for furious riding and the colourful spectacle they offer. The symbolism of racing colours in a modern sense shows metaphoric overlap with other practices. 

Getting white breeches and bib, stock or cravat known as "silks" is a rite of passage when a jockey is first able to don silken pants and colours in their first race ride, and it has a parallel in how lawyers are spoken of as "taking silk". At one time silks were invariably made of silk, though now synthetics are sometimes used instead. Nevertheless, the silks and their colours are important symbols evoking emotions of loyalty and festivity.

== Robot jockeys ==

To replace child jockeys whose use had been deplored by human rights organizations, a camel race in robots at the reins. On July 13, 2005, workers fixed robotic jockeys on the backs of seven camels and raced the machine-mounted animals around a track. Operators controlled the jockeys remotely, signaling them to pull their reins and prod the camels with whips [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/07/0715_050715_robot_jockey.html].

==Risk factors==