Been busy today so only just picked this up from the Sporting Life website: Grand National-winning jockey Ryan Mania has announced his shock retirement from the saddle at the age of 25, citing a battle with weight problems. The Scot rocketed to prominence when winning the Aintree spectacular in 2013 on the Sue Smith-trained Auroras Encore, landing the world's greatest steeplechase at odds of 66-1. Just 24 hours later Mania came down to earth in dramatic fashion, when airlifted to hospital following a crashing fall at Hexham, suffering a neck injury. His biggest win since Auroras Encore came on the Sandy Thomson-trained Seeyouatmidnight back at Aintree this April. Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Mania revealed an ongoing battle to keep to his riding weight as the main reason for his decision to hang up his riding boots. He said: "I've been thinking about this since the summer and I always thought that it was going to be my last season. "Of course I am sad that I am stopping, but it has been at the back of my mind for some time. "I thought I'd be able to carry on until Christmas, but my mind is made up. "People don't always see the sacrifices that jockeys have to make if they're to make the weight, and also the travelling and the time away from your family." Mania has taken a previous sabbatical, in 2011, but he added: "I'm not being fair to myself if I carry on being miserable; this is different to last time when I always knew I would come back riding at some point. I rode four winners the other week and I just didn't get that kick out of winning." I can totally empathise with the guy - it must be a living hell having to permanently deprive yourself in order to maintain a certain weight. I think this aspect of being a jockey should be publicised much more and, as I've stated many times before, I think a general increase in racing weights would be a sensible decision. For NH races I would put the handicap weights at 10-07 to 12-05 or similar - give the jockeys a bit of a breather. Wouldn't harm the sport any. Fair play to him for making the big decision, I hope he will be much happier in whatever he chooses to pursue.
Agree regarding the weight thing but it won't happen anytime soon. We're talking here about a sport that bans jockeys for 10 days for not seeing a small flag in the sun telling them not to jump a rather large obstacle because of the sun. All the best to Ryan Mania.
The highs and lows of racing. Ironic in a week where Robbie McNamara,who has also struggled with his weight,has belatedly decided to turn professional. Ruby Walsh recently said of Robbie Mac "God help us all if he turns pro...." High praise indeed.
Riding weights have always been a problem, and will I think, ever be so. I saw a list of flat rider's weights published in 06, in it there were a host of riders who weighed less that 8 stone. Just about all were 8-7 and less. In another article, I read that the Irish racing academy weights of incoming apprentices has risen by 37% since 1979, but the racing minimum has only risen by 6%. If this is so with the flat jockeys, then the same must be so with the jumps guys and gals. Is there a reason why a lot of the flat riders who struggle with weight problems can't make it in the hunt scene? The peoples of the Western World seem to be getting larger with time. Raising the weights a few pounds might help some, but you'll still find a host of others who will struggle with the new level. Sadly, some folk are just not destined to be jockeys, just as some of us are not endowed with the super ability that allows us to ride 50ks to work on a bloody push bike.
Good morning cyc - I trust you are well and enjoying the Australian summer's latest "Gusset greaser" (to quote that hero of 606, eez). Interesting numbers you quote on the weights of incoming apprentices. I'm sure I've read somewhere that mankind is generally getting bigger and heavier with time (on average of course) and so that rare combination of strength and agility in a small, lightweight frame, which jockeys require, is becoming even scarcer? Riding 50km on a bike each day is a piece of piss by comparison
And a very good morning to you Chanin. Mate I'm in the best of good health, I have a good woman and the internet, so I have it all. You're right about those jump riders, they must be a bit loose up top, but I take my hat off to them. It's a fearful way to make a living.
Totally agree Cyc. An often quoted phrase but there isn't any other profession where you are followed by an ambulance as you go about your business. Dettori mentioned in his book that he had one go over hurdles, at Chepstow I think, and said he'd never been so terrified in his live.
There is obviously a precedent for doing this - when I was a sapling 6 and a half stone was the minimum riding weight on the flat and 9 and a half stone over sticks. I'm not sure when these minimums were changed, but were changed for reasons as you state Oddy. Mankind - at least in the developed countries - is indeed getting heavier (and bigger - just check out the suits of armour on your next visit to a stately home!) But it begs the question where will it all end? Horses aren't getting bigger, so in a few hundred years, horse riding may die out as the poor old horses won't be able to carry our bloated gigantic bodies
Yep, Reebok, the Manchester November Handicap at Castle Irwell, in 1947, was won by a filly called Regret at around 50-1. She carried the flea weight of 6-stone exactly (handicap weight of 6-7, ridden by apprentice J.Walker, 7lb. allowance). Regret skated through the mud and won comfortably. Tiny lad managed to stay on board! Here's an ancient black & white film by British Pathé of the 1950 running of the race, won by Coltbridge, ridden by old Joe Sime. Hard to see anything, but that news reader is worth listening to....... http://www.britishpathe.com/video/the-manchester-november-handicap Flat race minimum riding weights were last raised 2lbs to 8-stone in 2013. This was the first upwards adjusment since 2001.
