how athletic are jockeys compared to other sports

[Zippy Chippy]

This was a big debate last night at the poker game I was at. 1 Guy said jockeys more athletic than NHL players. Most people laughed. 1 Guy said he could ride a horse the same as Calvin LOL

[46zilzal]

This was a big debate last night at the poker game I was at. 1 Guy said jockeys more athletic than NHL players. Most people laughed. 1 Guy said he could ride a horse the same as Calvin LOL
The first time I shook hands with Bill Mahorney he just about broke my hand and this was 5 years after he retired....

Just look at Laffit and you wouldn't ask that question

[Robert Goren]

This was a big debate last night at the poker game I was at. 1 Guy said jockeys more athletic than NHL players. Most people laughed. 1 Guy said he could ride a horse the same as Calvin LOL Jockeys are not as athletic as a NHL player. There are no 50 year old NHL players. What jockeys are is strong. JMO

[johnhannibalsmith]

..There are no 50 year old NHL players...

Except Gordie Howe.

[tzipi]

This was a big debate last night at the poker game I was at. 1 Guy said jockeys more athletic than NHL players. Most people laughed. 1 Guy said he could ride a horse the same as Calvin LOL

As much as jockeys are athletes, they are not as athletic as hockey players. I played hockey up until about 3 years ago. 60 minutes of hell on your legs and body.

[skate]

Jockeys are not as athletic as a NHL player. There are no 50 year old NHL players. What jockeys are is strong. JMO


ONe minute, young man.

If Hockey players all played to the age of 50/60. wouldn't that make them at least a little better?

[skate]

jocks are very Athletic. The fact that they make "it" look easy says everything.


Your friends could not hang from the gate, let alone to the finish line.

And the game is very ruff, more deaths than any other sport, i'd rekon.:eek:

[Greyfox]

Different sports make different athletic demands.
Top notch athletes in any sport are there for a reason.
Hockey requires a different ratio of aerobic/anaerobic recovery than jockeying.
Does that make them a better athlete, when various other variables such as balance, reflexes, strength/lbs., and so on are taken into account.
Years ago a study was done on various athletes across sports.
To my surprise Indy Car Drivers and other Racing Drivers ranked very high across variables. I'da never thunk it.
Does that hold today? I don't know.

[Fingal]

This was a big debate last night at the poker game I was at. 1 Guy said jockeys more athletic than NHL players. Most people laughed. 1 Guy said he could ride a horse the same as Calvin LOL

Riding is one thing, falling off & then getting back on knowing it's probably going to happen again is another. If he thinks it's not so bad, tell him to get his car up to 35 mph & then jump out.

[shouldacoulda]

Hockey players exert more of an aerobic type of exercise where jockeys exert more of a anaerobic type of exercise. They stay in the same position crouched for over a minute at a time while controlling a 1000 pound animal at 35-40 MPH. It's apples to oranges but I would have to say they are every bit as tough.

[Paseana]

Years ago a study was done on various athletes across sports.


I know I've read about this a number of times.....the first might have been in the old Tom Ainslie book, and that should give an idea of how long ago that study was done. I don't know what person or group undertook the project, but it had to be someone with some credibility because elite athletes, at the time, from every professional sporting endeavor supposedly took part in it.

In the end, I think I recall that Bill Shoemaker, pound for pound, was rated at the top or very close to it in athletic conditioning.

People who are not exposed to this game should be forgiven, I guess, for thinking that a jockey just gets on a horse's back and rides around in a circle, but it always makes me a little crazy when I hear someone say that a jockey is not an athlete. Heck, Jim Rome was like that about 15 or 20 years ago......I heard him myself on his radio show many Derby weeks ago saying something about how they were nothing but midgets in clown suits looking for a taxi ride! Thankfully, somebody who knew better grabbed him by the ear and said, "Look Dude, you're coming with me!"

He's now a horse owner, and though I haven't listened to his radio broadcasts in years, I suspect that he's not calling jockeys midgets in clown suits anymore!

[appistappis]

they're more athletic than curlers.

[Greyfox]

they're more athletic than curlers.

Retired hockey players sometimes take up curling to meet their competitive desires. You'd be surprised how many would tell you that the sport is more demanding than it looks. The two front end sweepers on Olympic level teams are very fit.

[Lasix67]

Ironically I own an ice rink and I love horse racing, my wife coaches figure skating as well. I think every sport has a claim that their athletes are the best, but I would have to say that hockey players, gymnastics, figure skating, and jockeys are in unbelievable shape to do what they do. I'm sure the same can be said for football, soccer, tennis, and basketball players, but being close to those who participate in ice sports day in and day out, it is just amazing what shape, strength, and coordination they have.

[v j stauffer]

Ironically I own an ice rink and I love horse racing, my wife coaches figure skating as well. I think every sport has a claim that their athletes are the best, but I would have to say that hockey players, gymnastics, figure skating, and jockeys are in unbelievable shape to do what they do. I'm sure the same can be said for football, soccer, tennis, and basketball players, but being close to those who participate in ice sports day in and day out, it is just amazing what shape, strength, and coordination they have.

Would Margarita's be considered an Ice Sport?

[cj]

I'm pretty sure I can beat any jockey in basketball.

[castaway01]

It depends how you define "athletic"...if that means how high you can jump or how fast you can run, jockeys might not be that athletic compared to people in other sports. If you're measuring it by how strong they are for their size, or how good shape they're in, then jockeys are very athletic.

[Greyfox]

It depends how you define "athletic"...if that means how high you can jump or how fast you can run, jockeys might not be that athletic compared to people in other sports. .

You'd have to consider their size in jumping and running as well.
One test that is used to measure 1 aspect of athleticism involves holding a piece of chalk in your hand, standing next to a wall, and seeing how high the athlete can make a mark on the wall. I would suspect that some jockeys can jump very high relatively speaking for their height. They have to have powerful legs as well as arm strength. Frank Dettori's leap off the horse is a pretty athletic move.

http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2007/06_01/dettoriDM0106_468x562.jpg.

[tzipi]

I think we can all agree jockeys are athletes. Most jocks jog/run for miles to keep weight down. Sounds pretty athletic to me. Riding a horse takes athletic skills when you trying to control an animal like that. BUT if we are talking about comparing sports that's different. Jockeys ride for 2 minutes then break for almost a half hour. Alot of sports are just hell on the body for 20 minute intervals like hockey. It depends how you want to see it. But one thing I don't think anyone can dispute is that jockeys are athletes.

[joanied]

One really cannot compare athletes in so many different sports...there are too many variables to consider...but there is no doubt, jockeys are the best tuned athletes in the world...pound for pound, probably stronger than most...absolutley no body fat, perfect balance and coordination, lung power, and tops for sheer courage.
Yes indeed...they are pure athletes:ThmbUp:

[Greyfox]

One really cannot compare athletes in so many different sports...there are too many variables to consider...but there is no doubt, jockeys are the best tuned athletes in the world...pound for pound, probably stronger than most...absolutley no body fat, perfect balance and coordination, lung power, and tops for sheer courage.
Yes indeed...they are pure athletes:ThmbUp:

:ThmbUp: Agreed. Possibly top Olympic gymnasts might rate higher if we rank top athletic groups on dexterity, balance, flexibility, strength, endurance, reflexes, motor coordination, hand-eye coordination, quickness, peripheral vision, agility and more. Otherwise, pound for pound top jockeys would rank up there with top athletes from just about every other sport on each of those variables.

[Bettowin]

Remember the old Superstars competition on TV? It pitted athletes from all sports against each other in various competitions. I was really surprised how well the motocross guys did against football, track and soccer athletes. I would think jockeys are very similar to motocross riders wouldn't you?

[Bruddah]

Find me a jockey that can dunk a basketball with one hand and you will have found the Best Athlete on earth. Which reminds me of "Spud" Webb years ago. The little guy had a vertical leap of a 7 ft player. He was an amazing athlete.

[Hanover1]

Chris Antley once hopped off of one of mine and declared: "I'm more fit than this horse is".... :D

[proximity]

This was a big debate last night at the poker game I was at. 1 Guy said jockeys more athletic than NHL players. Most people laughed. 1 Guy said he could ride a horse the same as Calvin LOL

both of those guys would be wrong.

aside from mma and related sports like wrestling and boxing, sports like lacrosse, hockey, and water polo would rank among the most physically demanding.

how did you do in the poker game, btw??:)

[joanied]

:ThmbUp: Agreed. Possibly top Olympic gymnasts might rate higher if we rank top athletic groups on dexterity, balance, flexibility, strength, endurance, reflexes, motor coordination, hand-eye coordination, quickness, peripheral vision, agility and more. Otherwise, pound for pound top jockeys would rank up there with top athletes from just about every other sport on each of those variables.

:ThmbUp: Well said.

[CryingForTheHorses]

Just piss my wife off and see how athletic she can be and she weighs 114lbs

[Overlay]

I don't know that the term "athlete" would be synonymous in all cases with the recipient of Sports Illustrated's "Sportsperson of the Year" award, but when Steve Cauthen won the award for 1976 (and deservedly so, in my opinion), I recall that SI received numerous letters (obviously not from racing fans) questioning how a jockey could be considered a sportsperson or an athlete.

[Skanoochies]

Remember the old Superstars competition on TV? It pitted athletes from all sports against each other in various competitions. I was really surprised how well the motocross guys did against football, track and soccer athletes. I would think jockeys are very similar to motocross riders wouldn't you?
Wasn`t it Joe Frazier who was in the swimming leg of the contest that would have drowned if a couple of guys hadn`t jumped in a pulled him out? :lol:

[Overlay]

I don't know that the term "athlete" would be synonymous in all cases with the recipient of Sports Illustrated's "Sportsperson of the Year" award, but when Steve Cauthen won the award for 1976 (and deservedly so, in my opinion), I recall that SI received numerous letters (obviously not from racing fans) questioning how a jockey could be considered a sportsperson or an athlete.

Minor correction: Cauthen won for 1977.

[joanied]

Wasn`t it Joe Frazier who was in the swimming leg of the contest that would have drowned if a couple of guys hadn`t jumped in a pulled him out? :lol:

Oh man...I saw that on TV when it happened: :lol: :lol: :lol: