Does sex of the jockey influence racehorse physiology and performance.
Authors: Schrurs Charlotte, Dubois Guillaume, Van Erck-Westergren Emmanuelle, Gardner David S
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Jockey Sex and Racehorse Physiology Concerns that female jockeys might elicit different physiological responses from Thoroughbreds have never been systematically investigated, despite women's increasing prominence in professional racing and their dominance in supporting roles such as work-riding. Schrurs and colleagues used the Equimetre system to simultaneously record cardiovascular and biomechanical data from 530 horses completing 3,568 training sessions across varying intensities and surfaces, with 103 riders (66 male, 37 female, including 43 current or former professional jockeys) all monitored by a single trainer to eliminate confounding variables. Neither speed nor stride mechanics differed by rider sex at any training intensity, and whilst heart rate and peak heart rate increased appropriately with exercise demand, they showed no sex-related variation; heart rate recovery demonstrated only marginal differences at the extremes of reversed training protocols on specific surfaces (for example, 3% lower recovery after sand gallops with male riders). Analysis of 52,464 race records found identical likelihood of top-three placings regardless of jockey sex. These objective findings suggest that any perceived performance differences between male and female jockeys reflect skill, experience, and mount quality rather than inherent physiological incompatibility, providing evidence-based justification for improving female jockeys' access to competitive opportunities and better-quality racehorses.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Female jockeys produce equivalent racehorse performance outcomes to male jockeys—mount quality and training matter far more than rider sex
- •Objective physiological data supports equitable opportunity for female participation in professional racing without performance compromise
- •Racing yards can confidently assign quality mounts to capable female jockeys without concern for physiological disadvantage
Key Findings
- •Sex of rider did not influence racehorse speed, stride length, or heart rate response at any training intensity (P > 0.05)
- •Heart rate recovery showed minimal differences by rider sex, with statistical significance only at extreme training intensities on specific surfaces
- •Analysis of 52,464 race results showed similar top-three placing frequency for male and female jockeys (P > 0.05)
- •Study demonstrates no overt physiological or performance advantage based on jockey sex in 3,568 monitored training sessions