Jockeys to wear surnames on trousers in a bid to modernise horse racing

Jockeys are wearing their surnames on the seat of their trousers for the first time, in a bid to modernise horse racing and attract new fans.

The inclusion of jockeys’ names will be tested at Coolmore Nunthorpe Day on August 23 as part of York Racecourse’s Ebor Festival, which has been held since 1843.

The decision was made by the Professional Jockeys Association, which decided last spring to test the new idea to increase involvement and make jockeys “the stars of the sport”.

William Derby, Chief Executive and Course Steward at York Racecourse, said: “The jockeys are the stars of our sport and we want to further showcase their talent, dedication and personalities to racing fans and others.”

The move follows the gradual addition of names to shirts in rugby union, with this year’s Six Nations the first time in the tournament’s history that all shirts have featured player names. Test match cricket made the same move in 2019 for the Ashes series and has continued to do so since.

Unlike other sports, however, the names are put on the racers’ trousers, as their silks, which cover their upper half, are the property of the horse’s owners. Permission is required for this, although it has been known that names on silks can also be an option if the test is successful.

The initiative has already attracted interest from Newbury Racecourse and York is looking to repeat the plan next year.

‘Almost no one knows what we look like’

One of the supporters is top jockey Paul Mulrennan, who won the Nunthorpe Stakes back-to-back in 2015 and 2016.

“It’s a good idea and it’s something new,” he said Telegraph Sports“We just need to get off our lazy asses and try new things.

Mulrennan added: “I think there are just so many people, young people, who don’t really know us jockeys because we walk around with helmets on all the time. Hardly anyone knows what we look like.”

The change in uniforms could solve some of the mysteries surrounding horse racing on two fronts: identifying the jockey and distinguishing the jockey from his horse, which he often does not own and instead rides multiple horses a day.

“I think we have to move with the times,” Mulrennan explained. “I remember it happening with football and I think a few people were a bit unsure, because of the numbers. Maybe numbers are something we’ll look at in the years to come.

“A lot of people don’t realize that on days like today I’ve had three different rides, three different owners and three different color combinations.

“A lot of people I meet don’t know much about racing and assume you have your own horse, your own colours, but often it’s different owners, different horses.”

In York, the race will further emphasise the idea of ​​promoting jockeys through activities such as autograph sessions, a pop-up jockey training area and racehorse riding demonstrations.

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