BRIONY CRAVEN-RUSSELL

Weblog:  Finessing the facts, the figures and the form

Life out of the saddle can be Jets-propelled

Racing and equestrian trade employers need look no further than Jets (jets-uk.org) as their first port of call when seeking to recruit top-class employees. Employers requiring a talented member of staff displaying the qualities of a natural leader, the hide of a rhino and the willingness to go the extra mile, with an endless supply of indomitable iron-steel determination, plus a burning intensity and unrelenting will to keep their head when all those around them are losing theirs, will find that it's an ex-jockey who fits the bill.

Jockeys possess an imposing amount of self-belief and courage, a formidable combination that decides the real winners in life. What happens when a jockey can't ride any more is not dissimilar to the problem facing footballers at retirement age - they can find themselves at a loss, wondering what to do next.

Acceptance that they can't ride any more is the first hurdle. It is a colossal change and it takes bravery to find something else to do, to turn to another profession. Jockeys rise early, usually on an empty stomach, and ride for a few hours before dashing off behind the wheel for a few more hours before reaching the racecourse, whereupon they liaise with owners, trainers and the press.

They ride horses worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, their every move followed by an ambulance, with large amounts of money riding on their backs, holding peoples' hopes, dreams and fears. The day may reward them with victory or it might find them in a hospital bed, out of action for a number of months - or permanently.

Fortunately there is help at hand. The Jockeys' Employment Training Scheme, co-funded by a percentage of jockeys' winning prize-money and the Injured Jockeys' Fund (ijf.org.uk), is an organisation geared towards assisting jockeys who need or wish to change career, whether they desire exploring other avenues within racing or wish to make a fresh start outside the goldfish bowl. Jockeys may seek advice at any time and many are now doing so rather than waiting for injury to dictate.

Ex-jump jockey Rupert Wakley is now an estate agent. David Harrison, paralysed after a fall on the Flat in Hong Kong, works from home as a jockeys' agent, representing Darryll Holland. Jump jockeys David Skyrme and Aaron Bates set up their own businesses in horse bedding and as a leisure equipment supplier. What is notable is that they all acquired new skills through computer training, business courses and media training etc.

Their existing skills and interests are first taken into account before deciding upon an ideal retraining course, after which assistance with the composition of a CV followed by help with the search is advised. It's not long before they spread their wings and soar.

The best time for jockeys to review matters concerning their careers is while they are still riding.The structure of a working day for a jockey who is not race-riding on a daily basis affords a long gap after riding out in the morning, and this is when the most industrious individuals have made use of their time to acquire a new skill, sometimes studying from home. Seeking new opportunities while already in employment makes a great deal of sense.

What makes these ex-jockeys different is that they didn't sit on the fence collecting splinters in their bottoms while daydreaming about what might be or what was. They took a flying leap and they chased their dreams.