BHA actions will hit supply chain of future apprentice talent

I feel obliged to write this letter as I have been increasingly concerned by the actions the BHA has taken in regards to how apprentices are remunerated and the potential consequences this is likely to have on the supply chain of future jockeys.

Irrespective of any apprentice’s success if there is no incentive but purely costs involved, the most significant being buying and keeping horses at the trainer’s own expense specifically for novice riders, I do not think that nearly as many trainers will be inclined to try to produce the next generation of riders.

Just because a trainer has a large string does not mean they have to encourage youth. With no disrespect intended to trainers such as Sir Michael Stoute and John Gosden, they have traditionally employed jockeys who were produced by apprentice academies such as Hollinshead, Balding and Hannon etc. Those trainers have gone to considerable expense to do so, and have been rewarded accordingly with the success stories, but that does not paint the full picture because of the failures, who have been a financial burden and made errors both on and off the track.