| Being exceptionally tall has many advantages, but | | | | particular advantage over his shorter rivals. In fact |
| what about when it comes to sporting endeavour, in | | | | one could argue that the taller jockey is more easily |
| particular when it comes to equestrian sports. So just | | | | unbalanced and finds it more difficult to maintain the |
| what are the plus and minus points of height when it | | | | shorter riding position, favoured by all modern day |
| comes to horse racing, show jumping, dressage, 3 | | | | jockeys, where the stirrups are positioned higher up |
| day eventing etc. How can a rider use extra height | | | | on the horse, leading to the jockey maintaining a |
| to gain a competitive advantage over an opponent | | | | crouched position. |
| who has a different physical make up. Let's look at | | | | The news gets a little better for other equestrian |
| the key attributes of the taller sports person. Being | | | | events such as show jumping, dressage and cross |
| taller implies longer limbs, in turn meaning longer reach. | | | | country events (or 3 day eventing, which consists of |
| This is a tremendous advantage in many sports, but | | | | all of these disciplines). For these events weight is |
| not particularly for any horse related sports, where | | | | not so strictly a factor, except that it will slightly |
| the emphasis is usually on balance, technique and | | | | inconvenience the horse to propel itself with a larger |
| seeing a good stride for jumping purposes. | | | | weight on it's back. The emphasis in these type |
| Being tall is a significant disadvantage for any aspiring | | | | events is more on understanding your horse, |
| young race riding jockey, mainly because they will be | | | | balancing, controlling and making it jump the obstacles. |
| too heavy to succeed at this profession. Jockeys | | | | Unfortunately there are no particular advantages that |
| who race on the flat generally ride at between 8 and | | | | the taller rider can bring to bear in these events. Polo |
| 9 stone weight and therefore are rarely taller than | | | | is perhaps the only equestrian sport where one could |
| about 5 foot 8 inches. It is a physical impossibility for | | | | make an argument that the taller rider doesn't have |
| an exceptionally tall jockey to make the weight for | | | | to bend so much to make a strike and hence has a |
| flat race riding. Riding over fences is a little more | | | | slight advantage over a smaller rider. |
| forgiving, with these jockeys generally being a stone | | | | Like many things in life, being tall has many |
| or two heavier than their flat race riding counterparts. | | | | advantages and disadvantages. Being tall in equestrian |
| However even if a tall jockey can race ride at the | | | | sports however is in general a disadvantage. |
| required weight, his physical attributes are of no | | | | |