Cliff Williams, Contributor

For the moment at least, the successes of the recent graduates of the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC) Riding School have left a number of seasoned jockeys without the possibility of earning a decent living.

This is something I had not given any thought to until a friend of one the affected riders pointed it out.

In fact, he has difficulty in coming to terms with the fact that his friend, a rider of proven ability, has all but lost his career in what appears to be a swift and decisive downhill slide.

In fact, this jockey and quite a few others have gone from a position of riding winners at regular intervals to one of extreme difficulty in even securing mounts, competitive or otherwise.

A period from July 29, 2006, when the apprentices commenced their career, to the present has proven to be something of a nightmare for too many members of the jockey colony as the trainers make full use of the weight allowance of these new riders.

No likely reprieve

With a four kilogram weight claim to start and the demonstrated ability of about 10 of the 18 graduates there is not likely to be a reprieve for many of the older jockeys anytime soon.

Leading apprentice Javour Simpson was able to secure eight mounts and Carlton Malcolm six on last Saturday's card while last week Wednesday, Jason Simpson made half a dozen appearances on a programme of mostly small fields.

These three riders along with Andre Martin have already established themselves as likely 2007 Top 10 income earners in the jockey colony.

In addition, most of the apprentices are fully grown men, small in stature and are not likely to encounter weight problems later no matter what diet they consume, while too many of the older riders are not so lucky.

Easily appreciated

Given the fact that there is less than a thousand races annually and a rough average of nine starters per race, it can be easily appreciated that income earning possibility is at a premium even at the best of times for most members of the profession.

It would appear that there is the likelihood the new batch of riders will continue to succeed at the current rate and many of the seasoned jockeys will be forced to look elsewhere for the means of earning a living.

This situation is not peculiar to Jamaica but the problem here is that the opportunity to explore an alternative is simply not available.

The fact of the matter is that in this business there is hardly any room for loyalty and owners and trainers do what is in their best interest to give their investment a chance to yield returns.