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CLERK OF THE SCALES
The Clerk of the Scales is responsible for ensuring that each rider carries the correct weight when riding in a race. Using digital scales, they weigh the jockeys and their equipment before they go out to ride, before checking again that their weight is correct when they return back after the race. They also ensure that the riders wear the correct colours and carry the correct headgear (for example, blinkers or a visor) that a horse might have been declared to wear during a race.
BEFORE THE RACE
Before going out to ride in a race, each jockey must ‘weigh out’. This involves standing, with full riding equipment, on the digital scale in front of the Clerk of the Scales. The Clerk of the Scales will ensure that the rider is carrying at least the weight shown in the racecard (less any ‘claims’ they might be entitled to due to their levels of experience and/or numbers of winners ridden). In some cases, it may be necessary to add lead weights to the jockey’s equipment in order to achieve this.
If the jockey is too heavy, they may be replaced by another rider, or be permitted to carry ‘overweight’, which will always be announced on the racecourse before a race begins. However, no rider is allowed to weigh out at four pounds or more over the weight published for them in the racecard. Once they have weighed out, riders are forbidden to change their equipment, and may be fined if they are found to be doing so.
AFTER THE RACE
The Clerk of the Scales will, as a priority, ‘weigh in’ the riders of the winning and placed horses, as well as any other riders that they choose to weigh in at their discretion.
When weighing out and weighing in the Clerk of the Scales makes use of an electronic link to his computer which records the weight for each rider as they are on the scales. This ensures that there is a clear audit trail to ensure that any discrepancy can be identified. Should a rider weigh in one pound or more under the weight at which they weighed out at, the Clerk of the Scales will lodge an objection with the Stewards, who will automatically hold an enquiry. The horse involved will be disqualified.
If a rider weighs in two pounds or more over the weight that they weighed out at, the Clerk of the Scales will report the rider to the Stewards, who may suspend them.
The one pound under and two pound over tolerances reflect the weight loss a jockey might, for example, incur riding a long race on a hot day, or the weight they might pick up during a race on a particularly wet and muddy day.
When the Stewards and the Clerk of the Scales are satisfied with the result of the race, and are happy that all riders have weighed in as expected, they will call ‘weighed in’ over the public address system and winning bets may be collected.
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