Following an assessment at the British Racing School on Friday14 December, four more Jockey Coaches (Russell Kennemore, John Bramhill, Dominic Elsworth and Robert Bellamy) received their Level 3 coaching qualification which means 21 Jockey Coaches on the Jockey Coaching Programme (JCP) hold a Level 3 qualification or above.

This follows the successful launch last month of a new Jockey Coaching app which has been developed to allow JCP coaches and their jockeys to log and review reports on all coaching activities including videos, past riding stats and any relevant updates. The app features a bespoke dashboard for coaches and jockeys containing a brief profile, a log of recent activity and a skills profile covering 8 different performance areas. The app also incorporates each jockey’s Personal Development Plan.

Kevin Darley, Coaching Development Manager, who project managed the development of the app said, “We are really pleased with how the app has been received by both coaches and jockeys. It is very easy to use and accessible from any web-based device and we are sure it will be a really useful tool for jockeys and their coaches to help monitor their development.”

Those jockeys with coaches who are not yet using the web-based app are encouraged to register here.

The Jockey Coaching Programme has over 170 jockeys on the scheme and continues to develop year on year with a two day CPD (Continuing Professional Development) workshop held at Newmarket in September allowing the jockey coaches to meet up and share their coaching experiences. Christopher Bartle, the British Eventing Team Coach, hosted practical and classroom-based sessions which identified the similarities in coaching methods with another equestrian sport.

Commenting on the success of the day, Kevin said, “All our coaches are outdoors, active people so sitting down in a classroom was a bit alien to them but to see them talking about different styles and what they do in different scenarios was brilliant. I think they learned a great deal from each other and got a lot out of being together.”

Focusing on 2019, Kevin will be working with the Jockey Training & Development team to introduce some additional coaching standards and systems, specifically for jockeys, so the coaches can share best practice coaching examples with their jockeys in areas such as use of whip, pushing technique and body position.

Another aim of the JCP will be to introduce more regional coaching sessions to help jockeys based in areas of the country where the coaching provision is not so readily available.

Commenting on the progress he has made in the role since joining in June, Kevin said, “Developing the app has been a lot of work but it’s definitely been worth it. I have really enjoyed my role, being at the end of the phone to give the coaches reassurances in what they’re doing. We’ve all been there as jockeys and know that helping young jockeys deal with defeat is one of the biggest challenges however we really encourage the mindset of turning negatives into positives.”