License: Jockey Apprentice

Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration Arkansas State Racing Commission external site

P.O. Box 3076

1515 West 7th, Suite 505

Little Rock, AR 72203

(501) 682-1467

Under the supervision of a trainer, Apprentice Jockeys ride racehorses at the racetrack. They confer with the training personnel to plan the race strategy based on the abilities and peculiarities of all the horses in the competition. They mount the horse in the paddock area after weighing in, ride the horse to a specified stall in the starting gate, and ride from the starting gate to the finish line. After the race, they talk with training personnel to analyze the horse's performance. Requirements: 1) Must be at least 18 years of age. 2) Must pass a physical examination and have a minimum of 20/20 vision acuity or corrected as certified by a licensed professional. 3) Must have at least two years of experience in various capacities of horsemanship on the backstretch of a racetrack and/or a horse farm, the past one year of which has been as a licensed exercise rider at a recognized pari-mutuel racing facility, or the equivalent. 4) For a regular apprentice license to be issued, applicant must have ridden in an adequate number of races, and the stewards must be satisfied that the applicant has demonstrated competence in his/her abilities. 5) Application must be approved by the Stewards. No examinations required. License fee: $55.00, Renewal fee: $55.00 per year