This is the hidden world of the horse jockey. Before a jockey even throws a leg over a saddle, the battle is lost or won in a sauna. The most defining characteristic of a jockey is not their height (though they are generally shorter), but their weight. In flat racing, a jockey and their saddle must weigh between 108 and 118 pounds (49 to 54 kg). In jump racing (National Hunt), the limit is slightly higher, usually between 140 and 154 pounds.
Why do they do it? Because there is no feeling in sport like it. The moment where the horse drops its head, breathes deep, and gives you everything it has. The wind screams past your ears, the crowd becomes a blur, and for ten seconds, you are not a small person on a big animal. jockey
But to reduce the art of the jockey to simply "holding on" is to miss one of the most demanding and dangerous athletic pursuits on the planet. A professional jockey is equal parts fighter pilot, chess grandmaster, and starving artist. They operate in a brutal weight economy, face forces that would black out a normal person, and make split-second decisions that involve millions of dollars and living, breathing animals. This is the hidden world of the horse jockey