A ‘tough guy’ jockey who can’t even run anymore after years of broken bones and injuries has been forced to retire aged 33.
Kevin Jones once raced without realising he had broken his ribs – only to fall off and break his shoulder blade too.
Jockey Jones, who once met the Queen, has been forced to retire aged 33 after years of broken bones and dieting
Legendary rider AP McCoy famously said he thought he had broken every bone in his body.
And Jones, who has been a jockey for 13 years and met the Queen in 2012, must not be far behind – calling jockey rehab centre Oaksey House his ‘second home’.
But he said desperately trying to cut weight and live a meagre existence of rationed food also took its toll.
Male flat jockeys usually try to keep around the 10st mark.
Jones told the Racing Post that after one day of eating his weight has already shot up to 11st.
He said: “The weight isn’t as good as it used to be.
“I can’t run because of the injuries I’ve had.
“What with losing the saunas at the races, keeping my weight down has not been easy at all.”
Jones also said the job wasn’t paying enough for a living – echoing the sentiments of recently-retired Jamie Gormley.
Flat jockey Gormley said he would sometimes make just £30 for ten hours’ work and was ‘fed up grafting for nothing’.
Jones said the financial side of racing was ‘very tough’ for him and that his wife Vicki ‘pays our mortgage, all the bills and food bills’.
He added: “You can’t do this sport for anything other than love.
“I’ve had a long career and probably had 100 really good days.
“That just tells you how hard it is, even without the blood, sweat and tears.”
Jones’ biggest wins was a 25-1 shock on Kentford Heiress in the 2019 Betway Challenger Mares’ Hurdle Series Final Handicap Hurdle at Haydock.
Victory there landed just shy of £31,000 for connections and trainer Seamus Mullins.
Jones’ earnings on the track so far this season (from April) are just £22,213.
But over the past five seasons he won a healthy £398,438 for connections and retires with 83 wins from 921 career rides.
He was invited to a reception at Windsor Castle with her late Majesty in March 2012 and said it was an ‘absolute pleasure to have met and chatted’ with her.
