Kentucky Derby 2026: How Big Are the Jockeys?

Jockeys have to be strong enough to ride horses at top speed: to stay in the saddle, stay on top of the horse, and maintain control while the horse is flying down the track at top speed. To do this, jockeys have to be some of the fittest and best-conditioned athletes in all of sports. However, all of that muscle has to fit on a body light enough for the horse to carry while going top speed. So, they’re some of the strongest athletes pound-for-pound – but also shorter than athletes in the majority of other sports.

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Why Are Horse Racing Jockeys Small?

In short, jockeys are small because a Thoroughbred horse has to carry them while running at full speed. A typical weight for a jockey before putting on riding tack and safety gear is between 110 and 116 pounds, though some may be a pound or two heavier, and some may be a few pounds smaller.

Apprentice riders are typically lighter than this. One of the ways trainers and owners are encouraged to let apprentice jockeys gain horse racing experience is that apprentice riders get a “bug” – referring to the asterisk in the program that points out their lighter weight assignment. Depending on how many wins an apprentice has, they ride at five, seven, or 10 pounds lighter than a journeyman rider. However, you rarely see apprentices in the Kentucky Derby, and even if an apprentice jockey rides in the Derby, they do not get the weight break in stakes races.

Some of the heaviest-weight assignments in horse racing happen in Triple Crown races. Horses have to carry 126 pounds (or 121, for a filly) in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. This is a few more pounds than in most Road to the Kentucky Derby races: for example, in the Santa Anita Derby, horses were all assigned 124 pounds.

In other races, imposts are usually lighter. Thumb through claiming and allowance races on an average day, or even stakes races run under handicap conditions, and you may see assignments as low as 116 or 118 pounds. Since a horse jockey has to be prepared to ride any race in which they are assigned on their regular circuit, being race-ready requires that they can make even the lowest assignment at their home track.

What Counts Toward Jockey Weights in a Race?

Of course, most of a jockey’s weight assignment is the weight of the jockeys themselves. However, some equipment, like the saddle and saddle blanket, is considered under that weight, as well.

The weight assignment also includes what jockeys have to carry if they are assigned to ride in a race at something higher than their minimum riding weight – something all jockeys have to do in the Kentucky Derby, where they have to ride at 126. Either through using a heavier saddle, a heavier saddle pad, or lead weights in their vest, jockeys can make up the difference between their usual riding weight and the assigned weight.

What counts under a jockey’s weight assignment varies by the jurisdiction. In major jurisdictions like Kentucky and New York, safety equipment that jockeys wear, like vests or helmets, is not counted against the weight allowance, though in some places, that is counted.

Do Female Jockeys Carry the Same Weight?

Yes. A few countries have experimented with assigning lower weights to female jockeys as an incentive for trainers and owners to give more women a chance, similar to apprentice riders getting a weight break. However, that is not the case in the United States, and when women ride races, they ride at the same weights as men.

The only sex allowance in the United States is based on whether a horse is male or female. If a trainer qualifies a filly for the Kentucky Derby instead of the Kentucky Oaks, she would carry 121 pounds, five pounds less than a colt or gelding. But, this weight break applies no matter the gender of the jockey.

2026 Kentucky Derby Jockeys

These are the jockeys entered to ride in the 2026 Kentucky Derby, along with their height and weight if that information is published. Not all jockeys make their heights or riding weights public, though all professional jockeys are light enough to make commonly assigned weights. This means that even the biggest horse jockeys stay at 116 pounds or under when riding in flat races like the Kentucky Derby.

However, no matter what they weigh, they all have to carry 126 pounds (or 121 for a filly, though no fillies are entered this year) in the Kentucky Derby.

2026 Jockey Standings

As of April 26, 2026, these are the top 10 North American jockeys by earnings. Many leading jockeys end up entered in the biggest races like the Kentucky Derby, though not all of them. Nine out of the top ten have Kentucky Derby mounts – the only exception is Francisco Arrieta, whose top horses this year have all been older horses like Counting Stars, Majestic Oops, Haulin Ice, and Tejano Twist.

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