Story of the life and times of an Apprentice Jockey within the 1960’s & 1970.
Gerald Segasby (Ex-jockey 1965 - 1970)
Gerald Segasby started as an apprentice jockey in June 1965.
He had just turned 15 that May and had found employment at Ryan Jarvis’s Yard at Newmarket.
He was paid 1s 9d (= 8¾p today) in the 1st year and 2s 6d (= 12½p today) in the 2nd year a week. His jodhpurs and boots were paid for along with his Board & Lodgings, but Gerald had to pay for his own clothing.
Apprentice hours of work were from 05.30 in the morning until 12.30.
His time was spent mostly mucking out the stables and riding out - through all kinds of weather - 3 times every morning.
Then he had an hour for dinner before getting back to the yard from 13.30 until 17.30 for more mucking out. He would then wash down the yard and get the night feed ready.
There followed a further a ½ hour for tea, then it was back to the yard for 18.00 to bed down and feed the horses until 19.30 to 20.00 hrs.
That was 13 hours a day; this was carried out 7 days a week, so a total of 91 hours a week.
Gerald was with Ryan for 2½ years and within that time he never had a day off, no holidays or home for Christmas. Gerald had a few public rides for Ryan; he was never paid a riding fee.
He left Ryan’s service in 1980 and moved to Tony Doyle’s Yard in Wetherby, Yorks: there he was paid £2.50 in 1st year, £3.00 in 2nd year and £3 50 a week with Board & Lodgings paid for; like before, jodhpurs and boots were also paid for and, again, he had to pay for his own clothing.
The hours there were 06.30 to 09.30.
Apprentices, if they could afford it, had to pay for their own breakfast, which was taken in the yard.
Between 10.00 and 12.30 they rode out, usually three lots.
After an hour’s lunchbreak, it was back to cleaning, bedding down and feeding the horses.
This lasted from 13.30 to 17.30, making an 11½ hour day, a total of 80½ hours a week.
Gerald was entitled to 1 weekend off in 3 and 2 weeks holiday a year, but again no Christmas holiday.
He had many public rides for Tony, but, being an apprentice, never got a riding fee.
Gerald was beginning to make a name for himself with various owners & trainers when suddenly, in August 1970, he had a bad fall from a horse in the stable yard.
The horse bolted across the yard when he was dismounting and the first thing to hit the concrete floor was the base of his spine.
He was rushed to the Royal Bath Hospital in Harrogate: there he was diagnosed to have damaged his spine and vertebrae, sending the base of his spine a fraction into his pelvis. So severe were his injuries that he was unable to walk.
He was transferred to St Georges Hospital, Lincoln, making it easier for his family to visit.
Although he had good service there, the Jockey’s Levy Board took over his treatment and sent him to a Harley Street Specialist who sent him on to the Jockeys Levy Board Rehabilitation Centre, Camden Road, London.
Gerald was there for 1 year: they did a marvellous job to get him walking again, but his back was not up to riding horses again and his career as a jockey was over.
Gerald’s attitude was that he was not the only one to suffer from accidents from falling off a horse: there had been quite a few jockeys over the years forced to retire through injury: it just shows what very dangerous game horseracing can be, but if you love it like he did, he thought, that did not matter.
Apprentices then never had any professional bodies were they could go to for advice like they have today.
Apprentices today earn the basic stable lad’s wage. This starts at about £158.87 for a 45-hour week, rising to £214.94 between the ages of 16 to 21. Generally, a trainer will take half the riding fees generated by his apprentice while paying half of his expenses. The riding fee on the Flat is £103.45.
The Stable Lads Welfare Trust Housing Association (SLWTHA) is the charity’s and racing’s own housing association. It is a registered social landlord regulated by the Tenant Services Authority. The Association owns and manages housing on behalf of the charity and operates a housing service which helps people access appropriate, affordable homes provided by others. There is now also the National Association of Stable Staff. NASS is the Independent Certificated Trade Union representing Stable Staff employed by Licensed Racehorse Trainers. NASS is committed to improving pay, conditions of service and the overall position of stable staff. It was previously called the Stable Lads Association.
Below is reproduced a short diary of events which Gerald kept of his time since his accident.
I was at the Medical Rehabilitation Centre, 152 Camden Road, London NW1, from 22nd March to 16th August 1971 see appendix 1.
Came home to my parent’s home and stayed with them until I could find a job.
20th August 1971 received a letter form Peter Smith of the Jockeys’ Association of Great Britain saying I should write to Mr Clifford Nicholson’s Farm Manager, see appendix 2.
I wrote and acquired the job of Stud Hand in Hemswell’s Stud, starting 3rd January 1972 which I was staying in a Hostel @ Willoughton with the lads from the yard of the trainer Jim Leigh, I remember having Christmas 1972 there, therefore I must have only stayed at Mrs Clayton sometime from Jan to May 1973, I left the Stud on the 15th May 1973, these dates I acquired from the employees records by Jonathan @ Limestone Stud on 01427668232.
I left Hemswell Stud to start a job @ Wragby Plastics on the 29th May 1973 made redundant on the 16th May 1975, they were setting people on again not long after for a short time and I got my job back.
I decided to take a career move and went to Portland College for the disable taking Business Studies from 27th March 1976 to 12th December 1976.
After Portland College for the disable I acquired a job at Ruston Gas Turbines Lincoln and was there from 13th December 1976 to 10th March 1989 ending up has Contracts Financial Officer.
After Ruston Gas Turbines Lincoln, I acquired a job at Hollybank Engineering at Tuxford, ending up as Chief Commercial Administrator from 13th March 1989 to 13th February 2000 made redundant, during that time I had major operations 1992 right hand hip replacement, 1997 left hand hip replacement.
From 2000 to 2001 I had a number of major operations: replacement of my 1992 right hand hip replacement, left & right hand shoulder joint replacements, in 2000 I was registered has disabled.
I now have a website called Segas Picture Gallery selling art & equestrian images.
If anyone wishes to ask any questions I would be pleased to answer them, you can contact me through my website http://www.segaspicturegallery.co.uk/
Below is reproduced Gerald’s Deed of Apprenticeship
THIS DEED OF APPRENTICESHIP made the nineteenth day of February One Thousand Nine hundred and Sixty nine BETWEEN GERALD STANLEY SEGASBY of Sandy Lane Hatton Wragby in the County of Lincoln Plastics Supervisor (hereinafter called “the Father”) of the first part GERLAD DAVID SEGASBY Son of the said Gerald Stanley Segasby (hereinafter called “the Apprentice”) of the second part and DENIS ANTHONY DOYLE of 2 Second Avenue Hallfield Wetherby in the County of York Racehorse Trainer (hereinafter called “the Master”) of the third part.
The Apprentice with the consent of the Father hereby binds himself to serve the Master as his apprentice in his trade of a Jockey for the term of three years as from the Twenty sixth day of August One Thousand Nine hundred and Sixty eight.
In consideration of the premise and of the services to be rendered and performed by the Apprentice the Master covenants with the Father and the Apprentice and separately with each of them in the terms of the several covenants and stipulations contained in the first part of the Schedule hereto
In consideration of the premises the Father (with the privity and consent (hereby testified) of the Apprentice) covenants with the Master in the terms of the several covenants and stipulations contained in the second part of the schedule hereto
IT IS MUTUALLY AGREED between the parties as follows:-
The Master shall have the power to deduct from the wages to be paid to the Apprentice any sum which may be reasonable for any loss of time occasioned by absence sickness or other incapacity to work of the Apprentice and the amount of any loss which the Master may sustain by reason of the negligence or misconduct of the Apprentice
In case the Apprentice shall wilfully disobey the lawful orders of the Master or be slothful or negligent or otherwise grossly misbehave himself towards the Master may discharge the Apprentice from his service
If during the said term the business of the Master is transferred to any person firm or company and a covenant is included in such transfer for the performance and observance of the obligations of the Master contained herein then neither the Apprentice nor the Father shall be entitled to make any claim for damages or for compensation for breach of the provisions of this Deed or anything contained or implied therein
(1) In respect of all horses owned and trained or trained only by the Master no fee shall be payable to the Apprentice for riding any such horse in any Race (11) The fee for riding all horses which are not trained by the Master in any Race shall be paid as to one half thereof to the Apprentice and the other half to the Master (111) Any gratuity paid to the Apprentice for riding any horse in any Race by the Owner of such horse or by any other person or persons shall be received by the Apprentice if such horse is not trained by the Master but if such horse is trained by the Master such gratuity shall be received as to one half thereof by the Apprentice and as to the other half by the Master and in the latter case if the whole of the gratuity is paid to the Apprentice the Apprentice hereby undertakes to account to and pays to the Master one half of such gratuity or gratuities IN WITNESS whereof the said parties to these presents have hereunto set their hands and seal the day and year first herein before written THE SCHEDULE above referred to.
To accept the Apprentice as his Apprentice and during the said term to the best of his power skill and knowledge to instruct the Apprentice or cause him to be instructed in the trade of a Jockey (including the grooming and training of Race horses) now carried on by the Master at Wetherby aforesaid and in all things appertaining thereto
To provide the Apprentice with good and sufficient board and lodging washing and medical attendance and medicines and to furnish him with proper tools and materials for the purpose of instruction (except in so far as any of the foregoing are provided by compulsory insurance
To pay to the Apprentice every week during the said term wages at the rate of Two pounds Ten shillings a week during the first year thereof at the rate of Three ponds Ten shillings a week during the second year thereof and at the rate of Four ponds ten shillings during the third year thereof
To provide the Apprentice during the said term with suitable clothes and all other necessaries except board and lodging washing and medical attendance and medicines and proper tools and materials for the purpose of instruction
To undertake and guarantee that the Apprentice shall during the said term truly and faithfully serve the Master as his Apprentice in the said trade at Wetherby aforesaid and at any other place where he may carry on the same and shall willingly obey the Lawful commands of the Master and shall not absent himself from the Master’s service without the Master’s leave
To undertake and guarantee that the Apprentice shall not wilfully waste or spoil any of the Master’s goods or dispose of the same without the Master’s consent nor injure the Master in his said trade and shall not gamble with cards or dice or play at unlawful games or frequent taverns but that in all things he shall behave as a good and faithful Apprentice ought.