Where are the women??

I know there is the obvious arguments that women face against them being good jockeys, the ones rooted in their strength and physical capabilities. However I don’t agree that it is just strength that is needed in race riding, there are so many other elements that make up a person’s riding ability. You need technical ability, you need a good style, a good position in the saddle, you need to be a good horseman/woman to connect with your mount and so on. Women if they cannot be on par with the male jockeys on strength, they can be on par with them in regards to all these other elements. So why do we still see just a handle of successful female jockeys? I think it is largely due to the traditions and history which are deeply embedded in the sport. A lot of people inside the horseracing industry are old fashioned. Many trainers and owners, the decision makers in the whole booking of jockeys process, are pushing 50 years plus. They say a leopard doesn’t change its spots which I think is very apt here. If you allways had a negative view of female jockeys maybe from history, it is sometimes very hard to completely change that view. One jockey who I believe can change the old fashioned stereotypes of female riders is champion female jockey Hayley Turner. Hayley looks like a man when she’s riding and has proven that she is as good as any male jockey by the amount of winners that she has had. So is she just a complete exception to the rule? A one off phenomenon? Or are there more Hayley Turners out there but we cannot see them because of the barriers and prejudice they may face? Barriers which may either be rooted in the history and tradition of the sport or in the scientific arguments. These barriers which may prevent or deter female jockeys from reaching the top of the sport and being successful.