Think of the kids

It is always great to see a young apprentice’s photo in the Winning Post after they’ve ridden their first winner … it’s what it is all about, I suppose. The look on his/her face is worth a million.
And no wonder, given the lack of opportunity that many young riders seem to get early in their apprenticeships.
I admit to being a bit of a stats freak and looking at 10 random Victorian regional meetings over a period of three weeks, I found 22 apprentices with 3kg/4kg claims apprentices who had rides. It surprised me that six of the 22 only had one ride in that period. Another seven had two or three.
I appreciate that an apprenticeship is all about “doing your time”, and perhaps there are young riders who are not working as hard as they could. Maybe they are not prepared to “go bush” or maybe their managers could work a bit harder on their behalf to secure rides for them. There is, I suspect, no simple solution. 
I heard a trainer recently say, “There aren’t many good claiming apprentices about at the moment.” That may be so. I don’t pretend to know.
It’s a bit tough to point the finger at trainers, who, after all, could well be criticised by their owners if they don’t “put on” the most experienced jockey they can get. Owners want results, and many are not fussed by the “warm inner glow” of seeing a young rider on their noble beast.
But riding two or three times a month is a bit like a carpenter’s apprentice only getting to work with machinery or getting on site once or twice a fortnight. They’ll be up against it to develop carpentry skills, won’t they?  
I was lucky to be given a teaching job in a Catholic primary school nearly 50 years ago. Sr Patricia was the principal (you didn’t dare call her Sr Pat) and a tough operator. 
When I stood in front of that Grade 3 class in 1979 for the first time, I could have written what I knew about teaching on the back of the proverbial postage stamp. But for some reason, Sr Pat (is that a clip over the ear I feel?) gave me a chance. I came to be a reasonable teacher because she gave me a crack at it.
I’m not sure what the answer is — or even if it is a problem. But I suspect it is. Surely young apprentices need to throw their legs over a horse in a race more than once or twice every three weeks. Maybe they have to work harder, maybe trainers need to give them more opportunities.