Not all a bed of roses for jockeys and their families

Dubai

Dubai is a wonderful place to spend from November to April living and working whilst avoiding the cold and invariably very wet British winter and returning home before the summer heat rolls into the UAE.

From a bystanders viewpoint it could be considered an idyllic lifestyle for jockeys who live in luxurious hotels and apartments with easy access to beaches and golf courses, swimming pools and water parks in the UAE.

Working hours are much shorter too, early starts equalling early finishes and the rest of the day to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

Sounds exactly the sort of lifestyle most people would aspire to, doesn’t it?

But like anything that sounds too good to be true, it isn’t exactly all a bed of scented roses for jockeys — not that anyone is complaining.

There is a major flaw with this routine. And that is that family life cannot be the same. Dads — and all the jockey’s are men for some inexplicable reason — say goodbye to their wives, children and families in November or December and pack up their belongings required for the next four or five months to head to winter jobs in Dubai.

For that time, most only see their wives and children for short periods of time when school holidays allow for a visit to ‘Daddy’. It works fine of course with tiny children, but once the regimentation of the school day kicks in as they get older, the options are somewhat narrowed.

Some of the children are fortunate enough to be able to enrol in a school in Dubai and their routine of get up, breakfast, school can stay pretty much as at home only without the need for woolly hats and gloves. For those wives and children who remain at home — and that’s the majority of them — time here is restricted to a week or two’s holiday or a short visit if there is a break in race meetings so the men can nip back home.

I of course appreciate that many other careers create similar issues and that is the price to be paid. But this week it’s all a bit different for the boys we cheer on at the racetrack for they are all a tad happier as in the days running up to the climax of the race season they welcome loved ones who come to share in the joy and excitement that the Dubai World Cup night brings.

Whether it’s parents or wives and children, nothing beats families coming together and here in the warmth of Dubai we feel that acutely and savour the memories.

On the night we will all be united in our pleasure and feel honoured to be present at Meydan for another electric evening of horse racing. Children will be lifted proudly onto the winners rostrum and wives and girlfriends will be wrapped in happy arms.

And for those who don’t win — there will always be a next year.

— The author is a former trainer from the UK and the mother of leading international jockeys James and Sophie Doyle.