Field           Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Registration of Thoroughbred Racing skill standards

Muka Tangata Workforce Development Council has completed the development of the standards listed above.

Date new versions published                                                                                              September 2025

Planned review date                                                                                               December 2030

Summary

Throughout 2024 New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) industry personnel including jumps jockeys were in discussions on the jumps jockey role.  There were increasing concerns around safety considerations associated with the jumps jockey role and lack of standardisation for training.  Implications for owners, trainers and jumps jockeys under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 2015 in the event of an accident were becoming considerable. 

There has also been more interest in riders wanting to train as jumps jockeys.

A Working Group made up of industry personnel including a jumps jockey, a jumps jockey representative, the NZTR Head of Education, and the training provider was convened in April 2025 to determine the contents of new jumps jockey standards. 

Two new standards were developed in consultation with the Working Group and sent out to the wider industry for consultation in May.  As there had already been considerable discussion on the role prior to formal development, only minor suggestions were received.  The changes were considered by the Working Group and incorporated where relevant.

Main changes

· Skill standards 40883 and 40884 were registered. 

Detailed list of standards – classification, title, level, and credits

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Equine >Thoroughbred Racing

ID	Title	Level	Credit	Review Category
40883	School a thoroughbred racehorse to jump on their own and in company	4	20	New
40884	Ride a thoroughbred jumps horse in company in preparation for raceday	4	20	New