Finding the Lost Jockeys

This article describes two new databases related to the racing industry. Using census data extracted from the North Atlantic Population Project and recently collected license data on jockeys of all races, the authors examine the labor market for thoroughbred horse jockeys, focusing on the period fro...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Debra Barbezat, James Hughes
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/01615440.2013.821876
Description
Summary:This article describes two new databases related to the racing industry. Using census data extracted from the North Atlantic Population Project and recently collected license data on jockeys of all races, the authors examine the labor market for thoroughbred horse jockeys, focusing on the period from 1880 to 1930. The decline in the number of African American jockeys is documented and discussed. The authors also estimate total labor force figures and compare experience levels and career lengths for both black and white jockeys. An unexpected finding is the higher level of labor force participation among black jockeys in the twentieth century, relative to earlier sources.