Sunday, October 23, 2016

TOW #6— “Fit as a Jockey: How the Men and Women in the Saddle Stay in Shape” by Eoghan Macquire

             The life of a rider is a busy one, full of shows and lessons every day. Riders mount a horse multiple times a day, sometimes over 10 times, getting home around midnight and waking up at 5am to ride again, according to Eoghan Macquire. Macquire wrote “Fit as a Jockey: How the Men and Women in the Saddle Stay in Shape” on Friday, October 21. During the off season, riders have to stay in shape. It helps them to control the horse, aide in decision making, and allows them to pass the required fitness test for all jockeys. Macquire informs his audience of how these athletes keep up with these demands and how they stay fit without becoming too muscular and too heavy for their horse. He highlights even the smallest things the jockeys do for the fans of horse races, such as skipping out on alcohol. He writes a well put together essay and refers many times to the experts in the field.

                There are many schools for jockeys and, at one point in their lives, every jockey has gone to one. Macquire quotes well known jockeys as well as the owners of these schools in his article. He refers often to Hayley Turner, a successful retired jockey, and Yariv Kam, a fitness coach at one of the jockey schools. This allows Macquire to build credibility. Macquire never mentions whether or not he is a rider or even if he has any knowledge about horses. The quotes and sources he utilizes are from well-known jockeys who have automatic ethos. His audience, almost directed towards the British fans of horse races, already know the names and places he mentions, giving himself credibility. Without this key factor, utilized throughout the entire essay, Macquire’s article would not be successful. 

No comments:

Post a Comment