At 6ft 4in (1.93 metres), Jack Andrews is used to towering over his fellow jockeys, who tend to be at least a foot shorter than him.
But as he competes for his first Cheltenham festival win this week, the man who has been described as the tallest jockey in the world is determined not to let his unconventional stature slow him down.
There is no height limit for jockeys, but because they carefully watch their weights to help their racing, most are considerably shorter than Andrews. Keeping the scales at 10 stone 4lb (65.3kg), as he weighed in on Thursday, was “a daily struggle”, the 24-year-old told the Guardian before his first race of the festival.
Andrews said: “It’s probably got better as I’ve got older, I’ve learned to adapt my diet to suit me and do what works for me.”
Andrews was raised in a racing family in Dunchurch, near Rubgy in Warwickshire – two sisters, Gina and Bridget, are jockeys and his parents rode as amateurs. He always loved the sport, he said, and started racing at about 15 or 16, when he was about 5ft 10in.
As he grew, however, “my weight ballooned a little bit when I was 18, 19 and I then had to really grab hold of myself and sort my diet out. That’s when it was toughest. Every year since then, I’ve learned to deal with it better.”
Certainly the life of a jockey – particularly a very tall one – is not for the faint-hearted. Each morning, before mucking out and an early ride, Andrews has a coffee, then yoghurt with fruit and granola – “to be fair I’d have that even if I wasn’t dieting as I really like that”. Lunch is “a Belvita bar with a banana and maybe a yoghurt pot”. For dinner he will have another bar and some protein – chicken or fish.
It is the same every day – “yeah, I try to keep everything very similar” – and there is no alcohol at all, although he does permit himself a chocolate Hobnob with a cup of tea in the evenings. There is also a “cheat meal” once a week – “I am quite partial to a curry on a Saturday night”.
“It’s a constant struggle,” he said. “I wouldn’t go an hour through the day where I don’t think about what my weight’s like or what I’m going to eat next. So the only reason I do it is because I love it. And the minute I stop, I would definitely stop the diet.”
Perhaps surprisingly, Andrews said he did not believe his frame was a disadvantage once he was in the saddle. “If anything, I have a bit of an advantage in that I can wrap my legs around horses better than some people can.” That can help with balance and control, he said.
“If you’re very short, you’re sometimes perched on top of their back and they can get the better of you. Whereas if you’re a big lad you can … not manhandle the horse, but you’re definitely on more of a level playing field with them.
“Its harder to look neat and tidy, like some other riders, but I pride myself on trying to be as neat and tidy as possible and not look out of place.”
With 34 wins in 297 rides over the past five years, “I’d like to think that my riding is proving my capability now,” he said. “I hope people see me as a good rider, rather than someone that’s just tall.” His total earnings in 2021-22, a career best, were £249,950.
Andrews has ridden at Cheltenham festival several times but never won there – unlike his sisters. Sadly his first ride on Thursday on the 20-1 shot Anightinlambourn in the Kim Muir handicap chase did not change his luck. He will have another chance on Friday, riding Not That Fuisse at 4.10pm.
