Jockey Weight in Stone | Horse Racing Weight Limits | BHA Minimum Weights

The Last Sport That Still Speaks in Stone

British horse racing is unique in world sport. While every other major discipline converted to metric decades ago — athletics uses metres, rowing uses kilograms, cycling uses watts per kilogram — horse racing publishes every weight in its official racecards, form books and handicap sheets in stone and pounds. A racecard reads '9-7' and every racing fan knows immediately: nine stone seven pounds.

This is not an oversight or tradition that has simply not been updated. The British Horseracing Authority actively maintains stone and pounds as the official technical standard for weights in British racing. When the BHA last changed weight regulations — in 2022, permanently raising minimum weights following the closure of racecourse saunas — the announcement was made in stone and pounds, with kilograms provided only in secondary brackets.

This page is the complete reference guide for horse racing weights in stone: the BHA minimum and maximum limits, the Grand National 2026, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, what professional jockeys actually weigh, and the key distinction between carried weight and body weight that most fans do not know exists. You can convert any stone and pounds weight to kilograms instantly.

★ Carried Weight vs Jockey Body Weight — The Key Distinction

The weight on a racecard is NOT the jockey's body weight alone. It is the total carried weight:

Carried weight = Jockey body weight + saddle + saddle cloth + girth + any lead weights

Tack (saddle and equipment) adds approximately 3 to 5 lbs to the jockey's own weight. A flat race set at 9-0 (9 stone / 57.15 kg) requires jockey + tack to weigh 9 stone on the scales after the race.

A jockey who weighs 8 stone 9 lb naturally can ride at 9-0 — their tack makes up the remaining 5 lbs.

BHA Official Weight Limits — Current Rules

Following the permanent closure of all racecourse saunas in 2022, the BHA raised minimum riding weights by 2 lbs across all codes. These are the current rules in force for 2025 and 2026.

Weight Category	Stone & Lbs	Kilograms	Pounds	Notes
Flat Racing — Minimum carried weight	8 st 2 lb	51.71 kg	114.0 lbs	Raised from 8st 0lb in 2022. Includes 4 lb back protector.
Flat Racing — Maximum (top weight)	10 st 2 lb	64.41 kg	142.0 lbs	Raised from 10st in 2022 to maintain competitive spread.
Flat Racing — Winter allowance	8 st 3 lb	52.16 kg	115.0 lbs	Additional 1 lb for extra clothing layer, Oct-Mar.
Jump Racing — Minimum carried weight	10 st 2 lb	64.41 kg	142.0 lbs	Raised from 10st in 2022. Jump jockeys are larger.
Jump Racing — Maximum (standard)	12 st 0 lb	76.20 kg	168.0 lbs	Standard ceiling for National Hunt handicap races.
Back protector allowance	4 lbs included	1.81 kg incl.	4.0 lbs incl.	Included within all stated weights above — not additional.

60 kg in stone and pounds. Amber rows = minimum carried weights — the most tightly managed figures in professional jockey careers.

Why Saunas Were Banned — and What Changed in 2022

Before 2022, every British racecourse had a sauna available to jockeys for last-minute weight reduction. A jockey 2 lbs over their target weight on race morning would enter the sauna, dehydrate, and weigh in at the required figure minutes later.

The BHA's Chief Medical Adviser described this as incompatible with peak athletic performance: riding a 500 kg thoroughbred at 40 mph over fences requires full physical and cognitive capability — not a dehydrated body.

The permanent closure of racecourse saunas, combined with a 2 lb rise in minimum weights, removed this pressure point. The BHA also increased the back protector allowance from 3 lb to 4 lb simultaneously — meaning horses continue to carry broadly the same weights despite the jockey weight increase.

Major British Races — Official Weights in Stone

Handicap races assign each horse a carried weight based on its official BHA rating. All weights are published in stone and pounds on official racecards.

Race	Top Weight	Lbs	Min Weight	Notes
Grand National 2026	11 st 12 lb	166 lbs	10 st 2 lb	Top weight: I Am Maximus. Range: 10st 2lb to 11st 12lb.
Cheltenham Gold Cup	11 st 10 lb	164 lbs	Fixed	Grade 1 — all runners carry 11st 10lb.
Champion Hurdle	11 st 6 lb	160 lbs	Fixed	Grade 1 — all carry 11st 6lb. Mares receive 7 lb allowance.
Epsom Derby	9 st 0 lb	126 lbs	Fixed	Classic flat race — all carry 9st (colts). Fillies get 3lb.

Red = top weight carried (heaviest). Green = minimum weight. Grade 1 championship races carry fixed weights — no handicapping.

Jockey Weight Ranges — Real Numbers Behind the Racecards

Leading British and Irish riders in the current era. Tack adds 3–5 lbs to body weight for carried weight calculation.

Jockey	Code	Est. Body Wt	KG	Notes
William Buick	Flat	~8 st 3 lb	52.16 kg	Tall for flat (5ft 8in). Natural weight at flat minimum.
Ryan Moore	Flat	~8 st 4 lb	52.62 kg	Consistently makes flat weights.
Hollie Doyle	Flat	~8 st 2 lb	51.71 kg	At the BHA flat minimum — natural build is an advantage.
Paul Townend	Jump	~9 st 10 lb	61.68 kg	Champion jump jockey 2022–24. Rides comfortably from 10-2.
Rachael Blackmore	Jump	~9 st 7 lb	60.33 kg	Grand National-winning jockey. Natural jump build.

The Racecard Weight Format Explained

British racecards express weights in the format STONE-POUNDS, separated by a hyphen. This format has been standard for over 150 years.

8-2 = 8st 2lb = 51.71kg (Flat min)
9-7 = 9st 7lb = 60.33kg (Common jump)
10-2 = 10st 2lb = 64.41kg (Jump min)

11-6 = 11st 6lb = 72.57kg (Champion Hurdle)
11-12 = 11st 12lb = 75.30kg (2026 National top)

Jockey Weight vs Other Sports — Scale Reference

Comparison Point	Stone & Lbs	Context
Flat jockey (BHA minimum)	8 st 2 lb	Lighter than every UFC division. Comparable to an athletic 12-year-old.
UK adult male average	13 st 3 lb	An average UK man weighs 62% more than a flat jockey.
UFC Lightweight champion (limit)	11 st 1 lb	Heavier than the entire flat jockey weight range.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum weight a jockey can ride at in the UK?

The BHA minimum for flat racing is 8 stone 2 pounds (51.71 kg / 114 lbs) as the carried weight, which includes jockey, saddle and all equipment. The jump racing minimum is 10 stone 2 pounds (64.41 kg / 142 lbs). Both limits were permanently raised by 2 lbs in 2022 following the closure of racecourse saunas.

How much does a flat jockey weigh in kg?

Most professional flat jockeys weigh approximately 50 to 53 kg (7 st 12 lb to 8 st 5 lb) in body weight alone. The BHA carried weight minimum of 8 st 2 lb (51.71 kg) includes tack of roughly 3 to 5 lbs, so a jockey who weighs 50 kg naturally can comfortably make the flat minimum.

What was the Grand National top weight in 2026?

I Am Maximus was assigned the top weight of 11 stone 12 pounds (75.30 kg / 166 lbs) for the 2026 Grand National. The minimum weight in the race was 10 stone 2 pounds (64.41 kg). I Am Maximus won the 2024 Grand National and was runner-up in 2025.

Why is horse racing weight in stone and pounds?

Horse racing weights in Britain are set in stone and pounds because the BHA actively maintains this as the official technical standard — not as nostalgia, but as a deliberate choice. The racecard format (e.g. '9-7') has operated continuously since the 19th century and predates metrication. The BHA's 2022 minimum weight announcement was made in stone and pounds with kg provided only in brackets.

What is 9 stone 7 pounds in kg for horse racing?

9 stone 7 pounds is 60.33 kg (133.0 lbs). This is a common mid-range carried weight for National Hunt races and is close to the natural body weight of many professional jump jockeys. On a racecard it appears as '9-7'.

Jockey Weights in Stone