I'm a jockey and I eat more apples than most horses

Telegraph

4 days ago

As part of our What I eat in a day series, Will Buick, a 36-year-old jockey, shares what he eats when he is training.
5.30am: Wake up
In horse racing, mornings start around 5 or 6am – and that's been the case since I first worked in stables at about six years old. My father, Walter Buick, was a jockey, and I began riding seriously when I was around 12. I rode my first professional race in August 2006, aged 18, and won my first race at Salisbury the following year on Bank on Benny. I'm used to the early starts – and now that I've got two young kids, they're a given.
Every morning I'll have a strong black coffee, along with some electrolytes – I use the LMNT brand – mixed with water. They're great for hydration and maintaining body salts. Some mornings I get to spend time with my two sons, Thomas (5) and Oscar (2), before school and nursery, which feels really special – especially as the season gets busy and I'm often away, on the road or flying.
6.30am: Training
I usually train before I eat. Ideally, I'll get in a session fasted – just coffee and electrolytes beforehand – then eat afterwards. Breakfast is often around 9am. I typically only have two meals a day, so I'll pick between breakfast and lunch, and always have dinner.
Fitness is especially important for jockeys, as we're usually a few pounds – or even up to a stone – below our natural body weight. Right now, I'm happy at 8 stone 8lbs. We need lean muscle and core strength to control horses racing at up to 40mph, and being fit and strong also helps reduce the risk of injury when you fall. Although I still suffered a compression fracture of a vertebra after a fall from Permian in 2017, I recovered well and won the Derby at Epsom the following year. The Derby is the pinnacle of flat racing, so it means a huge amount to me to have won it.
I started taking fitness really seriously around 15 or 16 years ago. I've got a home gym set-up and a personal trainer who comes to the house two or three days a week, depending on my racing schedule.
I run between five to 10k every day on the treadmill, depending on the day. I also use an assault bike – a stationary bike that challenges the whole body – which is brutal. After that, I'll do one or two circuits, sometimes bodyweight, sometimes with weights.
Early in the race season, we focus on addressing imbalances and weaknesses. It's become part of my daily routine: even on busy days, doing something to move the body and reset the mind makes a huge difference, physically and mentally.
I also have a cable machine for resistance training, which is more controlled than using free weights. I do high repetitions at high intensity to keep the heart rate up and get a good sweat on. I've got a sauna at home too, and I weigh myself every day to make sure I'm where I need to be. There's no strict height or weight requirement, but most flat race jockeys weigh no more than 8st 9lbs (56.5kg).
8am: Breakfast
I don't really have any post-workout stuff like protein shakes. I have in the past, but I felt like they made me gain weight – maybe it was just in my head – so I dropped them. Instead, I'll have breakfast and maybe some fruit snacks during the day.
For breakfast, it's either eggs or kefir yogurt with berries – blueberries, raspberries, strawberries – plus a bit of honey, chia seeds, hemp protein, turmeric, walnuts… the whole lot. I like to pack in the nutrients. Over the past year or two, I've been doing intermittent fasting, usually an 18 to 21-hour fast once or twice a week. It helps with weight management. That said, I don't do it every day – we lead such active lives that on some days you just need fuel in the tank.
There are a lot of myths around about a jockey's diet, like the idea that we don't eat at all. But we do eat – we're just limited in how much – so when I do eat, I want it to be good fuel. I've always tried to eat healthily. I grew up with that mindset. Dad's Scottish, my mum's Danish; I grew up in Scandinavia and moved to England when I was 16. Dad cooked all the time back then – lots of fish, veg, a really Mediterranean-style diet too – and that's stuck with me.
Snacks
I probably won't eat again until late afternoon – it depends on the race schedule – but I do snack on apples throughout the day. I'll eat two or three apples a day; I'm a Pink Lady man.
I also drink water with electrolytes and have two or three cups of black coffee or green tea – in fact, I drink a lot of green tea. I've spent a lot of time in Japan throughout my career, so my green tea habit is probably influenced by that.
5.30pm: Dinner
Our kids eat at about 5 or 5.30pm, so if I'm at home we'll eat at the same time – I don't like eating late. The later you eat, the more it sits on you, and it probably isn't as good for your weight either.
So yes, early dinner. We actually had an Ocado food truck turn up earlier and there was salmon and sea bass in the order, so it's going to be fish tonight. I know you shouldn't have fish on a Monday, but today's the day. My wife, Jane, says I've got an obsession with it – which I probably have. I could eat sea bass every day.
I'd grill it in the oven, skin side up, with lemon, salt, pepper and a bit of extra virgin olive oil on the skin. It takes less than five minutes to cook. We might have vegetables, salad, rice – wholegrain rice – or sweet potato. I'm a big fan of sweet potatoes.
Nine times out of 10, the kids eat what we eat. As a kid I was fortunate – me and my brothers ate with our parents – so I try to do the same with the children.
Just occasionally, they'll eat something different and we have to put a fish finger on!
My diet is pretty balanced and I try to stick to my routines even when travelling abroad. Last weekend I was at a big event – the Dubai World Cup – riding nine races in total. It's hugely prestigious, and horses travel from all over to compete.
In those situations I'll have a good breakfast, and maybe lunch – something with eggs ideally – as we'll ride later in the afternoon or early evening out there because of the temperatures.
I've tried a few things diet‑wise over the years. I did a short vegan stint – about two weeks – which I found quite tough. My wife's pescatarian, and she handled it no problem. For me, it was more missing things like eggs than meat itself. Eggs are a big part of my diet – great protein, really satisfying.
I'm quite open-minded about trying new dishes. But it has to work for you and your routine. Sustainability is key. Anyone can be good for a day – the challenge is being consistent, day after day.
I've always been fond of Japanese food – sushi, sashimi – those sorts of contemporary Japanese dishes are probably some of my favourites. When I first went to Japan, I couldn't believe how much pride they take in their food – how it's served, how delicate and detailed it is. The Japanese diet is good for a jockey too – they're very light eaters and the traditional Japanese diet – miso soup, vegetables, seafood – is very healthy and balanced.
Treats in the off-season
I don't really have a sweet tooth. I might go in for a small bit of chocolate – and if I do, I try to stick to dark chocolate. I'm not really a dessert man – I'd rather have a starter. If I was going to have something, it would probably be a nice, fresh sorbet.
Once the kids go to bed, we're probably down by 9 or 9.30pm – definitely by 10. By then we've had a long day, so a good sleep pattern is key. It's a 24/7 lifestyle, so getting proper rest is vital to perform at the top level.
We race all year round now, so I don't really have an off‑season. At Christmas I make sure I don't miss a meal though. I might get a week off over Christmas – maybe 10 days – but I still try to stay fit and active. I'd always go to the gym. The idea of gaining weight and then having to work doubly hard to shift it – no thanks. I know it sounds a bit boring, but there's no food binge. Christmas dinner – I'll go all in, but that's it.
William Buick is the two-time defending Flat Jockeys' champion, claimed the title in 2022 and 2023, achieving an impressive 157 and 135 winners respectively.
To find out more about William Buick and other jockeys, please visit greatbritishracing.com