So in the minds of many on the board they would make perfect jocks.
There are quite a few athletes who are cerebral, hard working, and sit on the bench. I have not seen the guy ride as much as the majority of this board, but that would be the first question. Can he ride? You would like a jock to read the DRF of every race they are in, you would like a jock to know the horse he is riding well, you would like a jock to go out with some sort of idea what to do with a horse as situations arise.

Seen too many people work horses that require lots more work than jocks, lots of very specific type of training. Some of them look like they were born on a horses back. Others spend plenty of time on top, but its not the same.

So are some jocks just born riders, just totally fluid and comfortable in all sorts of situations with all sorts of horses? And others just doing it because they love the entirety of the sport but might not be big time riders? I dont know.

I do know what I observed with equestrian riders. Some very difficult, subtle crap went on. And some were masters but not teachers. And others were great at explaining why a ride was so good, but they could not reproduce the physical process.
Forget it, Im blathering.
If a guy is really a good rider, it makes no sense why he should not rise to the top (unless he pulls the Patrick Valenzuela routine.)