(a)

1. (1) Any male or female eighteen (18) years of age or older, who has never been previously licensed as a jockey in any country, and who has been granted an Apprentice Jockey Certificate, may claim in all races except handicaps and stakes the following allowances.

2. (2) Apprentice's allowance shall be as follows:

   1. (A) Ten pounds (10 lbs.) until the apprentice has ridden five (5) winners;
   2. (B) Seven pounds (7 lbs.) until the apprentice has ridden an additional thirty-five (35) winners;
   3. (C) If the apprentice has ridden forty (40) winners prior to the end of one (1) year from the date of riding his or her fifth winner, the apprentice shall have an allowance of five pounds (5 lbs.) until the end of that year; and
   4. (D) If after riding one (1) full year from the date of the apprentice's fifth winning mount, the apprentice jockey has failed to ride a total of forty (40) winners from the date of the apprentice's first winning mount, the apprentice shall continue to ride with a seven-pound weight allowance for one (1) more year from the date of the apprentice's fifth winning mount or until the apprentice has ridden a total of forty (40) winners, whichever comes first.

3. (3)

   1. (A) An approval board will be established by the stewards and will consist of designated jockeys, trainers, outriders, racing officials, and the Official Starter.
   2. (B) To ensure that the applicant has successfully satisfied the qualifications and guidelines set forth in this section, an initial apprentice jockey's license may only be issued to an applicant who:

(i) Is at least eighteen (18) years of age;

1. (ii) Passes a physical examination and has minimum 20/20 vision acuity, or corrected as certified by a licensed professional;

   1. (iii) Has at least two (2) years’ experience in various capacities of horsemanship on the backstretch of a racetrack and/or a horse farm, the past one (1) year of which has been as a licensed exercise rider at a recognized pari-mutuel racing facility, or the equivalent, and the applicant's employers must verify these experiences;

      1. (iv) Has attended the reviewing of the videotapes or movies at the designated area as scheduled by the stewards;
      2. (v) Has observed jockeys and horses loading and breaking from the starting gate, at the start of races under the supervision of the Official Starter, for at least ten (10) racing days;
      3. (vi) Has observed horses changing leads and negotiating turns at the designated patrol judge stands under the supervision of a racing official for at least ten (10) racing days;
      4. (vii) Has broken an adequate number of horses out of the starting gate to the satisfaction of the Official Starter;
      5. (viii) Has breezed horses out of the starting gate and from the pole in the company of other horses to create as close to race conditions as possible, and the accompanying horses shall be ridden by jockeys designated by the approval board, and at least one (1) other member of the approval board shall be in attendance as an observer; and
      6. (ix)

(b) (b) A temporary apprentice license may be issued by the stewards upon notification of the recommendation of the approval board.

1. (c) (c) After riding in an adequate number of races, and when the stewards are satisfied that the applicant has demonstrated competence in his or her abilities to ride in races, a regular apprentice license will then be issued.

2. (4)

   1. (A) Under exceptional circumstances, such as inability of an apprentice to ride because of service in the United States Armed Forces, personal injuries in the conduct of his or her duty, restrictions on racing or other valid reasons which interrupt the allowance period permitted under this section, the Arkansas Racing Commission may extend the term of the apprentice allowance and/or such allowance period.
   2. (B) The commission shall take jurisdiction on any applications for extensions in cases where personal injuries in the conduct of his or her duty and restrictions occur at tracks licensed by the commission.
   3. (C) In order to qualify for an extension of his or her apprentice allowance, an apprentice rider must have been rendered unable to ride for a period of not fewer than fourteen (14) consecutive days during the period in which he or she was entitled to an apprentice allowance.
   4. (D) In the case of inability of an apprentice to ride because of service in the United States Armed Forces, the commission will take jurisdiction only on an apprentice allowance that was executed and filed at time of execution in this state.
   5. (E) All other extensions must be acted on by the commission with which the original apprentice allowance was filed.

3. (5)

   1. (A) Apprentice Jockey Certificates and Apprentice Jockey Extension Request Forms shall be in a form approved by the commission.
   2. (B) The apprentice jockey shall keep the apprentice jockey's apprentice certificate with him and or her at all times.
   3. (C) Prior to riding, the apprentice certificate shall be submitted to the Clerk of Scales at each racing association in which the apprentice is licensed and riding, and the apprentice jockey shall keep an accurate updated record of the apprentice jockey's first forty (40) winners, to be recorded on the certificate by the presiding Clerk of Scales.

(b) No race not reported in the daily racing form, Equibase, or other publications recognized as official by the stewards shall be considered in determining an apprentice jockey's right to the apprentice allowance.

1. (c) A licensed apprentice who loses his or her apprentice allowance for any reason shall obtain a jockey license before being permitted to ride again.