DeRace Jockeys

**DeRace Jockeys will be shortly joining the party and they are excited to prove their worth on the racetrack!**

It is our vision to make DeRace as authentic as possible and the addition of Jockeys will brings us one step closer to reaching this goal.

## 🏇 What is a DeRace Jockey?

DeRace Jockey is a completely new in-game NFT asset which will be shortly introduced into the DeRace metaverse as companion to the NFT horses.

Jockeys are an important game element as through the Jockey and NFT horse symbiosis the player can reach even better performance on the racetrack. Like in real life horse races, Jockeys will help the horse to focus more during the race and to unlock their full potential.

From the technical side, Jockey is an NFT asset that can be used in-game or traded in the secondary market with other players. Each Jockey owns a distinctive silk/uniform differing both in color and patterns, which helps them to be easily recognised during the race.

In the near future players will be able to choose the names for their Jockeys and the registered racing clubs will even get to design special silks for their teams!

## 🧍 Properties of DeRace Jockeys

DeRace Jockey NFTs have a number of visual and non-visual properties which range from their physical appearance to their personality type.

While the visual characteristics define the Jockey’s appearance they don’t have an impact on their performance. Such properties include the silk colours and patterns.

Other properties are not directly visible from the Jockeys’ looks but they describe how the Jockey performs on the racetrack. Such parameters include Jockeys personality, experience, racing style, just to mention a few. All these characteristics, though not directly noticeable from the Jockey’s appearance, can be observed through the Jockey viewer on DeRace.com or on the secondary markets like OpenSea.

DeRace Jockeys are also divided into the tiers with the top tiers initially having a higher experience level at the very start compared to the other Jockeys.

We will reveal the comprehensive Jockey mechanics and tips on how to master them to increase your NFT horses performance closer to their release, so stay tuned for it!

## 🏆 Jockeys and horses: unlocking the full potential

DeRace Jockeys are expanding the gameplay and bringing in additional game mechanics which help the horses to improve their performance during the race.

### 💚 Bonding

NFT Jockey can be used with any horse, however racing your Jockey more with a specific horse will enhance their bond. The stronger the bond between the rider and the horse, the better the team performs together which ultimately increases their chances to win.

If a player chooses to race their Jockey with another horse, the bond with the previous horse weakens depending on how many races the Jockey has run with another horse.

The number of races needed to fully bond with the horse differs for each Jockey depending on their personality type. Once the rider and the horse fully bond, an unique performance booster is turned on which enhances their racing performance.

### 🏁 Racing styles and other Jockey parameters

Jockeys will also have different racing styles which enhance the horses’ performance during the specific times of the race. Some Jockeys perform better in the very beginning of the race, while others — during the last few furlongs. You need to know your horse’s capabilities on the racetrack to choose the best type of Jockey for your horse specifically.

NFT Jockeys’ experience is another important factor when considering their performance during the race. The more experienced Jockey is, the easier he can control his horse and reach better results. Higher tier Jockeys will initially start with a higher experience level than other Jockeys. Through participating in the races as well as winning them, all Jockeys can reach the peak of their performance.

Once we have integrated the Jockey mechanics into the test-net and trialled them ourselves, we will release an additional in-depth article where we will cover the joint Jockey and NFT horse team mechanics, as well as best strategies to pair them for the ultimate performance.