On Tuesday, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) published 20 recommendations relating to the use of the whip in British racing.
New rules expected to launch in the fall include that jockeys will only be allowed to use the whip in the “backhand position,” and disqualification will be introduced as the ultimate sanction for overuse of the whip. The number of strikes allowed will not be changed; permitted level for use will remain at seven on the Flat, eight over Jumps, in the backhand only
The recommendations and new rules were proposed by the Whip Consultation Steering Group, which consisted of experienced individuals from jockeys, trainers, to members of the racing industry, media, government and horse welfare sectors, and approved by the BHA board.
“The change to using the whip only in the backhand will be a significant one for many riders, and the revised penalties are certainly strict,” said Tom Scudamore, jockey and member of the BHA's Whip Consultation Steering Group. “However, I believe the increase in penalties will have the correct deterrent on those riding. When the whip is used in the backhand position the natural arc in which you use it will mean that it is more frequently landing in the right place with the appropriate amount of force. The result will be visibly improved racing, which has not lost the important benefits of being able to properly focus a horse at the end of a race, or when jumping over obstacles, which is what the padded ProCush whip is intended to be used for.”
“While as jockeys we would prefer not to have seen penalties for whip offences significantly increased, we also have to accept that steps needed to be taken to prevent breaches of the whip rules,” added PJ McDonald, jockey and member of the Whip Consultation Steering Group. “I am pleased that the introduction of the review panel will increase consistency of officiating, and focus not only on penalties but also improving standards of riding.”
Amongst the key recommendations are:
The Rules
– Use of the ProCush whip should continue to be permitted for encouragement, with strong and appropriate regulation of its use
– The whip rules will be amended to restrict use for encouragement to the backhand position only.
Approach to regulation and enforcement
– The regulatory approach to the whip should be reframed to drive continuous improvement, both in standards of whip use and in the consistency of stewarding.
– A whip review panel of stewards will be established, which will assess all potential whip offences and apply sanctions or remedial actions where appropriate.
Penalties
– Penalties will be increased for some specific offences where the current penalty is considered inadequate (view revised penalty structure here)
– Penalty structure for use of the whip above the permitted level in major races to be revised as a doubling of the suspensions for the same offence in standard races
– Disqualification of the horse will be introduced into the penalty framework for particularly serious use of the whip above the permitted level, where there has been a clear and flagrant disregard for the rules (used four or more times above the permitted level)
Other recommendations
– The BHA, on behalf of the racing industry, should commission and support further objective research into the effects of the whip, using any relevant scientific advances to inform policy
– Reasonable efforts should be made by British racing to explain the design, use and regulation of the whip to key audiences.
“It is our view that, as a result of this process, we are continuing to evolve standards of whip use, through a regulatory approach that will be demonstrably and visibly fair in terms of what they ask of our horses and the spirit of fair sporting competition,” said David Jones, Chair of the Whip Consultation Steering Group. “It is inevitable that there will be those who think we have gone too far, and those who think we have not gone far enough. I ask only that the considerable expertise that has provided its input to this process, and the scale of the task in finding consensus across such a broad range of complex factors, be considered as part of any discussion about these proposals.”
A final period of technical discussions will now take place with jockeys and other relevant industry participants, to consider any practical or logistical considerations relating to the new rules, finalize details such as the exact working of the review panel, and to determine the training and education required for both jockeys and stewards prior to the new rules coming into effect. It will also consider how a “bedding in” period will work once the new rules have been implemented, in order to aid the transition. This will feed into the delivery of a full implementation plan.
The current ambition is that the new rules will come into effect in late Autumn, though the exact date will be clarified through this period of technical discussion.
Roly Owers, Chief Executive of World Horse Welfare and member of the Whip Consultation Steering Group, said: “It would have been easy for racing to carry out this review in its own bubble, but by including an equine welfare organization within the Steering Group itself they showed they were willing to consider other views and be asked some fundamental questions… Racing of horses, like all horse sport, can only continue to take place if the sport maintains the support of the public, which will require everyone in racing to justify their use of the whip in the context of horse welfare, and show that they can be trusted to adhere to and enforce these rules.”
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