From Sept. 1, the whip must not be used in consecutive strides of the horse at any stage of the race.

This change will have the most effect at the end of the race since, at present, riders can use their own discretion over the last 100m, though there will also be some impact on already tight restrictions on the use of the whip up till the final stages.

The changes followed a period of wide consultation by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing [NZTR] around the use of the whip, involving both industry participants and the general public.

“The consultation recognized previous rule changes to restrict the use of the whip in New Zealand, comparison with overseas jurisdictions, and community perceptions, which is a driver of future public engagement and investment in racing,” NZTR GM Welfare & Sustainability Martin Burns said.

The NZTR Board, noting how well New Zealand jockeys had adapted to past changes, and considering detailed analysis of current average whip use in flat races, supported the change to non-consecutive use which will mostly affect the final 100 meters of a race.

“Throughout the process, we have had constructive and positive engagement from the New Zealand Jockeys' Association,” Burns said. “Our participants are well aware of the need to ensure racing remains attractive and relevant to the widest possible audience. “

Leading jockey Lisa Allpress, a four-time NZ premiership winner, said she was confident that the riders would quickly adapt to the changes and that the changes would not reduce the sport's competitiveness.

“There has been a significant shift in the use of the whip in recent years and these changes will sustain that momentum,” Allpress said.

The rule changes and the subsequent penalties for breaches of these have been circulated to the NZ Jockeys' Association and will be available on the NZTR website.

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Kentucky's Legislative Research Commission is expected to recommend the new whip rules for approval later this year, so they could go into effect in late 2021.

The new rules are as follows:

• A limit on overhanded strikes to a total of six throughout the race. Riders are required to give the horse a chance to respond after two. Overhanded uses may not include the rider raising the whip above the helmet.
• Underhanded or backhanded use may begin in the final 3/8 of a mile. These uses will not count toward the six strike limit.
• Showing the horse the whip or tapping the horse on the shoulder will remain acceptable if both hands are on the reins
• Stewards can impose either a $500 minimum fine or a three-day minimum suspension. If the violation is egregious and intentional, they could impose both. Mitigating factors could include the rider's history with whip violations, and the number and types of use beyond the above restrictions

“We know this rule is a fair compromise and in the best interests of our industry,” Terry Meyocks, the chief executive officer of The Jockeys' Guild, told the KHRC after Tuesday's vote.

Read more at the Daily Racing Form.

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“It is our opinion and belief that this regulation is extremely dangerous and is creating an even greater risk to both the equine and human athletes, including the potential for injury and/or loss of life to the jockeys and the horses,” the Guild said in its letter to members. “The increase of risk is thereby creating a greater exposure for the Jockeys' Guild and the benefits that we provide to our members who are riding under such regulation.”

Insurance for riders at Monmouth will end on July 1. Currently, those benefits include: temporary disability, life insurance, and Accident, Death and Disability benefits. When insurance coverage from the Jockeys' Guild ends, riders will have to take out their own insurance policies or accept the risks of racing without it.

Dennis Drazin, CEO and chairman of Monmouth Park operator Darby Development, called the Guild's decision a “cheap shot.”

“This is an uncalled-for reaction to a rule that the racing commission put into effect and now they want to punish their own jockeys because they are riding,” Drazin said. “The comments I have heard are that some of the jocks are upset with the Guild and don't feel that they are representing them well. Now they decide that they're going to suspend the benefits that they provide to our jockeys. Frankly, if our jockeys wanted to, they have a very good lawsuit against the Guild.”

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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Several riders, including Monmouth's perennial leading jockey Joe Bravo, have chosen not to return to New Jersey under the new regulations, citing safety concerns.

“At the beginning I was a little worried, a little concerned, but then when I started riding I felt comfortable out there,” Ferrer told HRN. “We are all in the same boat. It's not like this guy can hit and this guy can't. I've told the guys, it's a different kind of riding now. We have to protect each other a little more. It's doable, you just have to be a little more careful.”

Ferrer has found a way to win without the riding crop, and said there's no discernable bias in terms of racing style, but he added that some lazier horses have been “barely blowing” when coming back to be unsaddled.

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A total of 44 horses (plus one MTO) have been entered for the six-race twilight card, with a first race post time of 5 p.m.

With the New Jersey commission's enactment of the strictest whip rules in the country, allowing use of the crop only when needed for safety, Monmouth has been in the news for it's strict stance on jockey participation in the 2021 meet.

There are 14 jockeys named to ride on Friday's card, including: Jorge Panaijo, Luis M. Ocasio, Tomas B. Mejia, Luis R. Reyes, Christian J. Navarro, Jose C. Ferrer, Carlos J. Hernandez, Jomar Torres, Isaac Castillo, Jose Baez, Carlos Montalvo, Keiber J. Coa, Sean Gilpin, and Derbe Glass.

Three of the stakes entrants, including the MTO entry, do not currently have riders listed on Equibase.

The Jersey Derby, scheduled for a mile on the grass, will be contested for the 78th time. It's the oldest Derby in the United States, having first been run in 1864.

Trainers Kelly Breen (It's A Gamble), Gregg Sacco (It Can Be Done) and Jerry Hollendorfer (Riptide Rock) will look to get off to fast starts for the 53-day meet in the Jersey Derby as well.

Owned by Peter Brant, Sifting Sands will be making just his fourth career start in the Jersey Derby. The Irish-bred son of Dubawi made his last start in the Woodhaven Stakes at Aqueduct on April 21.

Monmouth Park will conduct live racing four straight days over the Memorial Day weekend. Post times on Saturdays, Sundays and special Monday holiday cards throughout the meet is 12:15 p.m.

The $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes at six furlongs headlines the Saturday card, with the $75,000 Politely Stakes serving as the Sunday feature. The Memorial Day card on Monday will be top by the $75,000 Spruce Fir for Jersey-breds.

The post Monmouth: 44 Horses, 14 Jockeys Enter Six Races For Friday’s Opening Day Card appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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According to bloodhorse.com, Monmouth has threatened that jockeys who refuse mounts on Friday will not be allowed to ride at the track for the remainder of the 2021 meet.

“We are having a problem with guys who have been on the backstretch all monthlong working horses and have calls and are now they are saying they won't ride Friday but they will ride Saturday,” John Heims, director of racing and racing secretary at Monmouth, told bloodhorse.com. “We are not going to let people stick it to us and cost us money by canceling racing. If you feel unsafe Friday, how are you safe Saturday? If it's unsafe and you don't want to ride, I get it. No one is asking you to do something you are uncomfortable doing. The rule is not changing, so if you will not ride Friday since you believe it's unsafe, why would you ride any other day?”

Entries for Friday's card close Tuesday. Heim said he has 12 jockeys lined up to ride Friday, and that a trio of jockeys serving suspensions through Friday (Paco Lopez, Nik Juarez, and Ferrin Peterson) will not be affected by the ban.

Read more at bloodhorse.com.

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According to the Asbury Park Press, some jockeys have threatened to boycott the 2021 meet at Monmouth, with several regular NJ riders indicating plans to head elsewhere on social media.

“I wouldn't say it's a boycott. It's a decision,” Terry Mayocks, president and CEO of the Jockeys' Guild, told APP earlier this month. “We had a meeting when the stay was denied and just explained it to everyone and the process we've gone through the last year-and-a-half, and everyone basically said we don't feel comfortable. And if they can stay in Florida or go to other racetracks, that's an individual decision they will have to make.”

Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, which operates Monmouth Park, isn't concerned, saying: “We expect to have enough riders to put on the show and I think we will be successful.”

The purse structure at Monmouth will draw jockeys from other states if positions are open, Drazin continued.

In addition, Drazin has spoken with Meyocks about repercussions for jockeys accepting mounts at Monmouth and then not showing up to ride, forcing cancellation of racing.

“The Racing Commission would have the power to bring them in and give them a hearing and suspend them for conduct detrimental to racing and then they can't ride anywhere in the country, because there's reciprocity between racing commissions,” Drazin explained.

Read more at the Asbury Park Press.

The post Despite Boycott Threat, Monmouth Doesn’t Expect Jockey Shortage Over New Whip Rules appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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I have been a trainer since 1984. I have won over 2,300 races and been on just about every safety panel ever presented to the public. I have over 40 videos on Youtube @GaryContessa because I love to talk about this business and try to teach those interested about this business. I would like to give my thoughts on the Monmouth Park whip rule.

I am all about the safety of racehorses, but even more concerned with the safety of our jockeys. I have told every jockey who ever rode for me and every exercise rider who has ever worked for me, “If you feel something, scratch; if you feel something, bring them home.” I — as well as every one of my peers — do not ever want to be responsible for getting a rider hurt. When riders get hurt by a 1,200-pound horse running 40 miles per hour, it is only luck if they only get bumps and bruises. Usually, their injuries are far worse.

What is happening at Monmouth is typical of what is wrong with our industry. It is not just New Jersey — it is almost everywhere. We have non-horse people in authority dictating safety protocol and rules and regulations for our industry without ever having worked in the front lines and with virtually no experience whatsoever with horses. I may be going on a limb here, but I believe it is a very good guess that whomever set up and pushed the new whip rule in New Jersey never rode a race in his or her life. It is also probable that their lifetime experience with horses is limited to a carousel or a pony ride.

What really bothers me, and again is typical of this industry, is they had no desire to hear what the jockeys had to say on the matter. Now think about this: a 1,200-pound horse ridden by a 110-pound jockey is going to be judged by someone on the roof of the grandstand, or in an office somewhere in New Jersey as to whether or not the rider's whip use was correct.

Let me tell you from experience: because of horses, I have a knee replacement on one side, six screws in the other knee, and seven screws in an ankle, and that is just from working on horses on the ground. Horses can really damage a human if they choose to, be it a trainer, groom, or jockey. Sometimes in the blink of an eye a horse sends you a signal and you say, “Oh boy,” and prepare for the worst. For a jockey riding one at 40 miles per hour, I can tell you the signal that they get from that horse happens in less than the blink of an eye.

Telling a jockey he cannot use the whip is the worst rule I have seen in recent memory. Limiting the use of the whip to three or four hits in a certain place is so much more intelligent than the rule at Monmouth.

We have made the whips now so they are heard but not even felt by the horse. Today's whips are not inhumane and if you need proof, there is a nice video with Ramon Dominguez out there showing that humans feel nothing when hit by the whip. Jockeys need to get a horse's attention before they do something, not after it is too late. When they see those ears going back, when the horse is looking too hard at a competitor or when they grab the bit in an effort to go outside or lug in. We have seen this all too often. In a moment a horse ducks in or out and causes a catastrophic accident while getting tangled up with another horse. The horse behind goes down and every horse behind him goes over him.

Jockeys know what they are doing. They, like myself, get a signal right before a horse is going to do something. Horsemen feel it. That subtle signal that comes right before they are about to do something. Sometimes we pick up that signal and sometimes we end up in a hospital, but to take away a jockey's instinct and threaten punishment for simply doing what they have always done to keep horse and rider safe is a bad precedent, and if I were a jockey I would not want to ride at Monmouth Park. It is just not worth dying for.

–Gary Contessa, multiple graded stakes-winning trainer and top trainer in New York by wins, 2006-08

If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, please write to info at paulickreport.com and include contact information where you may be reached if editorial staff have any questions.

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The modified rule tightens restrictions already in place but clearly says that any use of the crop to “urge” the horse must be limited. The new RCI Model Rule continues to rely upon the judgement of the Stewards as to when to impose sanctions, but is clear that using the crop more than two consecutive times or not waiting three full strides before reuse is to be regarded as a rule violation.

The RCI did not include an overall strike count in the actual rule but did approve corresponding guidelines to advise officials that use of the crop more than six strikes during the race is something to be assessed. The RCI Board did not want to remove the authority of the Stewards to exercise judgement based on the specific instances of the race but did want to provide guidance as to when to start questioning the possibility of overuse.

“If our accredited Stewards cannot judge when a jock has crossed the line then perhaps they should not be in the stand,” said former jock and racing official Doug Moore who is Executive Director of the Washington State Racing Commission and Chair of the RCI Rider and Driver Safety Committee.

“If the officials fail to exercise their responsibility in this matter then the feeling at the meeting was that the matter must be reviewed up top in assessing someone's job performance and deciding whether to keep them on.”

“Several years ago we changed the riding crop requirements to rely upon poppers which provide an audible stimulation to the horse in addition to the visual one of showing the horse the crop,” said RCI Chairman Tom Sage. “As a result, it is extremely rare to find a horse with evidence of crop misuse coming in off the track.”

“In helping to protect the horse we may have created an opposite impression with the public as they now hear the noise coming from the crops,” he said.

RCI President Ed Martin noted that testimony from the Jockey Club as to public perception was taken to heart and the regulators found it compelling to help address that by defining clearly what the chance to respond should be.

“The image of someone wailing away on a horse coming down the stretch is not a good one for a sport struggling to assert a positive image. But controlled and limited use with three full strides to respond was something the regulators believed would help mitigate that,” he said.

There was resistance to putting a hard strike limit in the Model Rule to emulate what Maryland and Delaware have enacted. Some jurisdictions felt that it would be deemed arbitrary and not withstand legal challenge in their states. Others questioned the “magic” of the number 6, asking why not 5 or 7 or 8? The collective wisdom was to use a strike limit as a guideline and leave the judgement in the hands of the officials as every case is individual, especially when you consider different track lengths.

There was universal agreement that any abuse of the horse in any way must be severely addressed. The RCI committees intend to develop progressive penalty guidelines in this area in the coming months to ensure that multiple violations are deterred across the system.

“We appreciate the input we have received on this issue from countless individuals and organizations like Breeders Cup, the Thoroughbred Safety Alliance, the Jockey Club, the AQHA, the Jockeys Guild and our regulatory veterinarians,” said RCI Chair Tom Sage.

“We believe we have found a balance that protects the horse, mitigates perception problems, and maintains the essence of a sport where every horse runs its best in every race,” he said.

FULL TEXT OF THE ARCI RIDING CROP MODEL RULE

Adopted 12/4/2020 – changes underlined.

  (7). Use of Riding Crop

(a)    Although the use of a riding crop is not required, any jockey who uses a riding crop during a race shall do so only in a manner consistent with exerting his/her best efforts to obtain a maximum placing that affects purse distribution or wagering pools.

(b)    In all races where a jockey will ride without a riding crop, an announcement of such fact shall be made over the public-address system.

(c)    No electrical or mechanical device or other expedient designed to increase or retard the speed of a horse, other than the riding crop approved by the stewards, shall be possessed by anyone, or applied by anyone to the horse at any time on the grounds of the association during the meeting, whether in a race or otherwise.

(d)    Riding crops shall not be used on two-year-old horses before April 1 of each year.

(e)    The riding crop shall only be used for safety, correction and limited encouragement, and be appropriate, proportionate, professional, taking into account the rules of racing herein.  However, stimulus provided by the use of the riding crop shall be monitored so as not to compromise the welfare of the horse.

(f)    Use of the riding crop varies with each particular horse and the circumstances of the race.

(g)    Except for extreme safety reasons all riders should comply with the following when using a riding crop:

    (A)   Initially showing the horse the riding crop, and/or tapping the horse with the riding crop down, giving it time to respond before using it; 

    (B)   The riding crop shall not be used more than twice in succession and the Having used the riding crop, giving the horse must be given a chance to respond before using it again;

          i. “Chance to respond” is defined as at least three complete strides and one of the following actions by a jockey:

            1.   Pausing the use of the riding crop on their horse before resuming again; or

            2.   Pushing on their horse with a rein in each hand, keeping the riding crop in the up or down position; or

            3.   Showing the horse the riding crop without making contact; or

            4.   Moving the riding crop from one hand to the other.

    (C)   Using the riding crop in rhythm with the horse's stride.

(h)    When deciding whether or not to review the jockey's use of the riding crop, stewards will consider how the jockey has used the riding crop during the course of the entire race, with particular attention to its use in the closing stages, and relevant factors such as:

    (A)   The manner in which the riding crop was used

    (B)   The purpose for which the riding crop was used

    (C)   The distance over which the riding crop was used and whether the number of times it was used was reasonable and necessary

    (D)   Whether the horse was continuing to respond.

(i)    In the event there is a review by the Stewards, use of the riding crop may be deemed appropriate in the following circumstances:

    (A)   To keep a horse in contention or to maintain a challenging position prior to what would be considered the closing stages of a race,

    (B)   To maintain a horse's focus and concentration,

    (C)   To correct a horse that is noticeably hanging,

    (D)   To assure the horse maintains a straight course, or,

    (E)   Where there is only light contact with the horse.

(j)    Prohibited use of the riding crop includes but are not limited to striking a horse:

    (A)   On the head, flanks or on any other part of its body other than the shoulders or hind quarters except when necessary to control a horse;

    (B)   During the post parade or after the finish of the race except when necessary to control the horse;

    (C)   Excessively or brutally causing welts or breaks in the skin;

    (D)   When the horse is clearly out of the race or has obtained its maximum placing;

    (E)   Persistently even though the horse is showing no response under the riding crop; or

    (F)   Striking another rider or horse.

(k)    After the race, horses will be subject to inspection by a racing or official veterinarian looking for cuts, welts or bruises in the skin. Any adverse findings shall be reported to the Stewards.

(l)    The giving of instructions by any licensee that if obeyed would lead to a violation of this rule may result in disciplinary action also being taken against the licensee who gave such instructions.

ARCI Riding Crop Guidelines for Stewards

In addition to the rule restricting crop use to two consecutive instances before giving a horse the opportunity to respond as defined as three full strides:

• A jockey may use a riding crop in an underhand position on the hind quarters or shoulder without the wrist rising above the shoulder during a race prior to the final 1/4 mile of the race; or with both hands on the reins to tap the horse on the shoulder.
• A jockey may use the crop as necessary to control the horse for the safety of the horse and rider.
• A jockey who elects to use a riding crop for limited urging, except as permitted above, should not use the crop more than six times during the race.

The post ARCI Strengthens Model Rule Restrictions On Crop Use, But Declines To Limit Strike Count appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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In California, jockeys may only use the whip in an underhanded fashion and only six times during the running of a race. Dominguez worries that this does not allow riders to maintain a safe environment out on the track.

Like other jockeys, both active and retired, Dominguez is also concerned about racing integrity. New Jersey has implemented the strictest whip rules in the country, with jockeys only allowed to use the whip for safety, not to achieve a better placing.

“As a jockey, other than making sure you keep your mount, yourself, other horses, and fellow riders safe, your main job is to help your horse reach its maximum placing,” Dominguez argued. “In order to do so, while riding a horse with a laid-back demeanor, that wants to only put forth effort according to what's being asked of him, you may sense the need to use the crop. This is a way to incentivize him. Sometimes you have to do this as early as the last three-eighths of a mile. If he is responding well to it, by the time you reach the last sixteenth, your main tool to ensure your horse reaches its maximum placing has been taken away from you. And with that, your likely opportunity to win; this applies not only to you, but to your connections, and equally important, the person who placed a bet on your horse.”

Read more at horseracing.net.

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