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Swedish Racing Regulator Bans Whip Use

New whip regulations will take effect in Sweden in April, according to regulator Svensk Galopp.

According to the new rules, the whip may not be used for driving purposes. The new rules mean that the rider may only use the whip to prevent accidents, and are largely in line with the Norwegian rules. The only difference is that in Sweden, riders can carry a whip in all races.

The whip regulations were discussed at the autumn meeting last year and the decision on the new rules was made by Svensk Galopp's board on Monday. The rule change is made in connection with a new version of SRG (Scandinavian Regulations for Galloping) being published in March.

Previously, jockeys in Sweden had been allowed to hit their horses three times in a race. The whip, however, had not been allowed in jumps racing or for 2-year-old racing.

“The use of the whip in Sweden has been discussed for years,” said Helena Gartner, project manager of the Scandinavian Racing Regulations Committee. “The regulations have changed gradually and the foam-padded sticks were introduced some years ago, but now it is time to ban the use of the whip completely. Whip use in horse racing simply does not belong in 2022.”

The new whip regulations in Sweden:

Whip may be used to ward off a dangerous situation. The whip must not be angled up to the horse's eyes and ears. With whip blows, blows are equated with the horse's rein, the rider's arm and hand. During the run, the rider must ride with both hands on the horse's mane and neck. From 200 meters before the finish line, in the obstacle course after the last obstacle before the finish line has been passed, the rider may not change the whip from one hand to the other unless such a situation as stated in the first sentence exists. Riders may only use a whip determined by Skandinavisk Galopp, so-called cushion stick (padded whip).

The first paragraph also applies when training a horse. By training a horse is meant the physical and mental preparation of a horse that is to compete and where the purpose of the training is to prepare the horse for competition. The horse is exerted, physically or mentally, in a way that is not only devoted to maintaining or achieving basic physical condition and mobility or basic mental training.

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Mountaineer Jockey Puts Goggles To Good Use In Winning Race

Baytown Valleygirl was racing to the outside of favored Golden Hughes at the top of the stretch in the fifth race on the June 30 program at Mountaineer Park in Chester, W.Va., when the 2-year-old Klimt filly's rider, Odhair Mayta, lost control of his whip, which fell to the track.

Luis Rivera, aboard Golden Hughes, began urging his mount with left-handed encouragement, and she appeared to put her head in front briefly.

After losing his whip, Mayta gave his filly a hand ride, but then approaching the sixteenth pole ripped the goggles off of his head with his right hand and immediately began slapping the filly on the shoulder and showing her the goggles between strikes. She poked her head in front and edged away gradually to win by a neck.

It was the first victory in six starts for Baytown Valleygirl, trained by Paul McEntee for Wagner Racing and McEntee Racing. Mayta was winning for the 17th time in 99 starts at Mountaineeer this year, putting him sixth in the rider standings.

This wouldn't be the first time that a resourceful jockey used goggles to encourage a mount. In 2015, Jose Lezcano was cleared by the New York State Gaming Commission for using his goggles on a mount after dropping his whip. A steward who said Lezcano violated two rules was overruled by a 5-0 commission vote, according to a report in Bloodhorse.com.

West Virginia Racing Rules state that “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…whether during a race or otherwise.”

Are goggles an “expedient”? We'll leave that one up to the stewards.

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Kentucky Committee, Jockeys Come Together On New Whip Rules

After discussions with the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition and The Jockeys' Guild, the rules committee of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission unanimously passed changes to the state's whip rules on Monday afternoon.

The whip rule has been up for discussion for some time in Kentucky. In June 2020, a joint meeting of the rules committee and the safety and welfare committee brought forth proposed changes from the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, an industry group that includes Churchill Downs and Keeneland. Those rules would have limited overhanded strikes to five in the stretch but permitted underhanded strikes at the start of a race. The guidance also allowed a rider to use the whip as necessary to course correct in an emergency, but suggested riders may be required to pull a horse up if they exhausted their strike limit during a corrective incident.

The Jockeys' Guild had pushed back on that proposal, requesting the maximum number of over-handed strikes increase to six. A subsequent committee meeting in September resulted in a move to focus sanctions on suspensions rather than fines for violations of the new rules.

On Monday, all parties expressed their support for the following:

A limit on overhanded strikes to a total of six prior to the 3/8 pole, while giving the horse a chance to respond after two strikes. Overhanded uses may not include the rider raising the whip above the helmet
Underhanded or backhanded use only in the final 3/8 of a mile
Showing the horse the whip or tapping the horse on the shoulder will remain acceptable if both hands are on the reins
Removal of the word “strike” to refer to the use of the whip in order to improve pubic perception
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

Jockeys' Guild president and CEO Terry Meyocks said he is hopeful the same language will be taken to other members of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, which includes The Stronach Group, NYRA, and Del Mar, for use at those facilities.

“Having different rules in so many various states is not good for anybody,” said Meyocks. “Ideally, if the KHRC were to adopt this rule then we could work on a uniform rule throughout North America.”

“We're not going to let 'perfect' get in the way of 'really good,'” said Mike Ziegler, senior vice president and general manager of Churchill Downs and Coalition representative of the new draft of the rules.

There will be ample notice given to riders 30 to 60 days of the new rules being implemented to give them time to change their riding style before they could become subject to penalties.

KHRC executive director Marc Guilfoil noted the parties had received input from legislators, who had advised them that previous versions of the whip reform rules were not likely to pass. Meyocks said that he was advised the Guild would need to be willing to compromise to find a rule that would be approved.

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CHRB Approves Stricter Penalties For Whip Use, Hopes To Have New Rule In Place For Breeders’ Cup

Hoping to have a new rule in place for the 2021 Breeders' Cup at Del Mar in November, the California Horse Racing Board approved on Wednesday new, stricter penalties to impose on jockeys for excessive whip use, reports the Daily Racing Form.

Since Oct. 1, California jockeys have been limited to six underhanded strikes of the whip, and are allowed two strikes before pausing to allow for a response. Stewards have fined jockeys a total of $28,300 since the new rules were implemented, primarily for using the whip more than six times.

In a unanimous vote, the CHRB approved a rule establishing a minimum fine of $500 and possible three-day suspension for excessive whip use. The current rule calls for a maximum fine of $1,000, along with the possible three-day suspension.

The CHRB's new penalty rule will have a 45-day public comment period before coming back for final approval.

“I think this protects the domestic rider,” said CHRB Chairman Gregory Ferraro. “Our concern had been that riders, particularly from foreign countries, could violate the rule and a $500 fine and three-day suspension would be meaningless to them. This allows for considerably more punishment for egregious violations and makes it more fair to our domestic riding colony.”

“This addresses the concern that I had right along, that has been any excessive whipping and putting in-state riders at a disadvantage,” echoed commissioner Oscar Gonzalez. “I believe this measure addresses any concerns I had. I'm hoping this is something we can adopt and have in place by Breeders' Cup.”