Whipping Rule Report: Board Calls for Disqualification for Serious Infringement and Restricted Use for Encouragement | Racing news

Racing’s whip rules could be set for a major overhaul with a review panel calling for significantly increased penalties for serious violations and restrictions on how players race. Use spanking to encourage.

In a much-anticipated report released Tuesday by the British Horsepower Authority (BHA), the Whipping Advisory Steering Group – which includes senior industry figures such as trainer John Gosden and campaigner Jockey Tom Scudamore – have revealed their recommendations for changes to the rules, regulations and punishment of whipping.

The group is calling for the introduction of disqualification conditions on horses where a rider uses a whip four or more times the allowable level, set at 7 strokes for Flat Racing and 8 times for Jumping Horse Racing.

If a jockey attacks a horse four or more times in a major race, they will face at least a month of suspension, with the aim of doing so from August 2022.

In another important conclusion, the panel will recommend restricting the use of backhand whips by players, unless for safety reasons.

Overall, the team concluded that the current penalty framework for racing behavior “is not sufficiently deterrent for violations” and “needs to be more aggressive”.

The team’s recommendations for changes to penalties also include a doubling of suspensions for violations in “major” races, defined across both codes to include all 1st and 2nd place competitions and any race exceeding a total prize pool of £27,500 for a Flat race or £20,000 for a Jump race.

Meanwhile, it was found that they disliked renaming the whip to help the public understand it better, but the report urged the racing industry to use “appropriate and responsible language” regarding whips.

Regarding the current enforcement of caning regulations, the group ruled that existing penalties were sufficient but were not consistently enforced and applied.

In 2020, a total of 297 whip offenses are believed to have occurred from 73,872 rides that year, a 67% drop from 2010.

Of these, 203 resulted in a suspension of one to two days, while only 26 resulted in a ban of seven days or more – a 13% increase from 2010.

The Steering Group’s findings followed an online consultation that received 2,147 responses, including 510 non-race participants, 685 racing or racing television viewers, 149 equestrians and 429 owners. racing horse.

In its concluding statement, the report said: “This was a thorough, detailed, consensus-gathering review of a package of measures within a group covering a range of perspectives and expertise, and consider a variety of complicating factors.

“The Steering Group asks anyone discussing these recommendations to keep this in mind.”

Current rules for ‘acceptable use’ of whip

Any use of the whip by a jockey must be justified in the context of the race.

The whip can be used to encourage the horse to perform at its best only when the horse is scrambling in the race, the horse can respond and the horse is given time to respond.

Using whips for encouragement is not simply about making the horse run faster. It is to focus and focus a horse so that it performs at its best in a race.

The whip can only be used on the body of the horse, in the case of the race, it will not cause pain.

The stimulus provided by the whip must be limited, and the whip used only a certain number of times, so as not to affect the horse’s interests.

The whip used by all UK jockey players must be a specially designed energy-absorbing whip to be painless when used properly.

Is the whipping a welfare issue?

The whip has changed and evolved over the years, with its current energy-absorbing and foam-cushioned design created in partnership with the RSPCA.

British Racing uses only one accredited supplier to ensure all whips comply with BHA standards.

Weighers at racecourses regularly check the whips to monitor their condition.