LONDON (Reuters) – The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) on Wednesday amended new rules regarding the use of the whip after jockeys raised concerns about being limited to a backhand position.
The BHA said in a statement the backhand only rule introduced last year had been removed and replaced with an amendment reducing the permitted use of the whip in a race.
This will now be a maximum of six times in a flat race and seven times in a jump race, down from seven and eight respectively.
Penalties for excessive use, and offences such as using the whip above shoulder height or in the incorrect place, will be increased further.
Jockeys will still be disqualified for using the whip four times or more above the permitted level and stewards can no longer apply “discretion”.
The BHA said jockeys had raised concerns in recent weeks, including information not aired during the consultation or technical discussion phase.
“This included the feedback that some jockeys who have suffered shoulder or collarbone injuries may find use of the whip solely in the backhand more challenging,” it added.
The new rules will have a ‘bedding-in’ period in jump racing from Jan. 9, without jockeys being subject to the new penalties, before full implementation on Feb. 6 — a month before the Cheltenham Festival starts on March 14.
“This allows Jump jockeys over two months to adapt to the new rules before the start of the Cheltenham Festival,” the BHA said.
Flat racing will have a soft launch starting Feb. 27 with full implementation on March 27.
“Efforts were taken to listen to the views of jockeys from both codes, over many hours,” said David Jones, chair of the BHA’s Whip Consultation Steering Group.
“This consultation has arguably been the most thorough undertaken by the BHA in relation to any specific regulatory reform in the past.”
Animal rights organisation Animal Aid said the BHA had “succumbed to pressure from jockeys”.
“The BHA has failed to protect race horses from the brutality of the whip,” it said.
“Their extensive review is in tatters as their resolve was weak when challenged by jockeys who were against stopping forceful forehand strikes of the whip.”
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
