Additional discussions are being held to address issues surrounding the new UK whip rules, scheduled to start on 9 January 2023 for the National Hunt race, with timing The four-week “bedtime” period, the British Horse Racing Authority (BHA) announced on Friday evening.
Under the new rules, winning horses will be disqualified if their jockey does not follow the new rules. It was agreed that to address concerns regarding the impact of athletes who may be disqualified on race day for betting purposes, any potential decision regarding disqualification Competitions will be decided by the whipping committee outside of race day, and will therefore not affect the outcome of a race for betting purposes.
The “bed time” period allows riders to ride horses without incurring new sanctions. Starting February 6, the new rules begin. For Flat racing, the “bed-in” phase begins on February 27, with full implementation of the rules starting on March 27. Under the revised rules, one athlete jumps claim to use their whip 12 or more times – with 11 or more strokes for flat jockeys – in any race may result in disqualification. In addition, if the races are Class 1 or Class 2 races under both codes, as well as any races valued at £27,500 on the Flat Road or £20,000 across jumps, the equestrian also could face a 28-day ban.
Long time may be allowed if it is thought that riders are using their whips in the interest of safety or if the whips have been used down the shoulders with both hands on the reins. It has also now been decided that, if they so wish, flat jockeys can use a jumping version of the whip – which has a longer padding – in response to concerns raised by some jockeys regarding the use of whip only in the backhand and the risk of landing it in the wrong place.
It is understood that further representations made to the British Racing Authority include concerns about the backhand-only rule.
A BHA spokesperson said: “The BHA always understands the challenges involved in any evaluation of the use of whips in horse racing.
“Since the launch of the consultation in July 2021, we have been constantly interacting with all interested parties, especially jockey players and their representatives, to ensure that we are listen to the views of those most affected.
“It is because of that willingness to participate that we have agreed to extend the initial timeline for implementing the new rules beyond the fall of 2022, allowing as many people as possible to influence and shape the discussion period. Technology.
“However, over the past few days, the BHA has had additional representations, covering a number of topics that were not raised as part of the initial consultation or technical discussions.
“According to this latest information, the BHA and the chair of the Spanking Advisory Group have agreed to continue their dialogue to explore options for addressing the concerns raised, while still achieving their goals. Our core goal is to use the whip with more caution and consideration. to encourage and improve awareness of the use of spanking.
“It is true that those discussions are allowed to go unnoticed but we will consider providing an update as soon as possible based on the current timelines for the ‘soft launch’ of the projects. revised rules on January 9, 2023.”
