Common sense prevails. The rule denying the use of the forehand whip has been overturned. Surely with it all about maintaining animal welfare, this gives the jockey more accuracy now to 'hit' the horse in the right place. Poor Charlie Deutsch received a ban yesterday for practising the backhand whip and getting it wrong.
Not sure putting a lot of media people in charge of the BHA helps. If you read David Nicholson's biography he said the jockey he always looked to was Joe Mercer, as when other jockeys resorted to the whip Mercer could be seen riding hard with just hands and heels. As Mercer had been my jockey hero I liked that. When asked about the whip and its possible banning, Mercer said to ban the whip would be madness as how would you then control half a ton of unruly animal. Gone are the bad old days of the 70s, and before, when jockeys (often Irish) could be seen abusing tiring colts (often at Cheltenham). Rarely do you see overuse of the whip today. There have to be rules and getting the balance right is difficult. Jockeys have to use their whip. At Royal Ascot this year a horse kept a race but the jockey was banned for coming across the field in a 2yo race. He should have had his whip in his other hand straightening the immature horse out. Yet in 2021 Ryan Moore won the Irish Champion Stakes in much the same way. Nothing happened. For the racing follower getting balance and consistency is what they want. For those who want to stop the sport getting any small misdemeanour highlighted is a victory.
I still see the occasional "abuse" and shout at the telly but thankfully "gone" to the extent they were then
