The Whip Issue

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Hardy Eustace

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Jun 1, 2011
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Was just reading an article on the BBC website with regards the whip rule, and how it is likely to be change to abolish the final furlong maximum 5 whips. Anyway that was not why i was posting this, i was posting it with regards to the comments half way through the article where it starts to talk about how the welfare rights group would be dissapointed if the financial element of the whip rule was to be reversed or scaled back and that only 1% of rides since the introduction of the new rules have actually been in breach of the rules.

Surely because of the 1% figure the rules should NOT stay the same, to me this shows that jockeys and the horse racing fraternity are noy the whip happy horse beaters that the welfare rights groups like to make out. And also why are they plucking a figure out like this after only 1 week of the rules being in place to back up their reasoning, i would like to see the amount of times the whip rule was broken in week before the new whip rule was introduced and compare - I know which one i would back to come out of top.

The main crux of my point is simply why are we trying to pander to these wingnutted welfare morons who will not actually be happy until horse racing is simply abolished. Do the BHA seriously think that the Welfare rights groups will stop if the whip rule stays in place as it is, or even if the whip is banned all together? Obviously not, if the BHA continue to try and appease these fools then they are just going to want more and more out of the sport until we have no racing left. I read the Fallon article yesterday and he made a very good point about the Irish, the French and the German racing bodies not pandering to the Welfare muppets, so why are we?


a link to the BBC article http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/horse_racing/15360706.stm
 
A pretty sorry state of affairs with plenty of people and organisations at fault. I have actually gone to the bother of articulating my own thoughts on the matter on my Blog. Please have a read if interested and give me your thoughts. I think the current situation is impossible to sustain but almost impossible to get out of as well!
 
The BHA seem to be stuck on the financial penalty point of the rule as well so why dont they apply common sense and use some sort of sliding scale n relation to what class race the offence took place in:

Class 6, 5 & 4 = 50% of prize money
Class 3 = 40%
Class 2 = 30%
Class 1 = 20%
Group 3 = 15%
Group 2 = 10%
Group 1 = 5%

Surely something along these lines would be far less draconian and something that the jockeys would be willing to accept.
 
The fact that only one percent of rides have fallen foul of the new rules is surely an indication of their pointlessness. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. To date this has just been a public relations disaster.

Trying to placate the animal rights nutters is a total waste of time but commonsense is surgically removed from most management candidates in Britain so those at the BHA are no exception.

The way that the system is currently framed it is the ‘ordinary’ working jockeys who stand to be the most heavily penalised. Whereas the top jockeys can afford to pick and choose when they ride in order to avoid potentially picking up bans that will rule them out of key races, the jockeys who drive up and down the land every day of the week to ride enough races to pay their bills are not so fortunate. A riding ban means that they have no money coming in and it is not as if, after their considerable expenses, they are making a prosperous living. Sitting at my computer five days a week earns me more than triple an average jockey’s salary and my journey to work does not take me to Folkestone, Southwell or Musselburgh.

OddDog, Britain went PC long before Blair came along but he continued the trend.
 
McCririck in the Mail today. It would be funny if it wasn't so serious. He displays a complete ignorance and lack of understanding for the issue at hand. He cannot be allowed to continue his current 'face of racing' role. He simply has no idea what he is talking about, as he has shown on countless occasions.
 
Quite why McCririck is getting so much air time about this subject is beyond me. If they put him on a horse it would collapse. He probably has to pay The Booby to flog him!

I am sure that the use of sensationalist language like “beating their horses” will ensure that Daily Fail readers get his point.

Phrases involving ‘black’ and ‘pot’ come to mind when this eccentric crank says that not all of those favouring a total ban are eccentric cranks, citing the “legendary trainer” Charlie Brooks as a supporter. I thought Charlie Brooks was a dolly-bird in EastEnders. Rebekah Wade’s husband is an “international playboy” according to the Independent.
 
Hardy, I agree with everything you say.
Sadly, we live in a stupid society which panders to minority groups; is befuddled and warped by political and social correctness; and which harps on continually about human/animal rights and freedoms - without thought of how it affects the freedom and rights of others.
Therein lies the crux of the matter....
Everyone should ask themselves...Which is more important, exercising ones own freedom or not being subject to the freedom of someone else?
Re. the whip issue, are the rights of idiotic minority animal welfare groups more important than the freedoms, rights, and livelihoods of our jockeys?
When I see protesters gathered together- or marching down the street- I wonder how they find the time! Why aren't they at work? Or would they claim that is their job of work? Or are they more likely layabouts who don't know what work is?
A final thought or two.....it's a sick society that donates far more to animals than we do to children.
It sickens me that this "whip issue" was even raised. I have great sympathy for Soumillon over his fine and ban at Ascot- how can the BHA reduce a human being to the level of degradation and humiliation that the French jockey must have experienced- when doing his best for his employers and trying to earn an honest living? Absolutely disgusting!!
 
Anyone following AP on twitter ?
The guy is a legend but is losing credibility rapidly IMO.
There was an exchange yesterday between him and Choc where AP suggested the meeting on Monday was a waste of time and theat the BHA would ignore everything raised by the jockeys.
This is the guy who openly supported the rules and priased the BHA for making changes for the benefit of the sport less than 4 weeks ago - I stand by what I thought at the start, the BHA instructed senior/influencial figures to publicly support the changes, the likes of AP (Choc was always against the changes) now come across as inconsistent amateurs.
 
To be fair to AP and the others, the BHA asked them to give their support without giving them the full details of the new rules. Granted they should have asked to be able to digest everything first, but it appears there was definite pressure from the powers that be.

On whip matters, Twitter seems to be suggesting that the the 7/8 limit remains but the final furlong rule has been dropped. Not sure if there has been an announcement or if it is someone jumping the gun, but we'll see shortly.
 
OK thanks PN.
So the flat boys are helped but NH pilots on a rogue going 3.5 miles in a bog are still in a no win situation.
Hey ho....
 
"The five-hits edict in the final furlong/after the last obstacles has been dropped, although the limit on strikes remains seven times in a Flat race, and eight over jumps.
Riders will not lose theirriding fee if they get banned for a whip offence and will forfeit their prize-money percentage only if receiving a suspension of seven days or more - up from three. Therefore a jockey who uses one more hit than allowed will not lose his or her prize-money percentage."

From the RP Site.
 
I agree Cyc, someone of APs standing and intelligence would not have put their name to anything without knowing what it stands for, same for Nicholls, Bradburne, Carberry and all the others who sent out messages congratulating the BHA on the positive changes brought in....
 
My suspicion from day 1 has been that the jockey weren't consulted when establishing the changes, they were simply mandated by the BHA and the jockeys were told to be good boys and run along. I could be wrong of course .................
 
When I see protesters gathered together- or marching down the street- I wonder how they find the time!
Click to expand...

Most of the ‘protesters’ these days are professional protesters from affluent middle-class families. They do not have to work for a living because mater and pater maintain them. They would be anarchists if their public schools had taught them how to hijack legitimate marches, be violent and smash windows.

Tamerlo, Soumillon is Belgian not French – like Hercule Poirot!!!
 
"Charlie Brooks the legendary trainer" WTF?????? <laugh>

I'm also amazed at the Damascene conversion of John francome - I seem to remember he wasn't averse to giving the horse a few "clips".
 
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