HY EVENTING, JOCKEY, RIDING CROP, WHIP - BLACK

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Harrington said the new rules were not introduced to appease people who "will never love the sport". Whips are carried first and foremost as an essential aid to horsemanship and safety. This is consistent across all equine activities which involve exertion on the part of the horse. The start date for any whip suspension incurred this week is the opening day of the festival on Tuesday, March 14. While an entry-level four-day ban can be moved to avoid a Grade 1 fixture, any punishment more serious than that – starting with the seven days incurred for going two strokes over the permitted seven strikes – will automatically rule a rider out of Cheltenham.

However, we are committed to listening to our participants, and when further views and information come to light very late in the day, and following the conclusion of that process, we were duty bound to consider it, and make representations to the BHA board accordingly.” Following the 2022 report into the use of the whip, the rules regarding the use of the whip in British racing are being revised.The last major review of whip rules, prior to the 2022 changes, was in 2011. In 2020, the British racing industry’s independent Horse Welfare Board recommended a consultation and review of penalties on whip use. The consultation started in 2021, details of the changes were released in July 2022 and timescales published in November 2022. Tweaks were made to these recommendations in early 2023, ahead of the soft launch in jump racing on 9 January 2023. It is inevitable that there will be those who think we have gone too far, and those who think we have not gone far enough," said David Jones, chair of the steering group. Racing insiders point to research that shows modern air-cushioned whips do not hurt horses, although concede there is a perception issue over their use. A common misperception is that the whip is used to make the horse go faster. While it can sometimes generate an increase in speed, it is more about sustaining the horse's pace, particularly in the closing stages of a race," says the BHA. revised whip rules/policies and supporting guidance to be initially introduced for Jump racing from 9 January 2023, in a four-week ‘bedding in’ period

Disqualifications will not be applied on race day, meaning they will have no effect for betting purposes. Rules on using the whip in British racing have been in place for a long time. Mandatory cushioned whips were introduced in jump racing in Britain in 2004, and on the Flat in 2007. These were updated in 2009. Despite criticism, the BHA ultimately hopes the new rules remove the whip as a subject of debate, particularly at big meetings, such as Cheltenham and Aintree's Grand National Festival in April, which it sees as a "shop window" for the sport that reaches beyond its core audience. The Racing League fixtures will be held from 16 July this year at four racecourses - Doncaster, Lingfield, Newcastle and Windsor.But some highly competitive races such as the Cheltenham Gold Cup have seen winning riders given subsequent bans for breaching the regulations. Lorcan Williams: 18-day suspension for overuse of the whip on Saturday Credit: Alan Crowhurst / Getty Images The rules were introduced in British jump racing on 13 February after a bedding-in period which began at the start of January. Disqualification of the horse will be introduced where the whip is used four or more times above the permitted level During initial drafting of the rules it was intended that a suspension imposed by the Whip Review Committee (WRC) should be imposed 14-days from the date of the referral by the stewards.

In Flat racing the bedding-in period will begin from 27 February with full implementation from 27 March, which is the start of the week in which the Flat Turf season commences. The whip can be used a maximum of six times in a Flat race or seven times in a Jump race. Any more than this will prompt the stewards to review the ride In other countries like Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and France, strict rules regulating whip use during racing are also enforced.Modern whips used in racing have a polymer surround and are foam-padded and energy absorbing, meaning they are cushioned upon impact.