Next Gen News

Racing is in crisis, on the eve of Champions Day Ascot, the most valuable card ever made in Britain. How did this happen?

If you take more than 10 months a single task, the result is better than no break in four days. Woe to the British Horse Authority, its new rules on the use of the whip (made after careful consideration) caused a powerful storm that seems very bad for the sport's image and reputation of their own jurisdiction, as was.

The review process is more secret than you might expect - which was politely declined when asked who had been proven - but I think it is possible to identify a series of wrong turns for the BHA is at least largely responsible.

I'm not a fan of flogging and 18 months ago, used this space to explain the potential benefits to the sport, so we decided to avoid the use of whips for more riders fast. So you might think that I would support the new restrictions.

But I also like running and want to develop. For now, these new rules are a barrier between sport and other more promising future.

Here's hoping that the BHA is not so hard to resist the necessary changes. These are the five basic errors that led to this unfortunate situation.

1) Designate the runners

A rider who violates the new rules pay a price seriously. In addition to a ban on at least five days, they lose their charge for the race and no part of the prize money you won from there.

No one pretends that this is right. The penalties are severe because they expected to have a deterrent effect. But this effect would have been much greater if the coaches and the owners were also to lose his reward when his jockey breaking the rules.

A rider must, after all, to submit to their employers. Even now, it is perfectly possible to imagine a trainer or owner tell his jockey: "We have to win if you can, do not worry about the rules of the fire whip or suspension of 20 days, you could get this and you win .. I walk every one of my horses for as long as you can get on it. "

Yes, there is a rule that the bar owners or trainers to repay the runner after a violation of the rule of the whip. However, the continuity of employment is what is most important for runners. Next month, it was banned and the penalty will be forgotten, but you will always have a faithful if you got your horse at home when it mattered.

If, when a rider broke the rules, the coach and the owner also lose their prize money, which can suddenly be much more keen to stress the importance of staying within the rules. The rider may also be more likely to avoid problems, knowing it would cost to their employers, as well as himself.

not reply to say that the owners or coaches can not, from their position in the pits, the frequency control of your jockey uses the whip. There, as in many others, employers are responsible for what their employees as part of their work. If breaking the rules, at least in part, because they choose someone who could be trusted or trained to stay within them. Why should qualify for their transgression?

put all the compliance burden on the shoulders of the riders is unfair. It also led to some negative reviews, this week, as many drivers, generally reluctant to complain about their fate, were angry enough to express their views publicly.

2) Put strict limits on the number of visits

seems that runners who told the Review Group called for a certainty. The old whip rules were so vague that, inevitably, is applied in different ways at different tracks and at different times.

new whip rules to achieve security by specifying strict limits on the number of times you can be a horse once. But surprise, the riders are upset by the loss of discretion.

In the first three days of application, the rules have been violated by the pilots from the likes of Richard Hughes and William Buick. We know of familiarity with these men who are gifted, intelligent and have great history of pushing the rules to their limits just because of that.

Monday, Hughes used his whip too often, and I knew, but their every move was intended to keep his horse collided with a rival and, in his opinion, not be counted against it.

was wrong. The rules can not appreciate the difficulties faced by a rider. If you used your permit number of visits, you can not take your hands the reins to use the whip for some reason, even abused to prevent the mounting rail where standing spectators, innocent of any danger.

jockeys are already not easy to keep track of lashes when so many other things to think about half of the race. It is not always easy when you have passed the stage pole, after which is limited to five hits.

Riders

Willing and talent have found that these rules are difficult to fill, yet the punishment for failure is extremely rude. It's a combination that invites rebellion rather than respect. Whatever the body was reported by the horsemen, who should have the sense to see that a strict limit on the digital number of visits was asking for trouble.

3) Failure to keep runners out of the game

This does not make sense financially. A fresh horse jockey is a little over 100 pounds and its share of the prize money can not be more career-low value obtained on the cards for many today. The prohibition of 15 days, however, can cost a large sum of four numbers.

however, is how the riders feel. If I break the rules, you can stop me from riding for a few days but you can not take money from me that I had won.

held this position, it seems that the BHA began a bitter struggle, without good reason. Undoubtedly, the ban would eventually be sufficient to demonstrate that the new rules have teeth, but also insist on taking the money if the drivers are reluctant to part with.