The two week ‘grace’ period for jockeys to get accustomed to the new urging rules experiment of underhanded whip use will be extended.
The experiment was put into place on Friday, October 18 and was scheduled to end Nov. 1 (today) but Woodbine, HBPA Ontario and Alcohol and Gaming Commission want to assess the pilot project more and have extended the grace period another week.
Woodbine is the only track in the world to move forward with major rule changes for whip use in races. The experiment, which is scheduled to continue through closing day in December, states that riders are not allowed to strike their horse with the whip in the cocked position (they can wave it). Whipping can only be done with the whip in the underhanded position but strikes cannot land on the belly or flank area.
It has taken plenty of adjustment for riders to keep the whip underhanded; certainly this is expected since it comes after years of knowing just one way to strike a horse in the heat of the race.
The general consensus from owners and trainers has been positive however, there are some who disagree with the new rules. A few riders have noted their opposition to the rules, stating that an underhanded whip does not have the same effect on a lazy horse as an overhand stick.
Horseplayers and casual fans have noted that the overall replays of the whips staying in the underhanded position looks less harsh, an important point to note as horse racing continues to build up its public perception.
However, while it is often hard to tell watching the races if a rider has cocked the whip while in the heat of the battle, man fans have noticed that during the ‘grace’ period, some riders are not adhering to the rules leading some to think it is not a fair playing field.
The assessment of the project continues.
Read previous articles here and here.
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