Racing board proposes amending rules on use of whips by jockeys
The California Horse Racing Board will hold a public hearing on Nov. 20 at Del Mar to consider a proposal to restrict how often a jockey can whip a horse.
The proposed amendment would prohibit a jockey from using a whip on a horse more than “three times in succession” without giving the horse a chance to respond.
The Daily Racing Form reported earlier this month that Santa Anita is considering instituting a similar house rule beginning with the Sept. 26 autumn meeting. The CHRB does not have to approve the rule for its use at Santa Anita.
Darrell Haire, the Western Regional representative for the Jockeys’ Guild, said he expects Santa Anita to use the rule for its upcoming meeting that includes the two-day Breeders’ Cup on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. A Santa Anita spokesman declined to comment on Thursday pending further consultations on the matter.
The CHRB is also proposing to change the term whip to riding crop.
Currently, rules prohibit jockeys from whipping a horse on the head, flanks or any part of the body other than shoulders or hind quarters. Also prohibited is whipping “when the horse is clearly out of the race or has obtained its maximum placing.”
The Jockeys’ Guild has been holding discussions with the CHRB and tracks for four months on the proposed rule change, Haire said.
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