Julie Harrington refutes claims BHA pandering to racing’s critics with whip changes
The chief executive of the British Horseracing Authority, Julie Harrington, has responded to criticism of the sport’s leadership amid continued outcry over the introduction of the new whip regulations.
Thirteen-time champions trainer Paul Nicholls said on Friday he was “angry” at the timing of the changes ahead of the Cheltenham Festival, which starts on March 14, and that the BHA needed to show “a bit of backbone” to advocate for the Sports.
No fewer than 19 jockeys were hit with whip bans in the first week the new rules went into effect on February 19. Another 12 riders were suspended when the whip review committee met for the second time.
Nicholls accused the BHA of “appeasing” critics of the sport rather than standing up for its participants.
Speaking on Racing TV’s ‘Luck on Sunday’, Harrington said: ‘Obviously I’m disappointed to hear these comments, but it takes real backbone to make some unpopular decisions. We know there’s a lot of passion on both sides of the whip debate and I have to be strong that we don’t give in to people who will never love the sport.
“What we’re trying to do is make sure the sport is fair and also as attractive as possible to the people who don’t have strong opinions about the sport.
“I think everyone would agree that there are different sides and different schools of thought as to whether the whip is a welfare issue, but I think everyone agrees that it’s a perception issue for the sport. I think it would be negligent of us to know that and just sit around and do nothing about it.
“The whip review panel on our behalf was full of people who work really closely with horses and it was their strong recommendation to keep the whip for encouragement because they believe it is not an animal welfare issue.
“To be clear, I don’t think it’s about welfare, but I also run a sport where I know there’s a huge, passionate debate and disagreement on both sides.”
The whip order changes include a one strike reduction. It can now be used six times on the flat and seven times over jumps, with a disqualification for the horse if riders cross this threshold four times or more. Suspensions for jockeys are also more severe.
Harrington added: “It’s also a matter of fairness to make sure we get fair results – if you have ties with a horse that’s being ridden within the rules but lose to a horse that’s being ridden outside the rules, there must be enough deterrence to ensure this is fair and there is no win-at-all-costs mentality.
“There is never a good time to make change and making change is difficult.
“There will always be people who disagree, but there is a clear understanding that these rules now apply and it is up to the jockeys to abide by these rules.”
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