'Some reform likely' as consultation into use of whip is launched by the BHA

Changes to the whip's role and deterrents for its misuse in British horseracing are set to be in place before May next year, with the BHA believing "some level of reform" is a likely consequence of the delayed consultation into the whip, which launches on Thursday.

BHA chief executive Julie Harrington said racing "must be willing to listen" on the whip, while chief regulatory officer Brant Dunshea stated the aim was for any changes to "deal with the issue for some time".

Harrington said: "At a time when societal and political views are constantly changing, the future health of our sport will depend in part on the maintenance of social licence and the trust the public and politicians have in us.

"The racing industry must be willing to listen to and understand a range of perspectives if it is to prosper and safeguard its future.

"Moreover, we must have rules and a penalty structure which are viewed as fair to participants and the betting public, which encourage riding within the rules and which deter rule breaches."

Pushed back from last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the whip consultation was among the recommendations in British racing's strategic welfare report produced in February 2020 by the Horse Welfare Board, which outlined that increased penalties for whip transgressions was a "clear, minimum recommendation".

Dunshea said any final decisions on the whip, which could range from penalty changes to barring its use for all but correction and safety purposes, would be made by the BHA Board in January next year, with those amendments put in place before the start of May.

The BHA is beginning the consultation by launching an online survey open to anyone to express views on the whip until September 6, with information also being gathered via focus groups and from within the industry prior to assessments and recommendations being made to the board by a 15-member steering group containing political, racing and media figures.

Speaking at a media briefing on Wednesday, Dunshea said: "The Horse Welfare Board recommended that, as a minimum, penalties should increase and the industry's members' committee and BHA board endorsed the recommendations of the report.

"On that basis, and while nothing has been predetermined and no decisions have been made, I think it would be a reasonable expectation that there will be some level of reform as a consequence of this process. All options are open to the steering group and nothing is off the table entirely.

"The steering group is tasked with arriving at a consensus view based on the material they receive through the consultation process. Any resulting recommendations are then taken to the members and stakeholders for further discussion before they are put to the BHA Board, which is currently planned to take place in a standalone board meeting in January 2022."

He added: "What we are trying to do is make sure any changes have an appropriate period of bedding in, so we're looking at it being implemented before the start of the Flat season; effectively working towards post-National and before the start of the Classics next year."

Dunshea stressed the consultation was wider than a "referendum on whether the whip stays or goes" and that engaging the public was vital with the sport's future reliant on "trust".

"The whip is an issue of public trust and the sport must be alive and responsive to the view of the public, who are our current and future customers," he said. "Society must trust horse sport to be ethical and reflect its values. Public trust will play a pivotal role in the sport’s recovery and plans for growth."

The last major modification to Britain's whip rules, such as limiting the number of permitted strikes per race, came into force in 2011, with whip offences dropping by 55 per cent between 2010 and 2019, according to BHA statistics.

Nevertheless, Dunshea said he was "not surprised" the whip remained a talking point despite the changes being made only ten years ago, but hoped the "incredibly robust" consultation would provide a strong grounding for any further developments.

Brant Dunshea: 'Our hope is that we can arrive at a consensus view'

"Our collective hope is that at the end of this process we can arrive at a consensus view that is grounded in evidence and a very thorough process that allows us to have a great foundation to build on for implementing any reforms that may flow from it," he said. "That, we hope, will deal with this issue for some time, ensuring that the industry, the public and politicians have trust in the sport.

"This process is an incredibly robust one that takes in the views of not just the industry but society more generally. One of the great outcomes from this is that we will expect to understand this issue in a way we haven't understood it before as a consequence of all the information we received through the process."

A summary of data collected and used by the steering group and BHA Board to arrive at any decisions on the whip will be published in a report following the consultation, said Dunshea, who added that a third-party insight company was being used to interpret survey responses and avoid any results being skewed.

How whip rules vary in major racing jurisdictions

Britain and Ireland Can be used a maximum of seven times in a Flat race and eight times over jumps in Britain. It is eight in both disciplines in Ireland.

France and Germany Must not be used more than five times during a race.

Australia Limited to five strikes up to the final 100 metres of a race when there is no limit on its use.

South Africa Can be used up to 12 times in any race.

Japan and Hong Kong No specified number of strikes of the whip but "improper or misuse" of the whip would lead to punishment for the rider.

USA Varies from state to state with most having no set limits.

Norway Permitted for safety purposes in two-year-old and jump racing only.

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