Jockeys Take Stand Against Whipping Rule
In a show of solidarity in the Fort Erie jockeys' room, on Tuesday, July 13, riders at the border oval banded together to fight a whipping suspension which was handed down to the track's leading jock, Krista Carignan
.
It has been reported that Carignan had gone over the amount of whipping warnings and she was not going to be allowed to race on the Tuesday card.
"We've got a rule that calls for immediate suspension in violation of the whip (use)," said Jockey's Benefit Association of Canada National Manager Robbie King was quoted as saying in an article by The St. Catharines Standard. "They removed her at 1:10 (p.m. Tuesday), just before the first race and they took her off her six mounts for that day, not allowing her to fulfill her riding engagements.
"None of the jockeys picked up the open mounts."
According to the report, Rick Cowan, chief operating officer for the track, said that although this was an issue between the jockeys and the ORC, the track was caught in the middle.
"Unfortunately, it resulted in shorter fields and less betting opportunities for the customers," he said. "Our whole product is predicated on field size and quality of the jockeys. When you lose field size and quality jocks, and that results in less confidence in terms of the betting public as far as their wagering goes, both on track and off track.
"It just has a negative impact on us."
(With files from The St. Catharines Standard)
Simply solution,eradicate
Simply solution,eradicate the whip from horse racing.
There is no consistency in using a whip but there is in not using one!!
This is an issue that needs
This is an issue that needs to be addressed further in the racing world. I applaud jurisdictions like Maine and the Canadian Maritimes which have placed restrictions on the use of the whip in races. I live and work in New Jersey, at the Meadowlands, and i think that our whipping rules are the most lax in the entire sport of horse racing, regardless of breed. I see far too many horses come back from races with everything from whip marks, to welts, to open, bleeding wounds caused by drivers' indescriminate use of the whip. I think that all North American racetracks should adopt strict whipping rules, like those set by the MPHRC; sorry boys, but you have to keep a line in EACH HAND the entire mile; or at least the Maine rule where you cannot take the lines in one hand until the 7/8th pole. I absoloutely agree with any discipline given to any driver/jockey for indiscriminite or abuisive use of the whip, nad would love to see things change throughout North Amnerica.