It appears as though the jockeys that ride under the watch of the British Horseracing Authority are not taking the new whipping rule lying down
.
The BBC has reported that jockeys are preparing to strike this coming Monday (October 17) in response to a newly implemented whipping rule which limits the amount of times they can strike their mount with their crop.
The rule limits the total amount of times a jockey can hit his/her horse with the whip to seven. The rule also outlines that the whip can be used a maximum of five times within the final furlong.
The article states that a number of jockeys are believed to have contacted trainers and indicated that they will not be riding during the program.
In addition to the strike, the article explains that rider Richard Hughes has announced that he is no longer riding due to the new rule. Hughes, who was in support of the new rule when they were first announced, violated the rule on two occasions within a four-day span after it was implemented.
Hughes hasn't been biting his tongue in regard to the incident, either.
"They're taking the art of race riding away from me," he was quoted as saying in an article by Yahoo!. "It's like telling (Barcelona footballer Lionel) Messi not to use his left foot anymore.
"I will only consider starting again if there is a review of the rules. I'd rather sweep roads than do half a job."
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Apparently, doing a complete
Apparently, doing a complete job includes whipping the snot out of a horse. Sad. Seven times should be enough to "encourage" a horse to the front. Anything after that is a beating. They should be ashamed.
How dare the British horse
How dare the British horse racing authority take away Richard Hughes god given right to beat the hell out of the horses he rides. What the heck are they thinking?