Sweden bans use of whip for encouragement from new season in April | Horse racing news
Edward Whitaker (racingpost.com/photos)
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By Peter Scargill
The use of the whip for encouragement has been banned in Sweden since the start of the season in April, with officials saying that “the use of whips in horse racing does not belong in 2022”.
Svensk Galopp’s decision means that the use of the whip is prohibited except for safety reasons.
Helena Gartner, project manager at the Scandinavian Racing Regulations Committee, said: “The use of the whip in Sweden has been discussed for several years. The regulations have been changed gradually and the foam padded sticks were introduced a few years ago, but now it is time to completely ban the use of the whip. The use of a whip in horse racing simply does not belong in 2022. ”
Strict rules regarding the use of the whip already existed in Sweden, with it being banned in two-year and jumping races, while jockeys were limited to three strikes for encouragement in other races.
The competition takes place on three tracks in the country, with the Stockholm Cup raceday held at Bro Park, near Stockholm, in September, the season’s main match.
On its website, Svensk Galopp describes how the racing industry in Sweden “prides itself on its strict animal welfare rules”.
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The use of the whip in the UK is undergoing a consultation, which had been recommended by the Horse Welfare Board (HWB) in its five-year strategic plan for the sport, which was released before the coronavirus pandemic 2020.
HWB noted in its report that the whip had “a totemic significance in racing” and that sport in the UK “must signal a proactive, positive direction in relation to the whip, take measures to eliminate abuse and lead all discussions about future removal of the whip for encouragement ”.
HWB added that increased penalties for the use of the whip were its “clear, minimum recommendation” with the BHA setting up a whip consultation steering group, which includes the likes of John Gosden and Tom Scudamore, to assess responses from the consultation before proposing recommendations to the BHA board.
The report and results will be published in May, according to a timeline released by the BHA on Thursday, with any changes to the whip that will take effect in the fall.
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FIRST PUBLICATION AT 11:43, 28 JAN 2022