New Riding Crop Rules Take Effect in Britain March 27

The new whip rules for flat jockeys riding in Britain come into force March 27, six weeks on from their full implementation over jumps.

The bedding-in period for flat jockeys to adjust to the changes to the rules was later in the calendar, from Feb. 27, to account for some riders spending the winter abroad, and all-weather meetings at Lingfield and Wolverhampton will be the first under the stricter guidelines.

Flat jockeys will be able to use the whip a maximum of six times during a race, with disqualification for their mount if they go four or more strikes over that threshold. Riders also face increased penalties for rule breaches.

The number of strikes was reduced by one, down from seven, when amendments to the original recommendations were changed in January, at the time plans to ban use in the forehand position were aborted.

A BHA spokesman said March 26: "Following a four-week bedding-in period, the new whip rules come into effect in flat racing on Monday. We have been liaising with the PJA and jockeys throughout the bedding-in period and will continue to do so."

Luke Morris, who has had more rides in Britain this year than any other flat jockey, will be among those operating under the new rules on the first day as he has a full book of seven rides at Lingfield.

"I've found the bedding-in period absolutely fine," he said. "Everyone has worked hard together, the stipendiary stewards and the jockeys, and I've been to a couple of meetings with the PJA and members of the BHA and things are working well.

"Everyone is grasping it and hopefully there won't be too many issues going forward. I had a couple of cases in the first week, but they were deemed to be not a breach and since then, thankfully, everything has been smooth and fingers crossed it stays that way."

In the first full week of the new rules over jumps, Lunar Discovery, who finished second in an Ayr bumper, became the first horse to be disqualified under Britain's tightened restrictions after jockey Charlotte Jones used her whip 11 times, which was four strikes over the permitted seven in jumps races.

It was one of 20 decisions handed down by the whip review committee from that week, which also included an 18-day ban for jockey Lorcan Williams.

Although another disqualification occurred the following week, that of Newcastle runner-up Mavis Pike after rider James Turner was found to have used his whip five times over the permitted level, this month's Cheltenham Festival, seen as the acid test for the new rules, passed without any horses being thrown out. 

Harry Cobden was handed a four-day ban for using his whip above shoulder height on Stay Away Fay in the Albert Bartlett in the only case of a winning ride breaching the new rules at the festival.

"The jump jockeys were in a bit of a guinea pig situation where they were the first ones to encounter it," said Morris. "The stipendiary stewards are learning as much as the jockeys on how to implement the new rules, but things have settled down with very few cases.

"Everyone knows what we're supposed to do and hopefully it will be smooth sailing."