Jockeys’ Guild delays experimental day without whips at Santa Anita racetrack
The Jockeys’ Guild is postponing an apparent stunt in which jockeys planned to ride without whips Friday at Santa Anita racetrack.
The guild’s leadership said it had intended to collect feedback from jockeys about how horses respond in situations where a crop would have been used, according to a letter from the Guild to the California Horse Racing Board. The CHRB is currently accepting comments for a proposed statewide change that would limit the use of whips, or riding crops, to “corrective safety measures.”
The guild is opposed to the change.
The Thoroughbred Owners of California asked the jockeys to cancel the plan, according to Terry Meyocks, guild president and CEO.
“For the past month, we have received virtually no support from industry organizations in California until contacted by the TOC in the last day and a half,” Meyocks said in a statement. “In the interest of moving forward to create a safer environment for both equine and human athletes, we have agreed to work with the TOC to come to a mutually agreeable position on riding crop usage in California to be submitted to the CHRB.”
Jockeys on Friday will instead use a newly developed “Gentle Touch” riding crop designed to protect horses without limiting the rider’s control, the guild announced. The organization represents approximately 1,200 members, including active, retired and disabled jockeys.
“We owe it to the riders to work with them to ensure that they’re on board with the steps we are taking to create the safest environment possible for our athletes,” said legendary trainer Bob Baffert, a TOC board member, in a statement.
Last month, The Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, announced plans to limit the use of whips, among other reforms, following the deaths of nearly two dozen horses at the racetrack since Dec. 26. The CHRB unanimously adopted the new rule statewide last month. However, the process requires a 45-day public comment period before the regulatory agency finalizes its decision.
Riders are not required to use a crop, but the guild supports its continued use for encouragement and safety reasons. Current state regulations already prevent riders from using “unreasonable force” that would cause welts or cuts. Jockeys are also not allowed to strike a horse more than three times in succession without giving it a chance to respond.
At the CHRB’s March meeting, the guild’s general counsel, Tom Kennedy, argued the riding crop was not implicated in any of the deaths at Santa Anita.
“The riders believe today’s crop is safer for the horse and does not compromise the horse’s welfare,” Kennedy said.
The state board members moved forward with the changes anyway, as they believed the public’s negative perception of the use of whips hurts the industry. One board member noted camera crews left as soon as the vote on whips passed.