Will Woodbine's Whip Experiment Become the New Normal?

While several major racetracks in the U.S. continue to debate what are the best set of rules to put in place regarding what jockeys can and cannot do to encourage their horses, Woodbine has embarked on an experiment that limits what jockeys can do with their whips and may be seen as a blueprint for the rest of the industry to follow.

Starting Oct. 18, experimental rules, which will be in place up to closing day, Dec. 15, were put in place that allow only for underhanded whipping. The riders are no longer allowed to cock their whips and reach back and strike their mounts. Nor can they strike the horse in the belly or flank area.

Whether or not the rule will become permanent in 2020 will be decided by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), but with the experiment so far not encountering any serious problems, it is likely that the new regulations are here to stay.

The Woodbine experiment is part of an effort throughout North America to change the perception of racing and to show the public, animal rights activists and politicians that the sport believes the safety of the animal is a top priority and is intent on making substantive changes.

The recently formed Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, which includes most of the major tracks in the U.S., has also declared its intentions to deal with the whip issue, but has yet to spell out specifics, only saying that it will look to limit crop use.

Woodbine isn't tipping its hand when it comes to what recommendations the track is likely to make to the AGCO regarding whipping rules for the 2020 meet.

“What we need to do is take a deep dive and have a chance to review all the data from the pilot,” Woodbine VP of Thoroughbred Racing Jonathan Zammit said. “Then, it's just sitting down with stakeholders, the commission, the vets, the horsemen, the jockeys, to see where the commission's head is at moving forward. It's a bit premature at this point to comment on what direction this might go.”

The data available so far has not revealed anything that suggests the experiment is not working. There have been no apparent problems with safety during the races and the handle has remained steady, showing that the bettors haven't adjusted their wagering habits during the experiment.

“From a track operator's perspective, we have a sample size, but not full sample size,” Zammit said. “It has been a change and we realize how big a change this has been for the jockeys and we're very thankful they are participating and allowing us to evaluate this pilot program. We're seeing no significant changes in the behavior of our patrons or on the handle on our races. Right now, nothing major has popped out at us.”

A sampling of opinions from Woodbine-based jockeys reveals a colony that is not in favor of the new rules.

“It's awkward and a lot of people aren't happy with it, but we know we have to deal with it,” jockey Gary Boulanger said. “It's a very awkward thing for people who have been riding for a while. It makes you think, 'Ok, I can't cock my stick, I can't overhand strike.' You have to be aware of that and that puts you in an uncomfortable position. It's not what these horses have been trained and taught and they're creatures of habit. They've been taught that when you reach back and hit them they're supposed to go forward.”

Said Woodbine jockey David Moran: “Obviously, for the senior riders it's a big change. Personally, I think there is a safety factor involved and that it's not a great idea. It looks like everywhere in the world is changing, but with this type of change, I don't see the difference between hitting backhanded versus forehanded. I don't think so far as public perception goes it actually accomplishes a lot. All the riders, we're working with the committee to try to come up with a better solution than the rule they have right now.”

Jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson argues the whip issue is part of a bigger problem, racing's inability to get across to the public that virtually everyone in the sport always try to do their best when it comes to the horse.

“I am not in a position to speak for all of the jocks at Woodbine and at this point my personal opinion is a tad reserved as we are midway through the trial that is a collaborative effort of the horseman, AGCO and Woodbine,” she said. “I will say, though, that I feel strongly that of significant importance is public education. Public perception and public opinion seem to be the driving force behind these discussions, and yet education of the public has been inadequate.

Thoroughbred racing has made many changes over many years, from updated rules of racing to modern equipment changes, and yet we are still unable to show the public how conscientious we are towards the welfare of our equine athletes.”

While the jockeys may not be happy, it doesn't appear that they are ready to get into a big fight with Woodbine or the AGCO over this issue.

“The riders are really trying to accommodate the new rule,” said Irwin Driedger, the executive director of the Jockeys' Benefit Association of Canada. “They're not real happy about it because it definitely is a big change. For some, they've been doing it one way for 20 years and when you change something up on them like this it's not easy. A lot depends on whether this is the way everybody will be doing it. If everybody is doing it this way, then that's fine. If we are the only ones doing it I don't know if that's the way to go. This needs to be uniform throughout North America rather than everybody doing their own thing.”

That may happen as it would come as no surprise if the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition made a recommendation that all U.S. tracks adopt the Woodbine rules. In California, the idea of banning the whip all together has been put forward. Either way, a new set of rules will likely not be well received by the riders. At Woodbine, at least one jockey believes he has no choice other than to adapt, change and move on.

“I'd be a little disappointed if the new rules become permanent,” Moran said. “It looks like they probably will be. Personally, I would have preferred them allowing a lower number (of times a horse can be whipped) and making sure we have to give them more time to respond between smacks instead of changing our style of hitting. But they are the ones who make the rules and we will have to adjust to them.”