Mixed reactions to planned whip restrictions in California

ARCADIA, Calif. – A new rule approved by the California Horse Racing Board on Thursday that will severely restrict whip use by jockeys may be months from being implemented, but was met with starkly mixed reactions on Friday from a small group of riders.

Some oppose the plan, while others realize there is little they can do to change the racing board’s direction.

The rule will limit riders to using whips “when necessary to control the horse for the safety of the horse or rider.” The current rule that allows jockeys to use the whip three times in succession before pausing to give a horse a chance to respond will be eliminated.

The rule change was approved unanimously, by a vote of 5-0, and will be subject to a 45-day public comment period before the board votes on the matter again. It is possible that the language of the rule could be changed, pending public comments, which could further delay implementation.

If the rule is adopted in its current form, riders will need to find fundamentally different ways to coax mounts to run than to hit them with a whip, or crop.

“It will be a little different,” said jockey Brice Blanc, who began riding in 1994.

“Everyone will have to adapt. I’ve been riding for 25 years and I’ve never been a big crop guy.

“Every horse is different. Some horses need encouragement. I’m not in the business to be an abuser. I love horses too much. If it’s better for the game, it helps me as well.

“I hope we go back to being positive about horse racing. Horses love to compete. There is nothing more gratifying than being one with the horse.”

Assael Espinoza began riding in 2018 and is one of the top apprentice jockeys in California. He said on Friday the riders will need some time to adjust.

“I don’t know what will happen,” Espinoza said. “If they make the switch, I’ll do it.

“I’ll have to keep practicing. I’ll spend a lot of time on the Equicizer.”

In part, the rule approved on Thursday states: “If a jockey rides in a manner contrary to the rule, the jockey may be suspended or fined by the stewards. The jockey share of the purse shall be forfeited, if, in the opinion of the stewards, the unauthorized use of the crop caused it to achieve a better placing.”

There is no language in the new rule that would disqualify a horse from purse earnings or parimutuel payouts if a jockey is found to be in violation.

Flavien Prat, the second-leading rider at the winter-spring meeting, said in a text message from Dubai that he is opposed to the change.

“This is extreme and I’m not for it,” he wrote. “The whip is a good accessory to guide horses. I’ve been whipped a lot of times by riders and it was never painful. Those whips are soft. I thought a limitation would have been a good compromise.”

The rule change is part of the aftermath of 22 equine fatalities at Santa Anita since late December and was first proposed by The Stronach Group, the parent company of Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields in Northern California.

The Stronach Group announced earlier this month that a house rule would be enacted restricting whip use at Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields only “as a corrective safety measure,” which would differ from rules at other tracks not owned by the company or the state’s existing rule.

Earlier this week, track officials and members of the Jockeys’ Guild held discussions about allowing riders to limit use of the whip to a downward or back-handed motion. The Stronach Group eventually opted not to enact the whip restriction as a house rule.

“It was hard to find a middle ground,” Tim Ritvo, the chief operating officer of The Stronach Group, said after Thursday’s meeting of the discussions with the Jockeys’ Guild. He also said it would have been difficult to penalize riders for violating a house rule but being in compliance with existing state rules.

“Adjudicating it would have been a problem,” he said.

Jockeys’ Guild officials spoke at Thursday’s racing board meeting and sought to delay the vote to allow for additional study.

“We want to make sure perception is taken care of and we want to be fair to the owners, the track, the betting public, and come to a fair conclusion,” said Jockeys’ Guild chief executive Terry Meyocks.

Racing board commissioners quickly declined to delay the vote.

Chairman Chuck Winner said there has been political pressure to end use of the whip following the recent deaths. He emphasized that the broader public is closely scrutinizing racing.

“We have an obligation to the elected officials of this state,” he said. “We are appointees. I can assure there is a very strong feeling about this issue.”

Winner said educating the general public, and not just racing fans, on the use of the whip is impossible in a state as vast as California.

“It’s the people outside the cocoon that count here,” he said. “It just looks bad.”

Racing board commissioner Alex Solis, a retired jockey, said change is inevitable. Solis voted for the new rule.

“I feel for my peers,” he said before the vote was taken. “[This is a] critical time for horse racing in California. We’re talking about the future of California racing and we have to compromise.”