BHA will now begin three-month consultation‘This is a matter of public trust,’ says Board chairStronger penalties for misuse of the whip appear to be a certainty by this autumn, following the initial report of the new Horse Welfare Board, published on Thursday. While the board had much to say on other topics, including racing’s responsibilities to its horses and the need for a code of practice on euthanasia, it reserved its most urgent comments for the subject of the whip.
“The overall number of offences (over 500 in 2018) remains unnecessarily high and the current penalties do not provide an adequate deterrent effect,” the board concluded. The HWB does not have power to require action from the
British Horseracing Authority on regulatory matters, but the BHA immediately signalled that it would begin a three-month consultation with racing insiders and the public on changes to the whip rules, with a view to deciding on and implementing changes by the end of October.