No jockeys featured on the BHA’s Whip Rules Committee. Membership was restricted to BHA insiders. The functions of most of them suggest that they were Disciplinarians. (See BHA website). The most interesting member of the party is Dr Tim Morris, BHA Director of Equine Science and Welfare. His details read as follows:

“A visiting professor of Welfare and Science at the University of Nottingham…After qualification from the Royal Veterinary College, he spent some time in thoroughbred stud and mixed veterinary practice, before returning to the College to complete a PhD in animal reproduction. He worked for GlaxoSmithKline, where he held roles in research, clinical veterinary medicine and public affairs. In addition he has held a large number of leadership roles in veterinary professional organisations, industry bodies, animal science and welfare charities, worked with animal welfare groups and advised a number of government departments….”

In the press reports on the whip saga to date, Morris has been referred to as a sort of veterinary visionary of almost infinite wisdom. Those same reports also tend to include the suggestion that racing had better heed the warnings of the animal welfare people or face increasing pressure from them and from the British public.

The BHA website, however, reveals that in fact Dr Morris has had almost no experience of racing and has devoted a vast amount of his career to animal welfare. A more balanced background might have found him better equipped to play a part in the Whip Committee’s debates and conclusions.

Perhaps this is the moment to remember that British racing has long been a world leader in the matter of Animal Welfare. The development of the British racing whip (which has changed a comparatively formidable weapon into something innocuous in the extreme) began with the late, great Frank Mahon, a Lambourn vet by trade and someone at the very heart of the racing community, together with his brother Jim. The suggestion that racing is lax in its approach to animal welfare, which seems to be Dr Morris’s opinion, is an insult that bears no relation to the truth

As for the suggestion that the British public is distraught at racing’s animal welfare arrangements, by far the largest public interest group is that of punters, who are thoroughly satisfied with the way British jockeys go about their business.

As regards the furlong markers and the various numbers of hits, the difficulty arises when idiots with no experience of race riding are allowed to interfere in matters that call for just a grain of common sense. The idea that a slap down the neck (the equivalent of “Pay Attention!” spoken to a class of children) is of the same order of seriousness as a full crack of the whip behind the saddle simply reveals the crass ignorance of the committee. If Mr Roy (BHA chairman) would get rid of his idiots and replace them with horsemen of sound judgement and just a normal amount of common sense, he will discover that the previous  rules (tweaked if necessary) were perfectly adequate. As things are, his policy has caused British Racing an enormity of embarrassment which it does not deserve. “““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““