Hands and heels
May 31st 2008 05:01
The controversy over the use of whips in racing still rages. More so in England where penalties and suspensions are commonplace. However the jockeys themselves are seeing themselves as scapegoats of public perception (and campaign) rather than the reality of the situation. The modern whips that have been introduced are light and cushioned and it would be very difficult to hurt a horse with one.
David Muir, a welfare consultant from the British RSPCA for ten years, has spent much time as a voice of reason and intermediary between the animal welfare militants and the racing industry. He was largely responsible for the introduction of the new style whip and firmly believes that it is a required tool of a jockey to allow a horse to be made to concentrate.
“They are pack animals and during a race they can revert to herd instincts and get distracted. Using a whip to make them concentrate is acceptable.”
There have been twenty-two Melbourne Cup races when the winning jockey has carried a Peter Bakos riding whip. I mentioned Peter in a previous post that was about the great degree of difference in the heights of jockeys. Peter Bakos was the smallest jockey that I can remember, and by description most likely classified as a midget.
(photo: peterbakosridingwhips.com.au)
His tiny figure and big personality always caught my attention when I was first becoming interested in horse racing. He seemed to pop up everywhere on television and variety shows, and he even did some acting. The statistics say that he won 450 races in a twenty-five year period that went from 1955 till 1980.
In 1973 Peter Bakos began manufacturing whips as a sideline business. His racing opportunities had already begun to dry up and having a new career to pursue made retirement from race riding much easier. His bright personality also resulted in Peter being a popular guest speaker. His whips became extremely popular with Australian jockeys and he developed a worldwide distribution to countries such as England, Ireland, France, Italy and Hong Kong. His whips have also been used in equestrienne events at the Olympics.
In reality a horse will do as it wishes. It has the strength and the power. You can direct a horse by reins and still have it run the opposite way. You can coax and yell (and even whip) but not be able to make a horse jump if it does not wish. Mostly horse racing is compromise (between man and horse) and co-operation. Without a whip to draw attention and focus a jockey would be placed in a situation of (further) peril. And if you watch modern riding you will see that excessive use of the whip is rare. Many finishes are fought out with jockeys riding to the line with pumping hands (not so much heels in this day of short, short stirrup lengths) and loud encouragement. A well-balanced horse is more efficient in a finish than a tiring one with bouncing jockey.
A post from the TimesOnline:
"As a former jockey who rode both over jumps and on the flat I feel that whips should not be used on the flat and only used for going into a jump in jump racing. If a horse cannot give his best without using the whip in flat races then tough luck.
My advice would be for jockeys not to ride so ridiculously short, this would enable them to ride more vigorously with the whole of their body therefore eliminating the need to carry a whip."
POSTED BY: EDWIN KITCHIN | 8 APR 2008 03:14:39
If you cannot remember Peter Bakos (or have never heard of him), below is a video segment from The Paul Hogan Show with Peter as one of the actors. How tall is he? And you will also see that what is old is new again.
David Muir, a welfare consultant from the British RSPCA for ten years, has spent much time as a voice of reason and intermediary between the animal welfare militants and the racing industry. He was largely responsible for the introduction of the new style whip and firmly believes that it is a required tool of a jockey to allow a horse to be made to concentrate.
“They are pack animals and during a race they can revert to herd instincts and get distracted. Using a whip to make them concentrate is acceptable.”
There have been twenty-two Melbourne Cup races when the winning jockey has carried a Peter Bakos riding whip. I mentioned Peter in a previous post that was about the great degree of difference in the heights of jockeys. Peter Bakos was the smallest jockey that I can remember, and by description most likely classified as a midget.
Peter Bakos jockey and whip maker
(photo: peterbakosridingwhips.com.au)
His tiny figure and big personality always caught my attention when I was first becoming interested in horse racing. He seemed to pop up everywhere on television and variety shows, and he even did some acting. The statistics say that he won 450 races in a twenty-five year period that went from 1955 till 1980.
In 1973 Peter Bakos began manufacturing whips as a sideline business. His racing opportunities had already begun to dry up and having a new career to pursue made retirement from race riding much easier. His bright personality also resulted in Peter being a popular guest speaker. His whips became extremely popular with Australian jockeys and he developed a worldwide distribution to countries such as England, Ireland, France, Italy and Hong Kong. His whips have also been used in equestrienne events at the Olympics.
In reality a horse will do as it wishes. It has the strength and the power. You can direct a horse by reins and still have it run the opposite way. You can coax and yell (and even whip) but not be able to make a horse jump if it does not wish. Mostly horse racing is compromise (between man and horse) and co-operation. Without a whip to draw attention and focus a jockey would be placed in a situation of (further) peril. And if you watch modern riding you will see that excessive use of the whip is rare. Many finishes are fought out with jockeys riding to the line with pumping hands (not so much heels in this day of short, short stirrup lengths) and loud encouragement. A well-balanced horse is more efficient in a finish than a tiring one with bouncing jockey.
A post from the TimesOnline:
"As a former jockey who rode both over jumps and on the flat I feel that whips should not be used on the flat and only used for going into a jump in jump racing. If a horse cannot give his best without using the whip in flat races then tough luck.
My advice would be for jockeys not to ride so ridiculously short, this would enable them to ride more vigorously with the whole of their body therefore eliminating the need to carry a whip."
POSTED BY: EDWIN KITCHIN | 8 APR 2008 03:14:39
If you cannot remember Peter Bakos (or have never heard of him), below is a video segment from The Paul Hogan Show with Peter as one of the actors. How tall is he? And you will also see that what is old is new again.
| 46 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
