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By Marc Owen-Banks ValueChecker

No Grand National Whip Use at Towcester Race Course
22/04/11

Towcester will be the first race course in Britain to outlaw the use of whips in races at the track. The traditionally tough course with the huge uphill run in will have seen its fair share of jockeys whip use, coming up the hill in fighting finishes in the past.

Paul Hanagan
© Racehorse Photos

Paul Hanagan

From October 5th, the crowds will no longer see this encouragement as Towcester stages it's meetings where the whip will be banned completely and each race will be run to “Hands and Heels” rules.

These rules mean that the horse can no longer be hit on the neck in a forehand position or behind the saddle. Jockeys can still carry a whip and “pull through” from one hand to the other as often as required, and can hit down the neck in a backhand fashion.

The use of the whip has once again become big news after the Grand National Winning Jockey Jason Maguire received a ban for excessive use of the implement in the finishes stages of the race. With the race the one more people in the UK watch than any other, it was an inopportune time for the offence to take place, and the use of the whip has been the topic of much debate since.

Quite surprisingly, there has been more negative feedback about the use of the whip than the deaths of a couple of fallers. The fact that Ballabriggs had to be dismounted so quickly after the finish may have skewed the general public's view of the effect of whip use.

 

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