Whipping up a costly storm

The whip debate could not have flared up at a worse time than on ‘Champions Day'. With all eyes focused on some of the best equine superstars of the season as they prepared to turn on the style before an enthusiastic crowd of race goers at an inspired Ascot, the ugly controversy barged in and threw a huge spanner in the works. And who got hit? Belgian jockey Christophe Soumillion, who was slapped with a five-day ban and a fine of £50,000 (Dh290,409).

However, I think the sport itself took a bigger hit. For as long as I can remember, the whip has made the difference between winning and losing. While it is the principal tool of the acrobatic little man perched high in the stirrups and whose only aim is to get to the finish line first, it has also attracted ire from animal protection groups, horse lovers and the racecourse stewards.

There's nothing new about how jockeys employ the whip, except that they are now being restricted to the number of times they can smack their horse. Seven strikes is the golden number, as opposed to the 16 allowed earlier.

Sweeping statement

I've heard people say that they abhor the way the whip is used by some jockeys and that you cannot justify hitting a poor animal just to make it run faster so that you can pocket big prize money. Some argue that they don't believe that a whip can alter the outcome of a race.

Barbaric, ghastly, unacceptable are just some of the words that the common man hurls at jockeys, who on the flip side contend that without the whip, horse racing will never be the same. Richard Hughes, one of the most respected riders in the world, has gone so far as to say that he would rather sweep the streets than carry on riding after new rules restricting the use of the whip were introduced. Soumillion joined the debate by asking on Saturday, "Why do they try and cut our legs off? I come here and do my job and I get my suspension and have my prize money taken away. It's unacceptable, totally unacceptable."

There is a common discontent among leading jockeys over the new rules and the heavy fines with rumours that they could call a strike today. Should that happen it will deliver a huge body blow to a sport that has enjoyed one of its finest seasons in Britain alone with the inaugural Champions Series.

What will it take to avert this standoff, should it happen? Common sense and agreement between all parties concerned. One of my personal highlights of the season was watching Frankie Dettori win the Prince of Wales' Stakes at Royal Ascot in June when he used his whip to get the best out of Rewilding. He was subsequently banned for overuse of the whip, but the memory of that virtuoso performance from both Dettori and Rewilding will have not been the same but for the 30 inch tool they call a riding crop.