Wouldn't it be good if the BHA..

Wouldn't it be good if the BHA ...

Took notice of today's 2.7 million unemployed figures.

A few of them may well be joining that queue if they  continue to RUIN RACING they way that they are.

They could start with Rod Street and the Racing for Change crew.

they remind me of the orcestra on the titanic

orchestra sry

It will need far more than a few extra Rivets, to keep this ship sailing.

why no trial period? why no gradual introduction of new rules? why no concern shown towards current racing entusiasts and punters rather than concentation on the perception of the sport to potential new fans? why no common sense?

what they said was that once they had given details to the jockeys, for a period of a week or two they pulled in any jockey who would have been done under the new rules and warned them

now call me stupid, but in the two weeks leading up to this i never heard one jockey mention this, nor did i hear of any bha statement or stewards report which mentions it

it is rapidly turning into one of the worst p.r. disasters in the history of racing; what beggars belief is that the bha have yet to comment on the situation publically and seem to have just gone into hiding leaving the stewards to carry the can!

the report itself contains a few more gems which will drop us a level further down once jocks start to get second and third infringements (which the will); someone needs to think about another career imo

hmm, i wonder is the all important "image" better now or the way it was

it depends who they were trying to placate

as far as jocks, owners, trainers and the majority of racing fans are concerned it's a shower of shoite

there must be a couple of pensioners from margate that bet 50p e/w on the national who are chuffed to bits

if it aint broke....

smash it with a hammer

Wait till a jockey takes them to court for restraint of trade or whatever. The arguments about what does/does not constitute a strike and whether or not it was in the final furlong anyway are going to make the Fallon trial seem sensible.

- add to that, salmon - as was posted the other day.

What if a jockey gets injured - due to being 'put through the rails', or something similar - when another horse, or horses, cannon into his mount, due the those other jockeys NOT being able to use their whip in an accident avoiding corrective manner.

Does he sue the other jockeys for negligence - the BHA for imposing a 'restrictive practice'? - or any other of a myriad of legal manners that may ensue.

A potential minefield - waiting to happen.

?????????

the BHA were supposed to be most worried about public perception and yet within a few days of their stupid new rules they have greatly increased whip abuse in racing.

the once a year grand national viewers who were the ones that started all this rubbish when they complained about last years race following misinformation given out by the BBC, will complain even louder this year when most of the national finishers get done for whip abuse. 

what will the BHA do then? will they fine and ban themselves for bringing racing into disrepute, or will there be another ridiculous knee jerk reaction that will further damage racing beyond repair.

Onlooker, What if a jockey gets injured - due to being 'put through the rails', or something similar - when another horse, or horses, cannon into his mount, because they're veering away from the whip?

Couldnt agree more with the chaps playing away whilst Leo and Kate make a final kiss before it goes belly up....absolutely farcial the game now....jocks will just glide through the final furlongs unable to assist the horse in a finish.....and as for NH could easily go the same way as the sport in Australia...another 50,000 on the dole queue might get give the bigger racecloth mob food for thought...

Wont be long till owners and big races go over to Ireland

^ Jago, very fair point that hasn't been mentioned much.  Several large British owners are already established in Ireland, France and Australia.  It only needs one of the Maktoums to lose out on a big race at Ascot due to the new whip rules and say 'enough is enough' to plunge the sport into deeper crisis imo...

The new rules are just creating media stories about whip abuse, not helping to persuade the public that racing cares about animal welfare.

I don't know who dreamt this idea up, or the timing of it, but they know zero about PR, imo...

Call the BHA and let them know your feelings on the matter.Phone 020 7152 0000.
That's what I just did. Maybe if enough people do this it will let them know what a mistake they have made. I referred the man to some of the good comments already made on here.I was passed onto Paul Struthers but reached his message/voicemail and left him a short message.

kefir - fair play although if your name is 'Tom, Dick or Harry' I wouldn't expect a phone call back from Paul Struthers any time soon.  Strange that the BHA should pass you through to him whilst he is on leave with his wife due to give birth...

a two word message

After the first 4 races at Cheltenham next year, the Irish will have to send home for more jockeys to come over.

Feck N Eeejit - your version of the scenario rarely happened, or did in the past ...

precisely because jockeys COULD take evasive corrective action.

Nowadays they are NOT allowed to - if they have already  used up their quota  - as Hughes found out.

When you think of this "Public consultation" which these new laws have been based you realise the stupidity of it, Would the meat industry ask vegetarians if they prefer Bacon Smoked or unsmoked, would you consult Jordan on the answers to the Euro crisis or Pol Pot on how to implement a welfare system.


However im starting to think that everything seems to be governed by "Who Squalks loudest"

Mr Memory

Maybe the FA should consult the WI about the offside rule??

The government's new 'Deadline Directive' to the FA may well do just that.

The FA have been instructed to appoint more WOMEN and Ethnic minorities.

The FA will be like the BBC, shortly - where a Woman is Head of Sport.

they did and thats why the new offside rule is all over the shop,as Brian Clough roughly stated " if a player is inactive or not affecting a passage of play he shouldn't be on the bl**dy field"

onlooker, I recall Betfair Eddie swerving from one side of Doncaster to the other on a Godolphin animal (almost perpendicular to the direction he should've been travelling) with whip waving. Did he crash through the rail (I can't honestly remember). Only one of a multitude of examples that could be pulled up to support my case. All too often it's the distraction of the whip that makes it difficult for the jockey to straighten a horse that's veering away from the whip.

To prove the BHA's concern about public perception, I challenge any one of the Executive to come out publicly and guarantee that they have instructed every racecourse in the UK to produce evidence that they have had all electrical feeds diverted from areas where horses walk over.