TWO significant amendments have been made to the whip rule guidelines which will help jockeys avoid lengthy suspensions.

The amendments came into force this week, exactly a year after new penalty guidelines were introduced which saw suspensions effectively double for every offence in a rolling nine-month period.

Now that reference period has been reduced to six months, meaning that jockeys will effectively have a clean slate if they can go six months without breaking the whip rules. Six months will also be the reference period for breaches of the interference rules (reduced from 12 months).

Just as importantly, stewards will now only consider previous breaches of that specific whip-related rule when considering penalties. For example, if a jockey has been penalised in the previous six months for hitting a horse in the wrong place, or using it at the wrong time or in wrong way, this will not be taken into account if in breach of the whip frequency regulation for the first time.

A statement from the IHRB said: “This change will mean that if a rider is found in breach of Regulation 10.3(g) [excessive frequency], when considering their record, the raceday stewards will only consider previous breaches of Regulation 10.3(g). Alternatively, if a rider is found in breach of Regulation 10.3(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (h) or (i), the raceday stewards will only consider their record in respect of these subrules collectively.”

Paul Murtagh, IHRB head of raceday operations, commented: “Following the introduction of the new whip and interference penalty guidelines last year, the IHRB Stewarding Committee committed to ongoing review of their impact and effectiveness. With the benefit of a year’s experience and having consulted with raceday stewards and other stakeholders including the Irish Jockeys Association, they made a number of recommendations to the IHRB directors.

“The IHRB is committed to meaningful consultation with licensees and other stakeholders on material change that affects them and this was an important part of our process prior to the Directors approving the recommendations which we feel are an appropriate change having considered all the data available to us over almost 12 months.”

Andrew Coonan of the Irish Jockeys Association added: “This announcement marks a helpful redefining of the present penalty structures and comes about following a constructive consultation between IHRB and the Committee of the IJA.

“When the new penalty guidelines were introduced in July 2023 it was always envisaged that they would be subject to continuous review and where this can be done in a positive way through ongoing dialogue and feedback it is positive for both the IHRB and all members of the IJA. We are positive that these further amendments will both help and encourage our riders to continue to achieve at the highest level both in Ireland and internationally.”

The British Horseracing Authority has also made minor changes to the whip penalty guidance. The penalty mitigations for going once above the permitted level have been extended to also include some technical offences, including use in the incorrect place or without three full strides between use.

And guidance has been altered so any suspension suspended after a “totting up” referral also factors in the number of rides a jockey has had since the whip offence.

The BHA said: “The changes have been agreed as part of the ongoing process of review, refinement and dialogue, including with the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA) and riders from both codes. “We are grateful to riders for their continued support and co-operation as we continue to embed the new rules, while retaining the original objectives of more judicious use for encouragement, improving perception and ensuring that the outcomes of races are fair.”