Paul Struthers keen to solve whip issue before Cheltenham Festival
The forthcoming Chief Executive of Professional Jockeys Association, Paul Struthers, is h**l-bent to find an agreeable solution to the issue of using whip by riders before the advent of Cheltenham Festival.
The high-profile festival consisting of four days is scheduled to start on March 13. Beginning from William Hill Supreme Novices’ Hurdle, each day will have six races till the Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Chase Challenge Cup.
Thus Struthers, who is going to take on his new role on February 6, wants to resolve the longstanding whip issue at every cost before the mega event. After joining the office, he will try to get consents of all the notable jockeys, and horseracing
managers on whether the whip should be applied or not.
While speaking to the media yesterday, Struthers said, “Everyone wants it sorted in time for Cheltenham. What we can't have, and what would be terrible, is every single day at Cheltenham being dominated over an issue that is not really an issue. I'm
really hopeful we can get a resolution that keeps as many people as happy as possible.”
He added, “The key issue that is coming through to me is rides that would never have even come under scrutiny a year ago are getting bans. David Probert the other day went one over for the third time and he got six days.”
There has been divergence of opinion on this crucial matter since long. Most of the jockeys want the use of whip to be allowed, but the British Horseracing Authority is reluctant to entertain this hard-pressed demand considering animal rights.
Moreover, this issue has ignited sheer controversies and disputes which are detrimental to the development of the sport. Struthers wants the fissure to go as soon as possible. With a rich experience as ‘Head of Communication’ of BHA to his credit,
the new chief is likely to draw consensus on the matter, and solve it by the end of this month.
Struthers has been successfully serving the British horseracing since many years. He has brought in force some significant sets of rules which have benefited the sport a lot as a whole.
Tags: