BROWNIES'S BLOG: TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF IT ALL

By Damian Browne | Friday, November 27, 2015

Damian Browne is rated right up there with the best jockeys in Australia. As such his views on the controversial new whip rules and gear changes come from an experienced and highly informed source which should make it essential reading for anyone in the industry. Damian’s column, ‘Brownies Blog’ appears exclusively on HRO

The whip rule is the hot topic of the moment and it has a right to be given the controversial change that is due to be implemented on December 1.

I personally have never been a big whip rider, even before any rules came in. So while the changes to the rule might not be going to affect me a great deal, they will still affect me in some aspects because there are horses that do need to be given a few extra reminders to bring out their best and to keep their mind on the job.

It’s a shame that everything seems to be going down the path that it is.

The one thing I think about it is, when the administrators keep succumbing to the activists and a minority of people don’t they understand where it is all going to lead?

They did this when the first whip rule came out and now they are doing it again. They always seem to want more!

Once they get this rule amendment in place, the activists are not going to settle for that. They’re going to want more again. There is no point in negotiating with someone who hasn’t come to negotiate.

If racing continues to follow the practise of giving ground, in five years’ time we probably won’t even be allowed to carry a whip.

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The new rule will make no differentiation between the backhand and the forehand use of the whip and riders will be restricted to five uses of the whip (either way) before the 100m mark.

Some jockeys have been very vocal about their opposition to the rule changes. Jimmy Byrne had his say and was roundly supported by a lot of people. Damien Oliver gave his very forthright view on proceedings in a post-race interview.

Oliver actually went on record saying he probably wouldn’t have won if he had been restricted to the degree that the new whip rules will dictate.

Certainly ... quite definitely ... there will be horses whose winning chances will be compromised under the new rule and you would think that in itself would be a huge consideration against implementing rules of this nature.

If you don’t give some horses three or four reminders to keep their mind on the job they won’t get there.

For instance, a horse like Woorim probably wouldn’t win a maiden with the new whip rules in place ... and he was a Group 1 winner.

There are horses like that who need a bit of help and there are others where you don’t have to use the whip at all.

As a professional jockey it is our job to know that and to only use the whip accordingly.

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I’ve always thought that our number one aim, apart from having an acceptable and responsible standard of animal welfare, was to keep the owners and the punters happy ... and they are the two who are probably going to suffer the most under the new whip rule.

The one invests in the industry and the other provides the turnover that is the life-blood of the industry so, to make them unhappy can only have a negative effect on the industry.

I know the everyday punter that sits in the pub or somewhere will be screaming at the television saying ‘hit it’ ... and we can’t.

They talk about the bad look whip use gives to racing, well what sort of look does it give when we can’t ensure we are getting the best out of our horse.

So the punter will definitely not be happy.

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As far as the rights of the owner, or connections, are concerned, the argument has been put forward that it will be very difficult ... some people have said impossible ... to win a protest based on the whip rule breach because of the variables involved.

Yesterday it was even touted by a fellow HRO blogger that the protest option with regard to whip rule infringements be removed from the rule book.

The only thing I can really say about would be, is it fair that somebody is allowed to break a rule that is in the rule book,then beats you when you have been complying with the rules ... and he is allowed to keep the race.

If somebody breaks the rule to beat you, you should certainly be allowed to protest and, if you have a case of a whip infringement, the degree of which can be measured, you should be able to go into the protest hearing with a fair chance of winning and not have the shut-out that many believe is in place right now.

If you don’t have that option and that opportunity to challenge the outcome in those circumstances, what do you tell the owners of your horse ... the other rider broke the rules and beat us, but there is nothing we can do about it!

In that case, like the punter, the owners will definitely not be happy which is why I said they are the two who are probably going to suffer the most under the new whip rule.

I acknowledge it is a very difficult call in a protest to pinpoint just how a beaten horse was compromised and upholding an objection against whip use could open up a can of worms.

Some horses respond to the whip, others shy from it and there is a different degree of expertise between different riders with regard to their use of the whip.

The point is though, if authorities put a rule in place, they must have a way of fairly adjudicating any breach of that rule so far as it might influence the result.

Otherwise it makes no sense at all.

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The whip rule is bad enough but I’ve probably got even more of a concern about the new helmets.

I have tried them and I don’t like them at all.

Not only did I not like them comfort-wise, but I also can’t see why you are trying to help one thing by making it worse for another... because I think there are going to be a lot more neck injuries.

I just can’t see why you would do that.

The skull caps we’ve got and have had for a long time were obviously stringently tested before we ever allowed to use them and they passed every test, so why do we need to keep changing.

I’ll certainly be fighting against these developments as much as I can, particularly the helmet issue.

We should have the greater say in matters related to our own safety.

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In closing, a change of subject.

Buffering’s win last week at Ascot was just another step in an incredible journey.

The further along we continue with this ride with him the more he amazes me with what he keeps doing.

It’s something I know I’ll probably never get to experience again in my riding career so I’ve really learned to appreciate it and enjoy every moment.

Buffering is the only horse I’ve ever ridden that gets cheered when he goes out onto the track which, I think, says so much about how Buffering is held in people’s hearts.

It’s Gold Coast and Dubai next for Buffering. Well that’s the plan that’s been pencilled in anyway.

Looking forward to it.

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