Riding a finish may limit jockeys cognitive ability to count strokes
PICTURE: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)Why riders may struggle to count whip strokes
JOCKEYS have found a new ally in their fight against racing's new whip rules in the shape of a leading sports scientist.
Jon Pitts is citing the 100-year-old Yerkes-Dodson law in defence of jockeys struggling to come to terms with suddenly having to count their whip strokes in the heat of battle.
Pitts, who is also critical of the way the BHA expected jockeys to come to terms with the rigid count overnight without any practice, is not surprised by the raft of suspensions that have followed.
Having worked with Britain's leading three-day eventer William Fox Pitt, Pitts has given lectures to apprentices at the
British Racing School and has also worked with many elite athletes and the Football Association since graduating in sports
science from Brunel University.
The Professional Jockeys Association is now working with Pitts, who brings to the table the latest research into brain function under pressure in elite sport.
He has evidence that riding a finish requires significant physiological performance and emotional responses that
limit cognitive ability. He has also started canvassing jockeys post-race about their use of the whip and found "in most
instances" the jockey did not know how many times they had used it.
While admitting this could be purely down to the mass opposition to the new rule in the riders' ranks, he pointed to
patterns found in other sports research, notably Formula 1 racing, where it has been shown the brain is forced to prioritise
in favour of instinctive survival functions at the expense of memory recall.
Pitts said: "In my particular experience, and in a similar field to racing, it is common that eventers experience partial loss of cognitive recall function during high-pressure scenarios, such as fourstar cross-country at Badminton and Burghley.
"As part of my role, we now use head cams on a regular basis to allow the rider to remember the performance and to dissect his or her actions and decisions under the significant pressure."
Pitts also suggests the stewards should ask jockeys how many times they thought they had used their whip ahead of
reviewing the races.
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