Instant rule change in Scandinavia as officials avert strike by irate jockeys

Racing officials in Scandinavia have given way to a strike threat from jockeys and changed new rules on midrace encouragement from the saddle. Wednesday's card at Bro Park in Sweden is going ahead, having been under threat from a boycott by riders, along with all other imminent fixtures in the region.

A press release issued late on Tuesday night by Svensk Galopp, apparently speaking on behalf of its fellow ruling bodies in Norway and Denmark, said: "We regret that the rule has given rise to misunderstandings".

Among those who may have misunderstood are the stewards at Klampenborg, who on Saturday demoted a winner because his jockey was judged to have breached the new rules, a verdict which led to anger, confusion and the strike threat.

It is less than a fortnight since the new rules came into force, having been announced in January, imposing a ban on use of the whip for any reason other than safety. This week's ire derives from the requirement that jockeys "must ride with both hands on the horse’s withers and neck", which was intended to prevent them from using reins as a substitute for the whip.

Tuesday's press release explains: "The purpose of that phrase was to prevent riders from hitting the horse's head and neck with the reins. We have seen that the jockeys in Scandinavia have developed a riding style where they are holding the reins wide apart and use the reins for driving the horse forward. Another purpose of the phrase is that the riders should not be able to disturb another competitor by holding the reins extremely wide.

"A widespread misinterpretation is that riders are not allowed to change reins (collect the horse). This is still allowed."

The offending phrase is to be clarified in time but for now it has been summarily taken out of the rules and replaced by the words: "During races, the rider must ride with both hands on the reins".

The furore will surely be a matter of keen interest to officials in Britain, where a long-awaited review of the whip rules is now expected to be published in the summer. Neither Britain nor Ireland are thought to be anywhere near giving up whip use for encouragement but it will be thought-provoking for officials that attempting to do so can lead to such problems.

The whip: a contentious issue in ScandinaviaCredit: Edward Whitaker

Norway has long had its own whip ban but limited use was allowed for most Flat races in Sweden and Denmark until this month. The new rules make a determined effort to prevent jockeys finding a way around them, specifying that whips must not be "angled up to the horse's eyes and ears" and adding that: "Striking with the reins and the rider’s hand or arm is equated with use of the whip".

The rule-change followed within hours of a strike threat being uttered by Per-Anders Graberg, the much-respected Shergar Cup-winning veteran rider. "We want the current rules to be withdrawn," he said, "and to be allowed to ride on the basis of the previous whip rules, until together we have found a way forward.

"If the rules are not changed, none of us will ride at Bro Park, and so we will continue at Ovrevoll and Jagersro. At the same time – on behalf of myself and all my colleagues – I would especially like to apologize to the owners that they are now caught in this boring situation, but we need to stand together now and we hope for support and understanding."

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