The whip issue: Britain out on its own with undue sentimentality
It is with a sense of amusement and bewilderment that I put pen to paper in relation to the latest whip controversy to engulf certain elements of the racing establishment in Britain.
Richard Johnson’s ride on Native River in the Gold Cup was an example of a wonderful jockey and a brave top-class chaser in unison in steeplechasing’s greatest race.
Johnson’s punishment for overuse of the whip is, in my opinion, over the top and undeserved. The whip that is used today is cushioned and insulated to the extent that it is now but an aid to the jockey in the effort to extract maximum performance from the horse.
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