IT’S always been a curiosity to see appointments to the head of sporting organisations that are from the ‘outside’. Is it good to bring in someone with outside knowledge and not be compromised by past alliances?

A fresh eye, fresh expertise, no past loyalties to any parties. In theory it’s good.

From the outset, after her initial public appearances and contributions to debates, the appointment of Julie Harrington to the top role in the BHA looked questionable. You didn’t have to look too far to see many learned racing professionals express doubts on her imput to debates and time has not banished fears that the new ceo was out of touch if tasked with guiding British racing through difficult times in an era of so many issues needing deft handling.

The mid-week headlines from the Asian Racing Conference where Harrington spoke, pulling whip use at Cheltenham into the debate over the implementation of the new rules - added to the bad timing of the new rules coming in – just seems both difficult to understand and has no justification.

“BHA chief executive Julie Harrington has expressed confidence that the Cheltenham Festival will not be scarred by damaging whip stories,” ran the Racing Post piece from Harrington’s presentation. The meeting had a crucial role as a “shop window for recruiting younger and new and younger fans to the sport.”

As a racing professional, I had to look back to see what bans were issued last year as I could remember only the ride on Billaway incurring a ban.

There were six – Kielan Woods – four days, Brendan Powell - three days, Adam Wedge – two days, Charlie Deutsch – two days and Patrick Mullins (amateur) – four days – all for over the permitted level - while Jordan Gainford (still a conditional rider) got five days for whip use when out of contention.

Highest ever attendance

The question then is how many of the Festival’s highest ever total attendance of 280,627 last year, would have noticed or remember those whip bans or be turned off from going again?

The previous year, during Covid restrictions when amateurs were not allowed compete, there were three riders banned for whip use. Harry Bannister – 2 days, excessive force, Simon Torrens, 2 days – above the permitted level, Rachael Blackmore - 2 days, above the permitted level. Where oh where was the problem?

Harrington presumably speaks for the collective of learned heads in the organisation. The thought did occur - are the BHA deliberately trying to attach a whip debate and headlines to the Cheltenham Festival? It sure seems like that when you read what was said to this week’s conference attendees.

Is there an agenda? Those who are totally anti-whip are not going to care if it is used forehand or backhand.

The changes apparently were on foot of a Great British Racing survey that found that 45% of those between 18 and 24, who don’t engage in racing, thought it cruel.

Ask me if I like seeing a horse hit with a whip – the answer would be generally no. Do I think it cruel to use the modern pro-cush whip six or seven times, once I see the horse pull up and prick his ears after his race – no. And most people would have that opinion.

Repeat the sentence again – “if 45% of those who don’t come racing think”. Why would you bother bringing in drastic bans to think they might then come. I’ve little interest in American Football, even less in cricket so no changes of rules in those sports would persuade me to be interested to go to a match.

Invisible minority

One comment hit it right in saying the BHA are trying to appease the invisible minority. And where would that stop?

In Ireland, horses and pony sports are as popular among youngsters in this country as clearly seen from the content and reader engagement across this paper’s sport horse pages. Interest can be cultivated early.

You have to conclude that not just Harrington but the BHA were hugely irresponsible in allowing a front page headline of the trade paper, where most non-racing media look for their current topics when covering the sport, that read “Cheltenham’s shop window meant whip rules had to change,” when there was no issue with Cheltenham involving the use of the whip to those not interested in racing, in the last two years.

‘JUST because you are paranoid – doesn’t mean they are not out to get you,’ was a saying a friend used to throw at me in jest.

Once upon a time it was the handicapper in Britain giving Irish-trained horses 5lb-6lb more than their Irish handicap mark which was held up as a disadvantage to Irish runners at Cheltenham. Now, amid the whip controversy, is there another obstacle being thrown in the way of the Irish?

Following research into equine vision undertaken at Exeter University, blue, bright yellow and white were found to be more easily distinguishable to horses, with white chosen by the BHA to replace the orange markings in Britain - it didnt fade as quickly

But the new white-fronted hurdles and fences appear to be a bit of a concern and hindrance if you listen to many knowledgeable racing people.

Already Willie Mullins and Tom Mullins have made reference to them possibly causing their runners to make mistakes at Cheltenham. Energumene in the Clarence House and a mistake and unseat by Tom’s Hey Johnny at the November meeting were cited. Joseph O’Brien is on record as saying he is schooling his Festival runners over the new ‘white’ fronted hurdles. Jockey Darragh O’Keeffe also spoke of his concern for Irish-trained horses running at Cheltenham following the fatal fall of Hemlock at Musselburgh earlier this month.

O’Keeffe said in a Racing Post interview that the usually sure-footed gelding was all at sea with the new-style hurdles: “You might think it’s nothing – sure it’s only a bit of white paint – but it makes a huge difference to some horses. Hemlock was as good a jumper as you would ever get, but when he got over to Musselburgh he jumped every single hurdle differently.”

A.P. McCoy has also criticised the new hurdles and in a Racing TV interview before Christmas, Lucinda Russell mentioned one of her hurdlers didn’t jump well after he was a bit spooked by the white hurdles.

“They use them in France” has been one defence but, from the races I’ve viewed, they are not so ‘in your face’ as the new British hurdles and French hurdles are more like mini fences with two white rails across the bottom for takeoff and in the middle, not with the degree of white now added in those across the water. As O’Keeffe said: “We seem to have a habit of trying to fix things that aren’t broken in this game.”