The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) is preparing to meet with jockeys and trainers to discuss the recent minimum weight rise.
The decision to remove the 3lb weight allowance that was instigated during the COVID-19 pandemic, and instead raise weights by 2lb, starting in March 2022, has been a cause for concern and debate ever since it was announced.
The original extra 3lb weight allowance was brought in to compensate for the fact that during the pandemic, saunas at racecourses were closed.
In racing, as in other sports, saunas are often used as a way for a competitor to lose weight quickly immediately before an event.
Their widespread use by jockeys had been long accepted, even though using a sauna for short-term weight loss is generally seen as an unhealthy practice.
While the saunas were originally closed due to COVID-19-related concerns, the decision to make their closure permanent was generally seen as a positive move, and the majority of jockeys (88%) approved, according to research carried out by the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA).
It was generally understood that the COVID-19 weight allowance would stay in place.
The BHA’s decision to remove the COVID-19 allowance and replace it with a weight rise of 2lbs across the board means that there will essentially be a 1lb reduction in the weight that a horse can carry, starting on March 26, 2022.
The decision has been unpopular with jockeys, with Derby winner Adam Kirby recently stating that the removal of the allowance was “completely wrong”.
Many jockeys have expressed the belief that although the 3lb allowance was always intended to be a temporary response to a changed situation during the pandemic, it has had a beneficial impact on the mental and physical wellbeing of jockeys, and that the move to scrap the allowance and reduce the overall amount of weight that can be carried could lead to serious problems for some riders.
The saunas have not been reopened, and the changes will result in jockeys needing to carry less weight than in pre-pandemic times when they were open.
As in many sports, there will be an increased risk of competitors making unhealthy choices in order to make the weight.
Riders ‘starving’ themselves, adopting unhealthy eating patterns, or making themselves vomit before races are all seen as real concerns.
In its defense, the BHA has reiterated that everyone involved was aware that the COVID-19 allowance was never intended to be permanent.
The BHA stated that the decision to drop the allowance, and raise weight limits by 2lb, was agreed by the cross-industry Racing Group committee, and only after months of debate and consultation with the National Trainers Federation (NTF) and the PJA.
The PJA has stated that during this consultation, it requested that the weight rise be set at 3lbs, not 2lbs, but was unsuccessful in that request.
The BHA has agreed to hold a further meeting with the PJA, the NTF and concerned jockeys to discuss the issues that have been raised.
