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Sweden announces that jockeys can no longer use the whip

As the 2022 horse racing season gets underway in Sweden this April, there is one big change in the regulations.

Swedish jockeys will no longer be able to use the whip during the race.

The new regulations do allow jockeys to carry a whip, but they will only be permitted to use it in exceptional circumstances, in order to “ward off a dangerous situation”.

This is similar to the current situation in neighboring Norway, where jockeys are permitted to carry whips but only use them if their safety is at risk.

Whip use is already highly restricted in Swedish horse racing and other equine sports.

The whip cannot be used in jump racing or two-year-old racing, and jockeys are only allowed to use the whip three times in any one race.

In addition, the sport has introduced foam-padded sticks, replacing traditional whips, which have been used for several years now.

Sweden has, then, been slowly restricting the way that jockeys can use the whip for some time, but from the start of the 2022 season, all whip use will be prohibited.

Most other countries still permit the use of whips, but many of them have restrictions on how often they can be used and in which races.

Many within the industry believe that whipping is dangerous, inhumane and unnecessary.

A recent study, in fact, found no evidence that the use of whips in horse racing benefits the jockey in any way.

The research, led by the University of South Australia and supported by the University of Sydney and the UK’s Animal Aid, studied races in the UK, where there are both whip-permitted and whip-free (known as ‘hands and heels’) races.

It concluded that whips do not contribute to safety, speed or interference in modern races.

Kirk is a lifelong follower of all motorsports, particularly Formula 1, Nascar and WRC. When not found at the side of the circuit, eyes stinging from the burnt rubber, he also covers tennis, eSports and other categories for us.

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