Quote:
Originally Posted by sammy the sage
some jocks are going to MOVE up big time....some will fall back because they're NOT physical enough
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No love from me for the whipper guys and stick jockeys. I'll go with the finesse riders.
A good jockey is like a good chess player. It's the ability to know, even by listening to a horse's respiration, how much fuel they have left in the tank, what the other riders/horses are doing, predict then react.
At the top? A rider’s ability to communicate with their horse......an empathic jockey.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy Asaro
Sometimes a whip is needed for urging, sometimes not at all.
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"Urging" doesn't include flogging them 30 times like Espinoza did to AP, or John Velazquez (handed a suspension by Royal Ascot stewards for over-whipping as he would have been given anywhere in Europe or Hong Kong) when he knew it was against the rules.......all while the world watches.
A tap as a reminder to change leads or using a whip in an emergency/dangerous situation is one thing-----whipping a horse over 5-7 times when they are already giving their all....not so much.
My education includes a good friend who rides and jumps "Native American style".... bareback and no reins/bridle. She knows how to get a horse to do what she wants and taught me what finesse is, and about maintaining an even and constant contact with the horse under you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy Asaro
Committed to Stop betting Ca Racing after 40 years of playing it on a regular basis. Will do same with any other jurisdiction adopting these rules. Final straw for me.
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And others who think diffrently will pick up that slack because they are on the verge of walking away from the status quo that U.S. racing insists upon.
I guess you can say that means there's something for everyone.
If U.S. horse racing does the right things, we may actually get to witness who the best trainers are (sans druggers and cheaters) and who the best jockeys are (sans whips, less whips).