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Mostly very good names as far as the racing enthusiast is concerned. However, if the “whip” was changed out of the blue to a completely different name I think the perception amongst the general public would be that it’s still the same dangerous “whip” as it’s been for decades.
However, it’s been the “pro-cush” whip for many years now and so is easily explained to the public why the name change has come about… That it is so much different to the old racing whip that the name change to the “Cush” makes perfect sense.
A 1980’s whip and a 2023 whip can be shown to the media.
Pronounced the same as a snooker foam filled “cush” – shortened from “cushion”.
Value Is Everything“The Prompt”
“The Collector”
“The Magic Wand”
“The Motivator”
“The Cush”
I’ll leave it another day or two, maybe even three, for further nominations then start a poll just for fun.
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It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Ginger, not sure I agree with the logic being used to favour “cush” there. The term “cush” is completely alien to the general public, probably more so than the other suggestions.
I’d be sceptical that the fact it has been in prior use by a small group of racing specialists would make people view it more favourably than the other options.
It also seems to push credulity to me to have part of the word “cushion” so dominant, albeit I appreciate what it is trying to achieve.
In the interest of having some more options in the poll, I would like to suggest “communicator”.
The idea here being that the device is not just to encourage and drive the horse, but also to help control it and maintain safety.
It is true that nobody in the 70’s took offence to Lester on Roberto; but we are living in different times. If that ride was shown to today’s public it would be a different story. Authorities need to take today’s public into consideration.
…And the fact Roberto went on to beat The Brigadier means nothing. For one thing although what actually happens matters most, perception means something nowadays. But just because one animal recovers from abuse does not make the abuse ok and neither does it mean every horse will recover.
Value Is EverythingMaybe some may record it “ProCosh excessively used to gain Group 1 win”.
The more I know the less I understand.
“The Prompt”
“The Collector”
“The Magic Wand”
“The Motivator”
“The Cush”
“The Communicator”
Nominations will close over the weekend.
Poll will be next week – and if during that poll someone suddenly posts a further option having had days to get one in before deadline I can’t promise not to shout at them.
Or let BigG take them to his cellar.
Or ask Nathan to make them the subject of a particularly humiliating meme.
Or arrange for them to meet gamble and GT for a coffee in Costa to discuss the meaning of: life, any of gamble’s postings and value (surely the worst punishment of the lot).
I am "The Horse Racing Punter" on Facebook
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ian_Davies_
https://www.facebook.com/ThePointtoPointNHandFlatracingpunter/
It's the "Millwall FC" of Point broadcasts: "No One Likes Us - We Don't Care"Can see your point Marlingford, but for me the fact the instrument has changed enormously from the dangerous 1970’s whip is the point of calling it a Cush. We need the public to know it’s not the same instrument.
Value Is EverythingLighten up Gingerwhipper. Unless I’m much mistaken this poll is meant to be a bit of jocular frivolity aka ‘a pisstake’
Great to be reading your essays again
Tbh I do not see the level of performance going up in relation to the number of strokes anyway.
On the flat (except for temperamental racehorses) it is my belief a good jockey can get the same level of form out of a horse with 6 strokes as he / she can with 9 or 10. ie Crawley (and Hornby (7) come to that) could have got the same performance out of their mounts by staying within the rules. That does not mean riding with hands and heels after his 6 strokes how those 6 happened on the day. It means had Crawley spaced out those 6 strokes more wisely he’d have got the same performance out of his horse
imo The rules as they are are better than they have been. Crawley deserved everything he’s got. But I suspect connections will reimburse him anyway, so nowhere near perfect.
For valuable races a better way may be that once a jockey does 8 loses half a length, for 9 it’s a length, 10 it’s 1 1/2 etc. If a jockey knows he is going to lose a lot more than he gains then he will not do so in a close finish of a valuable race. Yes, under my rules Hukum should have lost the race, but with my rules it simply would not have happened in the first place.
Value Is EverythingMaybe we need need a whip free day a week or a whip free race a day and see the results.
The more I know the less I understand.
Some names are a piss take and the “competition” is a definite piss take Drone. Am well aware of that. I was not responding to any supposed competition. Some I took as serious suggestions though.
There is more than one conversation taking place on this thread and there is a serious side to changing the name as well. Did you read what AP said earlier about the name “whip” being the biggest part of the whip problem? And unless I am very much mistaken my conversation with Marlingford was serious. I apologise if I am wrong.
Value Is Everything“Maybe we need need a whip free day a week or a whip free race a day and see the results”.
A whip free race, day or week would only attract horses suited by such a race, RTB.
Those who idle or are temperamental (which if a minority of the horse population is still a big percentage) would simply not take part.So it would not be a fair comparison to if all races had no whip.
Value Is EverythingI agree with Ginger. The key point here is the modern “whip” is not the same as the type used by Piggott on Roberto. That is a fact.
The BHA should show a bit of leadership to emphasise that fact. To pick up on a point Richard made earlier, Kevin Blake has suggested more than once on his blog that there should be a stall on every racecourse to allow people to see racing equipment, including the whip/pro-cush.
Why hasn’t the BHA done this? How difficult would it be to do? But no, all Harrington is interested in is showing how racing is diverse and inclusive. That will really save the sport from its critics.
Call it what you like, but you can’t get away from the image of a tired animal being hit with a stick.
The general public aren’t going to be fooled.
Are the vast majority of the general public that bothered?
They are more interested in taking selfies
social media
or worried about inflation rates and high energy bills
Eastenders, Love Island etc
Looking forward to a holiday or counting the sleeps until ChristmasCharles Darwin to conquer the World
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