Poppy Wynne, an amateur jockey, recently made headlines for becoming the second winning rider to be disqualified for excessive use of the whip. Riding Swift Tuttle in the second division of the Go Racing In Yorkshire Amateur Jockeys’ Handicap at Doncaster on July 12, Wynne crossed the finish line first by a short head. However, she was found to have used her whip eight times, exceeding the permitted limit of six without allowing her mount time to respond.
As a consequence of her actions, Swift Tuttle, trained by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, was disqualified. Wynne was handed a 24-day suspension, during which she will undergo two days of specialised coaching to improve her riding skills. Prior to Wynne, the only other winning jockey to face disqualification for similar reasons was National Hunt rider Alex Edwards, with four non-winners also facing disqualification.
In addition, jockey Dougie Costello received a 25-day ban for breaking whip rules for the fourth time within six months. However, eight of the days will be deferred and enforced only if he breaches the rules again in the following six months.