Last January, during the weekend of the Prix d'Amérique at the Vincennes racecourse (Paris -France), the UET member countries unanimously decided to adopt a new philosophy forthe use of the whip in trotting races, in order to preserve the image of racing and for theanimal welfare, indicating that a new wording of the provisions of the UET InternationalAgreement would be validated during the year, for application by 1st April 2025 at the latest.
The two main principles of the new regulations can be summed up as follows:
- the whip, which remains a safety element for the jockey or driver, is not used to kick or hit a horse,
- a jockey or a driver has only the right to sollicitate his horse by a wrist movement.
On the proposal of the Board and the Technical Commission, the Extraordinary General Assembly of the UET adopted today the new text of Chapter VII - Article 4 of the International Agreement, provisions already in force in several European countries (Nordic countries, Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland)
It is now up to the equestrian authorities in each member country to transpose these provisions into their national regulations.
Mrs Marjaana Alaviuhkola, President, welcomed the decision taken by the UET member countries:
– This is a decision that will go down in the history of the UET. It marks a new era for the image of trotting and animal welfare issues. European professionals are showing that respect for the trotter is a priority in their decisions. I am delighted that European trotting is leading the way with these new rules to all the international racing authorities, whether in trotting or galloping. Equine welfare has always been the driving force behind my commitment to the presidency of the UET since my election.
July 15, 2024
Pressinformation från UET