Social media, particularly Twitter, has a tendency to see discussions become polarised. Situations are depicted as black-and-white; right and wrong. Constructive debate, when limited to 280 characters, can seem increasingly futile. ‘Racing Twitter’ and the wider equestrian world has its fair share of such debates, however the truth of the matter is that the majority of the public do not care enough to get involved. For now, they have no need to pick a side. But that does not mean they will not be persuaded to take a stance in the future.
I have been quite vocal in my condemnation of the actions of Sir Mark Todd in the short video clip that has been widely shared (and discussed) this week. But I have not once accused him of being cruel or questioned his horsemanship. Instead, I have argued that his conduct has brought racing into disrepute and, in my opinion, it is appropriate that the BHA have suspended his licence. It is vital that our sport’s governing body is seen to denounce an incident which, in their words, has “caused anger and upset within the equestrian community and beyond.” As a licensed individual, particularly one who has accepted a knighthood for services to equestrian sport, he has a responsibility to represent the industry at all times.
I can understand why some will label me hypocritical for criticising Todd’s behaviour while simultaneously having an association with – and a passion for – a sport that involves striking horses in order to make them run further and faster than they would of their own accord. My argument is that it is vital we, as an industry, have a clear understanding of society’s expectation of us. Of what is deemed to be acceptable and what is not in 2022.
In 2018, Richard Johnson was banned for seven days and fined £6550 as a result of his winning ride on Native River in the Cheltenham Gold Cup, where he used his whip above the permitted level. In fact, he hit his horse more times in the closing stages of the race than Todd struck the horse in the video that has caused so much outrage. I certainly did not publicly criticise his ride and I cannot recall the story gaining any significant traction in the mainstream media at the time.
I would wager that far more people have seen the closing stages of Native River’s Gold Cup than have seen the Mark Todd video, despite the latter going ‘viral’ this week. So why has the public reaction to each been so vastly different? For me the answer is blindingly obvious: one looks far uglier than the other. But some permanent residents of the ‘racing bubble’ seem oblivious to public perception or the damage that such incidents can inflict.
“They’re stupid – we shouldn't care what they think anyway,” would be the ignorant response from a certain facet of our industry. This ‘we know better’ attitude exhibited by some horsemen and women is deeply arrogant and short-sighted; we must keep our finger on the pulse of public opinion. It is important to remember that racing operates on an unwritten licence from the general public, the terms of which are continually renewed in line with contemporary society, and will be withdrawn if we get to a point where we lose the acceptance of a big enough percentage of the population – whether knowledgeable about the sport or not.
A similar unwritten licence is issued by the British public to the Monarchy: an institution that has survived more than a thousand years, but would have been consigned to the history books long ago if it had not made changes in order to continue to be deemed acceptable by a large enough proportion of its subjects.
Racing could learn a lesson or two from one of its greatest patrons, Her Majesty The Queen, who’s ability to appreciate the bigger picture and make uncompromising and, sometimes, personally painful decisions for the greater good has ensured she remains a hugely popular figure among a majority of the public. There will always be some who would call for the Monarchy to be abolished, just as there will always be those who will campaign for racing to be banned. At the same time, there will always be die-hard royalists, just as there will always be passionate racing fans. It is the rest, the silent majority, that ultimately hold the casting vote.
By evolving with society, instead of angrily resisting it, we can provide racing with a brighter future. Nothing lasts forever, but by looking forward and from a wider viewpoint, we can ensure that it outlasts us.
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