South Canterbury RC 7 September 2025 – R7 – Brandon May

Following the running of Race 7, the Respondent Class A Rider, Brandon May, denied a charge pursuit to Rule 638(3)(f)(i) alleging that “he struck his mount (RICHARD STOMPER) forward of the horses shoulder on a number of occasions during the run home.”

Rule 638(3)(f)(i) provides that in a Flat Race a Rider must not use his or her whip:

• forward of the Rider’s horse’s shoulder or in the vicinity of its head;

Using the available race films, Stipendiary Steward Veronica Fisher, with the assistance of Stipendiary Steward, Rebecca Haley, demonstrated that Mr May riding RICHARD STOMPER, was racing on the rail and in contention as the field turned for home. Ms Haley pointed out Mr May using his whip when pushing his mount forward with both hands on the reins and high up the neck. Mrs Fisher stated that amongst the urging by Mr May, he was using the whip and in doing so was making contact with the horses neck on numerous occasions, which is in breach of the rule.

Mr May, in defense, stated that he was not using the whip but only waving it about in conjunction with his urging and pushing the horse up the neck. He also said that he was in confined racing room over the concluding stages which contributed to the way he rode the horse out over the final stages.

Reasons for Decision

After carefully reviewing the available replays of the alleged breach, the Adjudicative Committee was satisfied that from the home turn Mr May, when urging his mount forward, by pushing up the horse’s neck and using the whip, made contact with the whip on the horse’s neck, on a number of occasions during the run home. The replays, when enlarged and played in slow motion, clearly showed the whip making contact with the horse’s neck on numerous occasions.

Decision:

The Adjudicative Committee therefore found the charge proved.

Submissions for Penalty

Mrs Fisher produced the Respondent’s record, which indicated no previous breach of this category of the Whip Rules.

Mrs Fisher advised that charges under this Rule were rare. Historic penalties imposed where a Rider struck a horse up the neck, resulted in fines of between $300 and $350.

Mrs Fisher stated that the Penalty Guide did not provide a starting point for a breach of this particular sub rule, apart from directing penalty to be fact dependent. She submitted that after taking all factors into consideration, a fine be considered as penalty, in the range of $300 to $350.

Mr May elected to make no submissions in regard to penalty.

Reasons for Penalty

The Penalty Guide does not provide a starting point for a breach of this Rule, as each breach under this particular category of the Whip Rule is dealt with on a fact dependent basis.

Mrs Fisher had stated that historic breaches of this particular Rule, where the Rider struck the horse’s neck, resulted in fines of between $300 and $350, which was of assistance to the Adjudicative Committee.

On that basis,the Adjudicative Committee has deemed that a fine is an appropriate penalty in this case, with that fine set at $300.

Conclusion

Mr May is fined the sum of $300.