Even if you’re new to horse racing betting you’ll know there isn’t a visible referee on the course when the horses are racing. Of course, it would look totally ridiculous to have a ‘referee horse’ running alongside the jockeys to ensure everyone is behaving.
But horse racing in the UK and Ireland is officiated – and jockeys can be punished if they break the rules while racing. Here, Paddy Power explains everything you need to know about horse racing stewards, who they are and what they do.
What are racing stewards?
Racing stewards are a mix of paid and volunteer officials who effectively act as referees at a race meeting. They oversee all Flat and National Hunt races in the UK and Ireland to ensure fair play and act as arbiters if there is an issue or a breach in the Rules of Racing. A steward can open an investigation for issues such as:
- Improper riding – such as overuse of whip
- Careless riding – such as interfering with other horses or riding dangerously
If there is an issue to resolve, the stewards will call an ‘enquiry’ to determine if there was foul play (even if it’s accidental). A ‘stipendiary’ steward leads the enquiry and aims to quickly figure out if any rules have been broken by reviewing the race and interviewing jockeys involved. If any rules have been broken, they can demote or promote horses to determine a new final standings, while sometimes horses may be disqualified.
Stewards watch on from their vantage point as the horse race gets underway
Who are racing stewards?
Racing stewards are officials appointed by the British Horseracing Authority to oversee the fair running of races across the country. There are usually three stewards and a stipendiary steward at a meeting, and they are appointed by the racecourse (upon the approval of the BHA).
If a stewards enquiry is called, the stipendiary steward, local stewards, other officials, the trainers, jockeys, other connections and stable staff can be required to come together and review the incident in question.
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Only once a stewards enquiry has been concluded can the jockeys be ‘weighed in’ and the result be declared. This impacts on racing betting as you may have to wait for your winnings while the enquiry goes ahead.
All UK and Ireland horse races are watched over by stewards
Other steward responsibilities
Stewards also have the ability to change arrangements of a race meeting if required, and omit or alter any fence or hurdle in a race. They can even declare a race void, abandon a race or simply scrap an entire race meeting if they deem it right to do so.
Furthermore, stewards can direct any horse to be examined, take a urine, blood, hair or other intimate sample from a horse to be examined, withdraw a horse from a race, or disqualify a horse.
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- Why are there different grades of horse race?
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- What does the term ‘connections’ mean in horse racing?
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- What does ‘weighed in’ mean at the end of a horse race?
- What is a nursery race?
- Why are some National Hunt races run without fences?
- Why are some horses given a tongue tie during races?
- What does it mean when a horse is ‘pushed out’?
- How are horse racing ratings calculated?
- What does it mean when a horse has a ‘wind operation’?
- How high are the fences and hurdles in horse racing?
- What is an apprentice jockey?
- What is a Bull Ring in horse racing?
- What does the phrase ‘Look of Eagles’ mean in horse racing?
- Why do some horses wear a ‘weight cloth’ during races?
- What is the Triple Crown in horse racing?
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- How high are the Cheltenham Festival fences and hurdles?
- Why is the Champion Chase named after the Queen Mother?
- Why does Cheltenham racecourse have an Old Course and a New Course? What’s the differences between the two?
- What is the Cheltenham roar? What difference does it make in races?
- Why are there no jumps in the Cheltenham Festival Champion Bumper?
- How many fans usually attend the Cheltenham Festival? How big is the capacity?
- What is a juvenile in horse racing?
The latest Cheltenham horse racing odds are on PaddyPower.com now
THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
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