An owner has threatened to quit the sport after racing chiefs rejected his appeal to get the name of his horse reinstated.
Nick Rhodes asked the British Horseracing Authority to reconsider after they deemed 'Buggerlugs' to be "inappropriate." He chose the name for a juvenile sprinter as it was an affectionate term his late father Les used in his childhood.
Rhodes, who made it official with Weatherbys last summer, was told the thoroughbred would have to be renamed the day before his debut on May 10. A spokesperson for the British Horseracing Authority said: “On further consideration, the name was viewed as inappropriate.”
Rhodes called the horse Sling Yer Hook to light-heartedly convey his frustration over the matter and took it to appeal. The owner, who has several horses in training, sent a six-page document to the BHA, to follow up on phone calls and other written correspondence.
He suggested a compromise to change the spelling of the horse's name to Buggalugs – but the ruling body rejected it.
Rhodes said: "I was not surprised by the decision but I am disappointed. The spelling was the issue first of all. I think the BHA are out of touch, they operate in the dark ages. All of our horses have fun names and that's one way of getting people talking about them.
"Once our current horses have finished racing I don't think I'll have the incentive to get involved with any more, because this has taken the edge off it."
In an email explaining their decision, the BHA's representative said: "Buggerlugs is one of those names that will split opinion – some people will think it is absolutely fine whilst others will think it is offensive. I believe we have to judge whether we expect enough of the sport's customers to fall into the second category and find this name offensive.
"It is my judgement that they would do, with younger generations in particular less likely to be aware of how this term has been used in the past, especially in particular regions of the country.
"The sport is working hard to attract family audiences and I believe this is a name that some parents would find inappropriate and offensive. As many of those young customers will hear the name on visits to the racecourse, it is my view that simply changing the spelling of the name would not remove that concern."
The member of the BHA executive team apologised to Rhodes, calling the chain of events that led to the appeal "regrettable."
Buggerlugs is described as an 'informal, old-fashioned' term 'for referring or speaking to someone in a slightly insulting but friendly way' in the Cambridge Dictionary.
Work is ongoing in the sport to encourage younger people to attend race meetings. Earlier this month, the sport's marketing and promotional body, Great British Racing, launched a £1.6 million campaign called Everyone's Turf.
Fronted by former England footballer Jermaine Jenas, it was designed to give attendances a boost this summer. The initiative builds on the findings of GBR-led consumer research which shows that consideration of a day out at a racing fixture is particularly high amongst 25-34 year olds.
The Jockey Club has also announced a new partnership with the Rio Ferdinand Foundation. The collaboration aims to help 16 to 24-year-olds from some of the UK’s most disadvantaged communities learn more about racing as a pastime and an industry they can work in.
