Jockey horror?
‘Bullied golden girl of racing accused by Irish rival of causing horse’s death’
HORSE racing has been rocked by a row involving a prominent British female jockey, bullying claims and an Irish rival accusing her of causing the death of his horse.
Bryony Frost, 25, made history last year by becoming the first woman to win the King George VI Chase, while her passionate post-race interviews have thrust her into the spotlight.
But she has been accused of contributing to the death of Robbie Dunne’s horse at a meet in Southwell in September.
It is understood that there is friction between Ms Frost and some other riders envious of the attention she draws.
Mr Dunne, 35, felt that his rival carelessly let her horse Wisecracker drift left as it went over a jump, causing his horse Cillian’s Well to fall and be fatally injured. He was said to have blamed Ms Frost during a confrontation in the weighing room. The Dubliner’s behaviour is under investigation by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).
A source told Mail Online: ‘This is a huge combination of a lot of things that have suddenly collided together – it is a perfect storm. The row at Southwell after the fall is something everyone there would have expected to stay private. Details have come out and Bryony has spoken herself about problems among other jockeys.
‘There is also – to be quite open about it – jealousy of how much attention she gets and the horses she rides on. Not everything that is being investigated is in the public arena at the moment. There is more to come out.’
The daughter of Jimmy Frost, who won the 1989 Grand National, Ms Frost only turned professional in 2017 and has built up a large fanbase, with 14,000 followers on Instagram.
However, she has claimed that there is a degree of resentment against her as a young, female rider. ‘It’s a difficult topic at the minute, because there are ongoing things that need to be sorted out and there is protection that needs to be given to others,’ she said in an interview.
‘But it’s something I’m going to be trying extremely hard to make better. There are always going to be a few people that frown.
‘Opinions are opinions, not facts, and I think for our younger generation there are things that must be improved.’
Asked whether the atmosphere among her fellow jockeys was difficult, Ms Frost replied: ‘Yes. I struggle and I’ve got to make sure I don’t say anything too much.’ Fellow jockey Harry Cobden claimed she had ‘done well out of the cameras’ and might not have risen so quickly had it not been for the media attention. Mr Dunne told the Times last week: ‘Most jockeys work on the basis that what happens in the weighing room stays in the weighing room.
‘It’s under BHA investigation. Leave them to do their work.’
The BHA said it could not comment on the probe.