Trainer banned from British races over photo on dead horse

The image of Grand Nationalwinning trainer Gordon Elliott seemingly posing for a photo while sitting on a dead horse provoked horror and led to the Irishman being banned this week from entering runners into British races.

Elliott, one of the sport’s most celebrated figures in Britain and Ireland, apologized while confirming the authenticity of an undated photo that was shared across Twitter on Saturday, showing him sitting on a horse that had just died of a heart attack after a training run. One of his most high-profile employers, Cheveley Park Stud, said it was “truly horrified”by the image and bookmaker Betfair dropped Elliott as an ambassador, saying his actions were not consistent with its“values. ”they were sentiments echoed by the body that runs British horse racing in a scathing statement.

“People who work in our industry believe their values — of caring for and respecting our horses — have been deeply undermined by this behavior,” the British Horseracing Authority said. The BHA said it was “appalled” by the image and imposed the temporary block on Elliott training horses in British races while he is investigated by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board.

The Irish board said its investigation will be dealt with “as quickly as possible.”

In a convoluted explanation about the incident, ”elliott said he was waiting for the body of the horse — which has not been identified — to be taken away when he received a phone call and sat down on the horse “without thinking.” The image shows him in a pose, holding two fingers out while sitting astride the horse.