Talking Horses: Rob James suspended for a year over dead horse video
Rob James, an amateur jockey who was seen sitting on a dead horse in a video which circulated on social media last week, has had his rider’s licence suspended for a year with the final eight months suspended after a hearing before the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board’s Referrals Committee on Wednesday.
James, who rode Gordon Elliott’s Native Milan to win the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Handicap Chase at the Cheltenham Festival last year, has also agreed not to attend any race or point-to-point meeting during the four months in which his licence is suspended.
The video of James, briefly sitting on a horse that had suffered a heart attack on a gallop in 2016, emerged three days after a similar image of Elliott started to circulate on social media last week.
James subsequently apologised for his actions, saying he was “heartbroken by the damage” which the video had caused.
The detailed decision of the panel, read out by Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds at the end of the case, will be published on Thursday.
Earlier on Wednesday, the IHRB said Elliott’s agreement not to attend a racecourse for six months is the only condition attached either to the trainer’s penalty, which was imposed last week, or to the licence of Denise Foster, who took charge of his Cullentra House stable in County Meath on Tuesday when Elliott started his six-month suspension.
The news from Ireland will increase pressure on the British Horseracing Authority to address concerns that Elliott could retain a significant role in the training operation, and do so before the Cheltenham Festival next week when
Foster will have a strong team of horses in action.
“As per rule 148(i),” Niall Cronin, the IRHB’s communications manager, said on Wednesday, “the licensed trainer of a horse shall be responsible for everything connected with the welfare, training and running of all horses under their care and shall be liable to any sanction available to the stewards, the referrals [disciplinary] committee, the licensing committee or the appeals body, as the case may be, unless the trainer provides a satisfactory explanation.
“In addition to this, it was noted by Justice Groarke [the chair of Elliott’s disciplinary panel] on Friday that Gordon Elliott will not attend any race meeting or point-to-point for six months.
“There are no further conditions on the suspension of Mr Elliott or the licence of Mrs Foster. We have nothing further to add on this matter.”
The absence of any additional conditions on Foster’s licence suggests Elliott, who lives at a yard which houses around 300 horses and employs about 50 staff, could retain a close role in the day-to-day operation of the yard.
That, in turn, will turn the focus back to the BHA, whose chief executive, Julie Harrington, said earlier on Wednesday that the authority was “currently seeking clarification of what conditions have been put in place”.
Asked to expand on the BHA’s approach to the issue, Harrington said: “I’m asking for those conditions but also making it clear what our views are, on behalf of JCR [Jockey Club Racecourses, which owns Cheltenham] as well, because we want to make sure that any horses that are attending are clearly not under the Gordon Elliott flag.
“I’ve made our views on it clear, I’m waiting to hear what conditions will be applied to Denise and we’ll also be able to look at, if we’re not happy, what’s available to us within our own rules.”
Asked whether possible action could include preventing Foster’s horses from running at Cheltenham, Harrington said: “I think at this point we’re having really good discussions with the IHRB so I’m not envisaging us getting to that point.”