Jockey James awaits fate
Wexford rider embroiled in dead horse controversy
LEADING WEXFORD amateur and point-to-point jockey Rob James became embroiled in the dead horse controversy that engulfed the horse racing world in the past week.
It kicked off with an internet video from 2019 showing top trainer Gordon Elliott sitting on a dead horse and, incredibly, a similar incident from five years ago involving James surfaced a couple of days later.
The revelations kicked off a media frenzy that even managed to push the Covid-19 pandemic to the back burner, with everyone from the Taoiseach down, top racing personalities and officials, weighing in with their condemnation.
There was an online firestorm which varied from reasoned comments right down to an avalanche of the most vile abuse from the keyboard warriors directed towards Elliott and James, and towards racing in general.
Because of his huge profile as one of the leading National Hunt trainers in these islands, and the imminence of the Cheltenham Festival which starts next Tuesday, Elliott’s case was rapidly dealt with and after a hearing on Friday he was banned from training or attending racing for a year, with six months suspended.
James still awaits his fate as his case had not been adjudicated on at the time of writing, but it is safe to assume the Wexford rider is also facing sanctions though the point-to-point season is in ongoing suspension since mid-January.
The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) confirmed it was ‘aware of further social media content circulating’ and is investigating the James incident.
It is an irony that just a year ago Elliott and James were joined together in much happier circumstances. The 28-year-old rider from Tomona, Killanne, scored his first win at the Cheltenham Festival in the Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Amateur Riders’ Chase on Milan Native, trained by Elliott for Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown Stud.
It was the highlight of James’ career so far which has been forged largely on the point-to-point circuit and did much to advertise his abilities.
He has had quite a few track rides for trainer Elliott and Gigginstown Stud since then.
He has been profuse and abject in his apologies for the incident portrayed in the video in which he and a number of colleagues were removing the corpse of a five-year-old mare which had died of a heart attack during exercise on the gallops.
Egged on by his colleagues, he jumped on the back of the horse and pretended to ride it; the incident lasted just a few seconds. In a statement to the ‘Irish Field’, James confirmed it was him in the video and went on to apologise.
‘I have become aware of a video circulating of me on social media. I apologise for my actions which were wholly inappropriate and disrespectful to a lovely five-year-old mare, which unfortunately suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while at exercise earlier that morning, April 30th, 2016.
‘I sincerely apologise to the owners of the mare, the staff who cared for her, the horseracing industry and all followers of horse racing for my actions.
‘To try defending my stupidity at the time would add further insult and hurt to the many loyal people who have supported me during my career.
‘I have caused embarrassment to my employers, my family and, most importantly, the sport I love.
‘I am heartbroken by the damage I have caused and will do my best to try and make amends to those hurt by my conduct.’
Rob James is among the leading riders in the thriving Irish point-to-point scene.
He had a slow enough start with just seven winners up to end of the 2012-’13 season from 211 rides. He won his first race at Tinahely in 2012 on Amber Hill, trained by Donnchadh Doyle of Monbeg, Ballindaggin.
Things then took off for him and he claimed the 2014 Champion Novice title with 20 winners. He had career best seasonal totals of 43 winners in 2016-’17, when he shared the Southern title with Jamie Codd, and in 2019-’20 when he was leading rider in the West. He had 42 wins in the 2017-’18 season.
He was second in the riders’ point-to-point table when the season was halted in January with 16 winners, behind clear leader Barry O’Neill (32) and ahead of Derek O’Connor (13) and Jamie Codd (12).
His career total is 235, from 1,387 rides, having had a successful partnership with the likes of Donnchadh and Seán Doyle, and Colin Bowe, and he has become a regular in the top three in the riders’ table.
He is now awaiting the IHRB hearing into his case and he will be anxious to put this totally uncharacteristic incident behind him.
There is a question about the sudden appearance of this video online almost five years after the incident occurred.
It may have been prompted by the furore over the Elliott video, but whoever was responsible must have known at that stage the damage that was going to be done to James personally and to racing in general.
RACING AS an industry and a sport is of fundamental importance to Ireland, a small country that punches away above its weight in terms of worldwide signifcance and influence, but this past week has seen Irish racing engulfed in an unexpected controversy that has inflicted serious reputational damage.
At the heart of it all was a twoyears-old photograph that was circulated on the internet and the world wide web showing leading National Hunt trainer Gordon Elliott sitting astride a dead horse, making a phone call and apparently cheerfully posing.
Bizarrely, a few days later a five-year-old video surfaced on YouTube showing Wexford amateur jockey, Rob James, involved in a similar incident. I have dealt with the James incident on page one of our sports section and I will concentrate mainly here on the Elliott case which was understandably the focus of most attention because of his high-profile position in National Hunt racing.
How these two totally unrelated events, which occured three years apart, should suddenly surface now has still to be explained, but there is a suspicion that Elliott in particular may have been deliberately targeted.
Whatever the truth of that, the floodgates of outrage and criticism were opened, with the traditional media offering massive coverage all over the world.
But their mostly reasonably balanced approach was overwhelmed by the deluge of irrational and bile-filled comments all over the internet.
Let’s be honest about this, both Elliott and James were guilty of careless and gross stupidity at the very least; they should never have been involved in what they did and they should certainly have guarded against photos and videos which provided easy ammunition for the keyboard warriors, especially those who are opposed to horse racing on animal welfare grounds. Regrettably, nowhere is private or secure anymore.
The photo was condemned by many leading figures in racing, including former stars turned pundits such as Ruby Walsh, Barry Geraghty, Jane Mangan, Mick Fitzgerald, etc. They were generally and legitimately concerned about the reputational damage that might be inflicted on racing, and they wanted action that would properly reflect the seriousness of those concerns.
There were many others also who were completely over the top in their reactions. If Elliott had gone out to cut the head off the horse with an axe, he could not have been more reviled and abused by many of the online comments.
Let’s be clear about this: there were no animal welfare or cruelty aspects; the horses were both already dead from natural causes, they had not been mistreated when alive. On the contrary, Elliott has a reputation for being very conscientious in his care of his horses.
In fairness to him, he accepted he had made a serious mistake. He said it was an indefensible moment of madness which had let down the whole sport... ‘that I am going to have to spend the rest of my life paying for and that my staff are suffering for’.
‘I just hope people can understand how truly sorry I am and find some way to forgive me for what I have done.
‘But it absolutely breaks my heart to read and hear people say that I have no respect for my horses. That couldn’t be further from the truth. My whole life has revolved around horses since I was a child. I know nothing else. Horses are all I have.’
During the week there was strong reaction from some sources; Cheveley Park Stud took their eight horses from his stable, including Cheltenham favourite Envoi Allen (unbeaten in ten races), and several sponsors withdrew their support.
The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) decided to ban horses from running in his name in Britain, including the Cheltenham Festival. There was growing concern that the future of the huge Cullentra stable operation and its 75 employees could be at risk.
The Irish authorities reacted quite quickly and a hearing into Elliott’s case was held on Friday, the three-person panel including two senior judges.
They found him guilty of conduct ‘prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct or good reputation of horseracing’.
The panel found: ‘The photograph shows the most appalling bad taste on the part of Mr Elliott insofar as it demonstrates a complete absence of respect for the horse at a time when he still remains in his charge...
‘It is undoubtedly and most regrettably the case that the reputation and integrity of horseracing has been brought into disrepute... and serious damage has been caused to a sport enjoyed and loved by so many.’
They accepted the horses in Elliott’s care are looked after and maintained to the highest standards and his ‘success is testament to the care and attention he has provided to his horses’.
The panel made this interesting observation: ‘In the view of the committee there is also a sinister aspect to this case. The committee are satisfied that the publication of this photograph is part of a concerted attack upon Mr Elliott, the full circumstances of which are unknown.’
Elliott was banned from training and from attending race meetings for six months, with another six months suspended, and he was fined €15,000. He has accepted the sanction and will not be appealing.
He said: ‘I am in this situation by my own action and I am not going to dodge away from this. With my position in the sport I have great privileges and great responsibility.
‘I did not live up to that responsibility. I have a long road ahead of me but I will serve my time and then build back better.’
In response, the BHA agreed that the Cullentra horses could run in Britain, including Cheltenham, if they were placed in the charge of another licensed trainer before Tuesday, March 9.
It has been agreed that the horses will run in the name of fellow Meath-based trainer, Denise Foster, for the six months, thus easing worries about the future of the stable and the staff.