It won’t be easy to change our culture
Frost vindicated and we must all learn from it, says head of British racing
THE last two weeks have been tough for followers of racing, for those working in the sport and for all our participants who have followed the reacted.hearing into Robbie Dunne’s treatment of Bryony Frost. At the heart of this lies not what crude and unacceptable language was used but how those words were used and how others
For Bryony to have the courage to come forward with such serious allegations, in the first case of its type in racing, was extraordinarily brave and the panel’s conclusion was clear: she was bullied and subjected to unacceptable language for a sustained period of time by a fellow jockey. I applaud her for bringing her allegations to the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), so that they could be investigated in line with our policy and procedures by one of the best integrity units across British sport.
We are proud to be a sport where men and women compete against each other on an equal footing. Outside of equine sports, that is almost unique. Many of our female jockeys have excelled, whether that be Frost, Rachael Blackmore or Hollie Doyle, and the numbers of women taking to the sport continues to grow. Racing truly is a sport where everyone is welcome, a fantastic sport, full of passion and camaraderie and a great place to work.
Yet sport is not immune to the problems of wider society nor its expectations. Are there still attitudes that need to change? I am sure there are.
While this case has been about a senior male athlete and a successful younger female athlete, this is not just about gender. Anyone can feel uncomfortable in any environment where cultures and expectations clash.
Any of our participants in racing must be able to report a concern, whether about the treatment they have received or that they have witnessed, without fear of retribution or isolation.
This is a watershed moment, an opportunity for the sport to have a serious conversation about what is and isn’t acceptable. We need to make sure racing is a community where people feel comfortable to speak out as soon as issues arise. Likewise, a sport where individuals can express themselves and show their frustrations without crossing the line. Respect costs nothing, but it is priceless.
There was no excuse for the treatment Bryony endured. But if we can take any positives from this, it’s that she has started the conversation about how we treat each other and how we should act when someone crosses the line. We must not stand around and allow those suffering to feel alone, helpless or ostracised. The sport, including the BHA and the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA), needs to reflect and learn from this case.
The PJA have recently implemented a new code of conduct and we at the BHA are in the process of finalising a cross-industry code which will set out the sport’s expectations on behaviours and, crucially, be underpinned by a regulatory framework.
We have our RaceWISE anonymous reporting service for people to raise concerns and we are working with our 59 racecourses to improve the physical environment for women jockeys in their changing areas and the weighing-room facilities.
But cultures and behaviours are not easy to change. We know there is no magic wand that can change the way people think and act: it always takes time but it can be expedited by awareness campaigns, education and, of course, regulation. Discussions with our industry colleagues regarding how we achieve this are well under way. We look forward to updating everyone on these plans in the near future.
How we act now will define what we want our sport to look like. We must acknowledge that those behaviours are unacceptable and ensure racing continues to be a hugely popular sport, relevant, modern and sustainable.
It is the hardest thing to be the first to come forward. Bryony has done that and been vindicated. I believe when individuals see their concerns are taken seriously and treated fairly, you will see more people come forward. That is only a good thing. It often takes crisis to spark serious change.