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Dunne Suspension Reduced to 10 Months After Appeal

Jockey Robbie Dunne has had his 18-month suspension reduced to 10 months after an appeal hearing in London. Dunne was suspended for conduct prejudicial to racing for his harassment and bullying of fellow rider Bryony Frost by the British Horseracing Authority Disciplinary Panel in December. His appeal was rejected by the independent appeal board, with the following conditions:

The four breaches of Rule (J)19 originally found by the independent Disciplinary Panel have been adjusted to one overarching breach, which covers all offences
Penalty reduced from 18 months suspension (three of which were suspended) to 10 months suspension (with no part suspended)

The suspension will now run from Dec. 10, 2021-Oct. 9, 2022.

In response to the news of the suspension reduction, the British Horseracing Authority released the following statement:

“The independent Appeal Board has today upheld the decision of the independent Disciplinary Panel that Robbie Dunne is in breach of Rule (J)19 in that his conduct was prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct or good reputation of horseracing in Great Britain. We acknowledge their decision to amend the penalty he will serve and await the full reasons in relation to that aspect.

“This reduction in penalty in no way diminishes the recognition of the severity of the allegations that were brought against Mr. Dunne. Indeed, it continues to send a clear message that conduct of this nature cannot be tolerated in any working environment within our sport.

“Following the original decision last year, the BHA released a statement which outlines our commitment to improving workplace standards, conduct and wellbeing. Work is continuing with industry colleagues to finalise the industry code of conduct, with a view to it going before the BHA Board in the first half of the year. A cross-industry working party has also been formed to look at ways of improving education and awareness around the standards of conducted expected across the sport.

“Once again, we recognise that this has been a challenging period for all involved in this complex and emotive case, and we ask that the privacy and wellbeing of both parties is respected as they continue to receive the support of the appropriate bodies and those close to them.

“We now await the Appeal Board's written reasons before we can comment on any of the technicalities around their findings or any other matters associated with the hearing.”

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Annamarie Phelps to Step Down as BHA Chair

British Horseracing Authority Chair, Annamarie Phelps, CBE, will not seek a second term in the role and will step down from the BHA Board at the conclusion of her term in May. Phelps will be replaced by BHA Independent Non-Executive Director, Joe Saumarez Smith. He will begin his new role once Phelp's term is up and will stay in that position until the end of his own term in September of 2023.

Annamarie Phelps said, “Following discussions with the Board of the BHA I have decided not to extend my time as BHA Chair beyond the end of the current term.

“This is a very important time for racing, with the recovery from the pandemic and the imminent publication of the Gambling Act Review White Paper both still very much on the sport's agenda. A significant review of the BHA is also underway, which will ensure that the BHA is future-proofed, efficient and has sufficient resource to serve racing's needs.

“We are at a key stage of discussions around a new governance structure that will provide clarity on the BHA's role as governing body and regulator.

“I am therefore delighted that I have been able to develop the following core principles with the BHA shareholders prior to my departure:

“Firstly, recognition that the BHA Board will maintain responsibility for both regulation and governance matters with an additional responsibility for leading the strategy for industry growth on behalf of our shareholders. That it will retain the same level of independent representation as at present, in line with governance best practice. Alongside this, we have agreed that the tripartite decision-making structure will be reviewed.

“There is much to do over the next three months to ensure these measures are fully and firmly in place for my successor before I step down, which I hope will provide a more appropriate, democratic and effective decision-making structure for the future.

“It has been a great privilege to lead the BHA during this challenging period for the sports sector, and to have recruited a fantastic CEO in Julie Harrington. I am immensely proud of what racing has achieved collectively in this time.

“I want to thank the amazing BHA team for navigating the pandemic and for keeping the show on the road behind the scenes, a role that is rarely acknowledged. It is a remarkable achievement that no fixtures were lost to Covid once British racing had become the first major sport to resume following the initial 2020 lockdown.

“We have also dealt successfully with some serious and complicated ethical and integrity matters that have set important precedents for the future, laid the foundations for greater diversity and inclusion across the sport, enhanced the industry's educational resources and safeguarding provisions and further increased our focus on the welfare of our horses and our people; all of which are essential to the sustainable health and prosperity of racing.

“I want to thank all those who have welcomed and supported me over the last three years, in particular those racecourses, trainers, owners, jockeys, stable staff and breeders who have shared their insight, aspirations and opinion, both here and overseas. I have loved the people, the racing and especially the horses.”

Joe Saumarez Smith said, “On behalf of the BHA Board, I would like to express my thanks to Annamarie, who has brought a broad perspective from other sports to the BHA Board table. During her time as Chair, she has laid the groundwork for significant change across the industry in a number of areas, and helped us navigate a series of challenging issues, not least the coronavirus pandemic and the BHA's own governance. The agreement of a number of core governance principles is potentially a defining moment for the industry. I look forward to continuing to work with Annamarie until the conclusion of her term.”

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UK Jockey Weights To Rise

The three-pound COVID allowance for riders will be replaced with an across-the-board two-pound rise in the published weights, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) confirmed on Monday. In addition, the current three-pound back protector allowance will be raised to a general four-pound safety allowance for jockeys. These changes will go into effect for races staged from Monday, May 2, following further discussions with the Professional Jockeys Association (PJA), National Trainers Federation (NTF), and a number of Flat and Jump jockeys. Horses will continue to carry the same weights that they have been carrying since the COVID allowance was introduced as an emergency measure in June of 2020. In race cards, the published weight will increase by two pounds.

Richard Wayman, Chief Operating Officer of the BHA, said, “I would like to thank the many people from within the weighing room who have spoken with us in recent weeks. This process has allowed us to consider further concerns which did not feature as part of the initial consultation.”

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Revised Safeguarding Measures For British Racing

The British Horseracing Authority has announced revised safeguarding measures for British racing focused on protecting the sport's most vulnerable participants. They are:

Leadership: Embedding a culture of safeguarding across British racing, with the BHA Board championing safeguarding throughout our values and priorities;
Governance: Establishing a strong governance framework to support our safeguarding arrangements by ensuring BHA Board members and staff are clear about their responsibilities and regulation is consistent with legislation, government guidance and good practice;
Prevention: Taking all reasonable steps to create an environment where it is as difficult as possible for any abuse, exploitation or mistreatment of children and adults at risk to take place;
Protection: Promoting and protecting safety and welfare by working with stakeholders to strengthen our safeguarding arrangements and to share good practice across the sport;
Empowerment and education: Committing to raise safeguarding awareness and empowering all participants to identify and report concerns.

These revised measures will sit alongside the BHA's Safeguarding Code Of Conduct.

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