National Hunt jockey Robbie Dunne abused, harassed and intimidated Britain’s most successful female rider and threatened to put her through a fence and hurt her during a race, a disciplinary panel has heard.
Dunne (36) appeared before the British Horse Racing Panel on Tuesday. She was charged with acting in an indecent or violent manner toward Bryony, 26; and prejudicing this sport.
Brian Barker, QC, chaired the panel. It heard allegations that harassment and bullying began in 2017. This escalated into violence threats, foul, abusive, and misogynistic language.
Panel members heard that Dunne was naked while changing in the lockers. It started a bullying campaign. But she stood firm against Frost.
As the relationship between the jockeys soured further, Dunne is alleged to have called Frost a ‘f****** slag’, dangerous ‘f****** whore’ and a ‘dangerous c***’ at various races in 2020.
The older rider, it is claimed, believed Frost had ridden dangerously and he took it upon himself to ‘educate’ her, even though she is ‘a more successful jockey than him’, according to sports lawyer, Louis Weston, acting for the BHA.
Weston recalled the incidents that occurred at Stratford on 7/8, Uttoxeter August 17, and Southwell September 3. These were all the events last year which formed the basis for the accusations. However, he did not forget other races. He claimed that this was a demonstration of how Dunne would intimidate Frost.
As well as the abuse, it is alleged Dunne repeatedly threatened to cut across Frost’s horse, a move known in racing as ‘murder’, and to injure her by forcing her through a fence.
Robbie Dunne, (L) was charged with verbally abusing (and threatening) Bryony Frost (R).
At Stratford, Weston said: ‘What he said to her were words to this effect. ‘You are a f****** whore, you are a dangerous c*** and if you ever f****** murder me like that again, I will murder you’.
‘Murder in this context does not have the normal meaning it does outside of racing, explained Weston. ‘Murder means I’ll cut you up or cut across someone.’
The feud came to head on September 3, at Southwell when, Weston told the panel, Dunne’s mount, Cillian’s Well, fell and died, and the male jockey believed Frost was to blame.
Dunne was racing at Newbury in January when he is accused of harassing fellow jockey Bryony Frost
‘The next time I ride against you, I promise I will put you through a wing [a fence],’ Dunne is alleged to have said to Frost.
‘It a particularly dangerous thing to happen to a jockey because not only do they come off their horse but they come into contact with a physical object that can do them really serious harm,’ added the BHA lawyer.
‘He is threatening to do her very serious injury. She replied, ‘what is your problem?’
‘He responded… ‘I promise you next time I ride against you I am going to hurt you.’
Weston claimed that National Hunt racing is dangerous enough without jockeys making threats to one another.
Frost, seen at Hereford racing earlier this month was reduced to tears.
‘[It] is conduct that is simply unacceptable in a sport that has the level of dangers that it does, to have one jockey saying to another before a race ‘I am going to come after you to murder you in the race’,’ Weston told the panel.
An independent disciplinary panel of the British Horse Racing Authority is hearing evidence after Frost lodged a complaint against Dunne to the BHA in September 2020.
The case has put sexism, and weighing-room culture in sharp relief.
BHA claims that Dunne (above), who won Taunton this month, threatened Frost by putting him through a fence
Frost’s success has made racing a lot more exciting. Frost won the King George On Frodon in Dec and was recently awarded a grade-one fifth grade.
Additionally, horse-racing is known for its camaraderie, in which riders are self-policed by the weighing room.
These tenets will now be brutally tested under the spotlight.
Dunne should answer the charges when tomorrow’s hearing goes on.
Frost is Britain’s most popular female jump jockey
According to the British Horseracing Authority, the jockey was accused of violating rules relating to Uttoxeter’s, Stratford and Southwell events.
Under rule J19 it is alleged he displayed ‘conduct prejudicial to’ the sport by ‘bullying and harassing’ a fellow jockey. All three charges are denied by him.
Under rule J20 it is claimed he was ‘acting in a violent or improper manner’ by abusing another rider. Southwell is the only allegation Dunne accepts.
The lawyer representing the BHA stated today that Dunne disagrees with some of Frost’s claims regarding Southwell.
Weston stated that Dunne claimed that he told him, “I will put you through…not that you’ll be hurt but it’s the only way that you can learn.”
Dunne said in a representative for the BHA that he believes older jockeys should instruct younger players. The same happened in his past, and it’s okay so long as you’re able to’make an apologies’.
Dunne will also be expected to highlight the fact that his riding is not faulted by stewards.
Weston said that each of these incidents is an offense to J19.
Calling a woman jockey, any jockey, a ‘f****** whore’ or a ‘dangerous c***’ is prejudicial to the reputation of horse racing. This language is not appropriate, and it’s misogynistic.
Frost claimed that Dunne was ill-informed about her feelings towards Frost back before 2017.
‘Threatening to ‘murder’ someone. Premediated racing violations are clearly conduct that is prejudicial [to the reputation].
‘As threatening to put someone through a wing is plainly prejudicial.
‘Participants should be able to compete on equal terms whatever their gender,
‘Where a sport allows someone to call someone slut and whore on the course… it is wholly unacceptable.’
Frost is the poster girl of British jump racing, a role model for aspiring young female riders.
The hearing is finally taking place at the BHA headquarters in London 15 months after Frost’s original complaint.
There has already been a long investigation by the BHA’s former head of integrity, Chris Watts, resulting in a 120-page report, which highlighted concerns over weighing room culture.
Following the publication of the report to a national newspaper, Watts quit the BHA and the uproar surrounding it caused controversy. The Professional Jockey’s Association claimed that a fair hearing had become impossible.
A lot of attention will be paid to the culture in the weighing room.
The BHA, however, has not given up and continues to press on. Hearings are scheduled for six days.
Dunne could be subject to a penalty and/or a suspension from competition if he is found guilty of violating the rules.
The range of punishment for breaking Rule 19, acting in a way that is prejudicial to horse racing, is a fine of between £1,000 and £15,000 and a ban from one month to three years.
For breaching Rule 20, by acting in a violent of improper manner, the punishment is a ban up to 21 days and a fine of between £100 and £5,000.