Dunne Banned 18 Months for Bullying Frost

Jockey Robbie Dunne has been banned for 18 months, the last three of which have been suspended, after he was found guilty of bullying and harassing Bryony Frost by "deliberate targeting of a colleague" whose "vulnerabilities" he intentionally "exploited."

The penalty, which is imposed with immediate effect, was delivered after an independent disciplinary panel ruled that Dunne had engaged in conduct online, on the track, and in the weighing room that was prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct, and good reputation of racing.

In announcing the verdict, panel chair Brian Barker QC said it had been "unable to accept Mr. Dunne's sweep of denials, criticisms. and his reasoning," and expressed "real concern" about the described culture of the weighing room in Britain.

Barker added that Dunne, who has seven days to appeal against the decision, had shown "little sign of understanding or remorse" during the six-day hearing and had instead adopted "an attack on (Frost's) personality to justify your actions."

Frost, who rode a winner at Warwick shortly before the verdict was given and who had been found by the panel to be "truthful, careful, and compelling" in her evidence, thanked "every individual, including the racing public that has supported me" after the decision.

The panel ruled that Dunne's behavior towards Frost between Feb. 13 and Sept. 3 last year, when his campaign against his weighing room colleague culminated in him telling her he would "put you through a wing" was a promise to do harm and amounted to bullying, the most serious of the charges brought against him by the BHA.

Barker said: "We are unable to accept Mr. Dunne's sweep of denials, criticisms, and his reasoning. A man, who in the view of one of his own witnesses was a 'piss-taker' and who regarded himself as one of the elders of the weighing room and someone who expected his view to be heeded.

"The tenor and type of language that we find was used towards Ms. Frost is totally unacceptable, whatever the frustrations about her style and whatever the habits of the weighing room. They fall squarely within the ambit of the prohibition set out in the rule.

"Secondly, in reviewing the evidence given and their approach by jockeys of repute as well as by the valets— who probably find themselves in a difficult position—we have real concern that what was referred to by Mr. Weston as the 'weighing room culture' is deep-rooted and coercive, and in itself is not conducive to the good health and the development of modern day race-riding."

He added: "On examination of Ms. Frost's evidence and demeanor we find her to be truthful, careful, and compelling. By taking her complaint to the (BHA) she has broken 'the code,' knowing that isolation and rejection by some was inevitable."

On handing down the punishment, Barker was highly critical of Dunne's behavior, including during the hearing.

He said: "This was the deliberate targeting of a colleague whose vulnerabilities you exploited. Whatever your view of her (riding) style, this is not the way to deal with it. Your behavior was not appropriate in an equal opportunities sport.

"In our view the aggravating features are that this was a deliberate course of conduct, in public, over a fairly long period, which had its desired effect. Your behavior and language would not be tolerated in any other walk of life or workplace.

"Additionally in the course of the days of this hearing you have adopted an aggressive attack on her personality in order to seek to justify your actions. There has been little sign of understanding or remorse."

In a statement on Thursday afternoon, Frost said: "I would like to thank every individual, including the racing public that has supported me not only during the last couple of weeks but throughout. 

"I wish now to take a few days to reflect on the outcome before I make any further comment. I ask the media to please give me and the people closest to me a few days of privacy. I need to focus on my upcoming rides over the weekend. Thank you."

Louis Weston, representing the BHA, said Dunne had "not demonstrated one single bit of remorse" throughout the case, while Roderick Moore, for Dunne, asked the panel not to "make the livelihood of one man the lightning rod for change" to the weighing room.

Moore added: "He asks me to apologize on his behalf sincerely for where you find he has fallen down. He does not wish to upset anyone."

The initial verdict came three minutes after Frost had won a juvenile maiden hurdle on Graystone for trainer Lucy Wadham at Warwick.

During her testimony last Wednesday, Frost had spoken emotionally about Dunne's bullying of her and the manner in which she had been ostracized by male and female colleagues in the weighing room.

"The isolation I felt for speaking out I wouldn't wish on anyone," she said. "I don't know about any other jockeys, but if I talk about myself I would never threaten or intentionally scare someone by saying I promise I will hurt you. No way is that right in human nature and not what you tell somebody.

"Dad (Grand National-winning rider Jimmy Frost) always told me to stay quiet, don't start anything, just let it happen and move on. I used to think this but (with) the promise to hurt someone there's only so much you can take."