Trainer and senior staff member fined after allowing 'toxic workplace culture' to take root in yard

Trainer Robyn Brisland oversaw a toxic culture of foul language, intimidation and belittlement towards junior members of stable staff at his yard which left them crying, afraid and in some cases resulted in serious injury, a disciplinary panel was told on Monday.

Brisland and William Degnan, a senior member of staff at the yard, were fined by the panel when a late plea agreement was struck between all sides. Four days had initially been set aside for the hearing.

Nevertheless, broad details of the accepted behaviour were outlined by the BHA “in the interests of transparency and access to justice” laying bare the attitudes and conduct of Brisland and Degnan towards other employees between September and December 2020.

Brisland accepted one breach of rule (J) 19 – conduct prejudicial to the integrity or good reputation of British racing – and two of rule (D) 21.2.2 – a trainer must train with due regard to the safety to their employees and agents – with the BHA stating “the matters are a course of conduct that are capable of amounting to bullying”. He was fined £8,000.

Genevieve Woods, representing the BHA, said: “While it is not suggested that Mr Brisland necessarily intended the conduct – the BHA is neutral on this – it is clear from the evidence that Mr Brisland was aware to some extent of the impact.

“For example, he accepts he saw [a staff member] in tears crying in the workplace. He believed she was crying for workplace-related reasons and yet he didn’t do anything in response to that, but maintained a course of conduct that was belittling, critical [and] swearing towards her. At the time she was a teenager.

“[Staff] talk of being afraid, feeling intimidated and belittled. Multiple people talk of crying or seeing others crying and we have evidence from multiple persons that they left their roles in racing as a result of this conduct.”

'They were shouting, swearing and belittling workers at the yard'

Woods highlighted the case of two female workers who sustained serious injuries while working for Brisland at Danebury Stables near Stockbridge in Hampshire. The first damaged her ankle while riding but “was pressured into continuing to ride” by Brisland and Degnan, with Woods stating the rider continued to “suffer from the effects of that injury today”.

On the second rider, Woods said: “Her jaw was split open to the bone and broken after an incident involving a horse in the yard. After that occurred she was not taken to hospital and an ambulance was not called, she had to make her own way with the assistance of other staff.

“On return to work she said she did not want to ride that particular horse because of fear of further injury. She was pressured to do so by Mr Brisland and was thrown from the horse and reinjured her jaw as a result.”

Alongside Brisland being found in breach of the rules of racing, Degnan accepted four breaches of rule (J) 20 – improper conduct. This was in place of an initial charge of breaching rule (J) 19. Degnan was fined £3,000.

Degnan was said by the BHA to have engaged in “a course of conduct over several months” against junior members of staff. Evidence against him included a video recording “which discloses very concerning conduct which includes loud volume, inappropriate phrasing and screaming, in effect, at a staff member”.

Degnan accepted using the phrases “a useless piece of s***”, “c***”, “f****** crap”and “f****** useless” towards junior staff, as well as labelling their riding as  “s***”.

Concluding the BHA’s position, Woods said: “In order to maintain the integrity of horseracing it is important that unacceptable conduct such as this kind is responded to strongly and in accordance with the regulatory framework.

“This is a case where there were two people in senior roles in a workplace who engaged in similar improper behaviour over the same period of time. They were shouting, swearing and belittling workers at the yard. That created a toxic workplace culture where people in racing were harmed and traumatised, including teenagers.

“The respondents failed the people they were responsible for in the yard. We cannot countenance any suggestion that it is acceptable to speak to employees in this manner whether they make mistakes or are model workers. We cannot allow a culture or abuse to be perpetuated or tolerated.”

Roderick Moore: Brisland's counsel said trainer “readily accepts his behaviour was reprehensible"

Roderick Moore, representing Brisland, said the trainer, who won Doncaster's Brocklesby Stakes with Doddie's Impact at the start of the month, “readily accepts his behaviour was reprehensible” and that he “apologises profusely for his behaviour and the distress he caused”.

Moore said coronavirus restrictions in place at the time put “real pressures on the yard” in terms of recruiting enough staff but added that “Mr Brisland knows he let himself down and he let the sport down”.

William Birch, representing Degnan, said his client “apologises openly and profusely” and that “he now understands why that conduct was improper and why it’s not appropriate to use that language in that environment”.

 Birch said Degnan’s case would have been that “he did not cause the toxic environment but was a product of it” having officially held the role of work-rider and stable staff member rather than anything more senior. 

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