Bryony Frost: Robbie Dunne 'promised to hurt me and put me through a wing'

Bryony Frost said there was "only so much you can take" after alleging jockey Robbie Dunne "promised" to hurt her after they rode against each other at Southwell in September last year, leading her to report her weighing room colleague to the BHA over his alleged behaviour.

Frost was speaking at the second day of a disciplinary panel hearing brought by the BHA against Dunne on charges of prejudicial conduct and violent and threatening behaviour. He denies all charges of prejudicial conduct and two of the three of threatening behaviour.

Appearing in person at the BHA headquarters in London, Frost told the panel how she had been isolated by fellow riders since reporting Dunne along with her belief other female riders had not spoken out about his behaviour because "they are protecting themselves" from being ostracised.

Frost was heavily cross-examined by Roderick Moore, representing Dunne, in relation to an argument between the two riders at Southwell on September 3, 2020, during which Dunne admits to breaching rule (J) 20 in that he acted in a violent or improper manner towards Frost, although he disputes the words used.

Dunne approached Frost in the weighing room following a 2m handicap chase in which his mount Cillian's Well suffered a fatal fall, which he blamed on Frost's riding.

Reading from Dunne's witness statement, Moore told Frost that Dunne claims he said to her: "I will put her through a wing as it was the only way she would learn because you are repeatedly doing this."

In response, Frost, who was visibly emotional during her testimony, said: "He said that he promised he was going to hurt and put me through a wing. It's the way he promised and the way he said it that made me believe he wanted to.

"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."

Robbie Dunne: denies all charges of prejudicial conduct and two of the three of threatening behaviourCredit: Edward Whitaker

Moore went on to read part of a witness statement from Tom Scudamore in which he told the BHA the incident was "nothing out of the ordinary" that he "was not shocked", that "Mr Dunne was not out of order" and that "[similar incidents] happened every third day" otherwise he would have got involved.

Frost said her relationship with Scudamore, who she would regularly share lifts to the races with, had broken down since complaining to the BHA about Dunne, and added: "Since this has come out Mr Scudamore hasn't spoken a word to me. We used to share lifts but we have not shared a word. He's not spoken to me."

During Wednesday's morning session, Frost said that "the isolation I felt for speaking out I wouldn't wish on anyone" when questioned about why several other female riders had not seen or reported any inappropriate or bullying behaviour from Dunne.

Frost disputed the claim in Dunne's witness statement that the only time he had been naked in front of her was on one occasion in the male changing rooms when he was walking from the sauna to the scales, where Frost happened to be sat.

She said: "I remember Robbie through my amateur career being inappropriate to many of us. I remember him opening his towel up and shaking himself and thinking it was funny. That's what I can recall."

What has Robbie Dunne been accused of in the Bryony Frost hearing?

Moore highlighted witness statements given to former BHA head of integrity Chris Watts by Bridget Andrews, Gina Andrews, Millie Wonnacott, Page Fuller, Lilly Pinchin and Lucy Barry that they had not seen Dunne acting in an inappropriate way.

Pinchin said Dunne "could be childish", while Fuller relayed that Dunne had changed his behaviour from "persistent banter" towards her after she had confronted him and now "they get on well".

Frost added: "The isolation I felt for speaking out I wouldn't wish on anyone. You are asking me for my opinion and they [the other female riders] have to go into the weighing room every day. I feel they are protecting themselves and, rightly so, staying neutral."

Moore sought to downplay alleged incidents between Frost and Dunne at Leicester, Stratford, Market Rasen and Uttoxeter last year which also feature in the charges, as well as challenging her on whether Dunne's behaviour differed from other riders, saying that "teasing doesn't mean bullying".

Frost's mother Nicola and father Jimmy also testified on Wednesday, and Jimmy Frost was asked about his role in an attempted reconciliation between the two riders at Kempton on February 9 this year.

Bryony Frost with her father Jimmy, who tried to bring about a reconciliation between the two jockeysCredit: Harry Trump (Getty Images)

Frost said that he had spoken with Chris Maude, a former rider-turned-valet, and told him it "would be nice if things could be settled".

Subsequently, Maude and Richard Johnson tried to get the two riders to speak, but an upset Bryony Frost told the panel: "I wasn't told that Mr Dunne was going to be there to speak. To have Mr Dunne there and [to be] going into the physio room that's small, and to be put in there with him in that situation, was the last place I wanted to go to when I had not been told that was the situation."

The panel also heard from Frost's brother Hadden, a former jockey now living in California, who said the environment in racing had driven him to quit. "There's a lot of bullying and harassment in racing. Full stop," he said.

Bryony Frost was also asked how details of the case came to be known at various points by The Times, The Mail On Sunday and The Sunday Times to which she replied she did not know.

The third day of the hearing takes place on Thursday with three further days set aside next week.

Read these next:

Robbie Dunne's counsel questions Bryony Frost's version of Southwell incident

Robbie Dunne subjected Bryony Frost to misogynistic tirade, panel is told

Gibbons' breath smelled of alcohol at Kempton, Jim Crowley tells High Court

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