Robbie Dunne: remark to Bryony Frost 'not a threat, it was a figure of speech'

Robbie Dunne said he told Bryony Frost that he would “put her through a wing” as it was a widely used “figure of speech” used by jockeys and not a physical threat as he rejected repeated allegations he subjected his fellow rider to a campaign of bullying, sexually inappropriate and threatening behaviour.

Dunne was speaking on the fourth day of his disciplinary hearing at the BHA into charges of prejudicial conduct and violent and threatening behaviour. Dunne rejects all charges of prejudicial conduct and two of the three of violent behaviour.

Several former and current jockeys lined up to provide testimony on behalf of the defence after the BHA rested its case last week.

They included former champion jump jockey Richard Johnson, who said he had heard the term “put you through a wing” in the weighing room throughout his career without ever seeing it happen, while Lucy Gardner said she and fellow female jockeys she had spoken to “didn’t feel we had any problems in the past or at any time with Mr Dunne”.

Speaking last week, Frost, 26, had been visibly upset when recalling how she alleged Dunne, 36, had “promised” he would “put her through a wing” on September 3 last year after a race in which Dunne had blamed her for causing the death of his horse Cillian’s Well.

Fontwell valets refuse to work for Bryony Frost in wake of allegations

“It’s the way he promised and the way he said it that made me believe he wanted to,” she told the disciplinary panel last Wednesday.

Questioned by Louis Weston, representing the BHA, Dunne said: “It’s a common thing that’s said in the weighing room. Never once have I seen someone go through with it. It’s just a matter of speech . . . it wasn’t a threat, it was a figure of speech.”

In response, Weston told Dunne that he was “making damn sure that she understood you were serious about this because you’re a bully and this is what you did to her”, to which Dunne added: “No. I apologise if Ms Frost felt threatened. That was not the case, I was speaking to her.”

Weston also told Dunne that he had subjected Frost to “ridicule” with a tweet posted on the day of last year’s Virtual Grand National, that he had “exposed his penis” to her in the male changing rooms and had engaged in frequent “sexual innuendo”, telling female jockeys he would “give them the ride of their lives”, prompting Frost to confront him and ask him to stop.

“She told you that your behaviour, waving yourself about and the sexual innuendo, was inappropriate and you should stop it,” Weston said. “The reason you picked on her is because she was brave enough to stand up to you isn’t it?”

Dunne quizzed by BHA counsel over Virtual Grand National tweet

Dunne admitted that he had been naked in front of Frost on one occasion in the male changing room at Worcester but that he had “never opened my towel and shaken myself” as outlined by Frost during her evidence last week.

Weston also asked whether Dunne had received help from his solicitor in drafting his witness statement as it contained “quite a lot of argument and comment about what is legally admissible”, with Dunne saying he had written the statement himself.

The rider went on to add he believed the case against him had been constructed after he had received an anonymous phone call from someone with a “West Country accent” threatening to break his legs four days after he confronted Frost at Southwell. It was revealed last week that similar threats had been made against him to the BHA and PJA in October.

“They realised they had gone too far with that phone call – everything’s backtracked from there,” he said. “This bullying does not appear until after the phone call and the threat to break my legs with a West Country accent that the police are dealing with. Before that there was no suggestion that I bullied anyone.”

Dunne also rejected claims made by a male fence attendant at Stratford that he had called Frost a “f****** s***” on July 8, 2020 saying the fence attendant was “nowhere to be seen” on video of the alleged incident and that, potentially, he may have misheard Dunne tell Frost to keep “f****** straight” after he believed she had cut him up earlier in the race. “I might have had a bit of road rage,” Dunne added.

Richard Johnson: gave evidence at the disciplinary hearing on TuesdayCredit: Edward Whitaker

A number of jockeys also spoke on Tuesday, with Tom Scudamore, Nico de Boinville, Gavin Sheehan, Ben Poste, Lizzie Kelly providing evidence in addition to Johnson and Gardner.

Johnson said that he did not think Dunne had told Frost he promised to hurt her at Southwell, with De Boinville, Scudamore, Sheehan and Poste recalling that Dunne had been “frustrated” and “upset” after the incident but had not threatened Frost.

Asked by Weston whether “in the 21st century it’s okay for one professional to say to another ‘you are a whore’”, Johnson added: “Every jockey uses words that we would not think are acceptable in the cold light of day. I heard Mr Dunne speak with Ms Frost after the race and it's probably something that happens once or twice a day up and down the country.”

Scudamore rejected claims he had not spoken to Frost since the incident between her and Dunne at Southwell saying he had sent her text messages “on a number of occasions” and that he had stopped giving her lifts because of Covid-19 restrictions.

He added: “Lot of things have come out in the media and I have been wary of her. I wouldn't have been as open with her as I previously was. I’ve been reading things to me that don’t add up.”

Gardner also dismissed a claim made by Frost that she had told her colleague to give Dunne “a slap” rather than report him to the BHA and added that she, and other female riders, did not recognise the behaviour attributed to Dunne.

“I feel [it is] not true, and talking to a lot of the girls since this has been brought up and they feel it’s not true,” she said. “We didn’t feel we had any problems in the past or at any time with Mr Dunne. He’s always treated me with the utmost respect and I would hope that he feels the same.”

Gardner added that there was “no pressure to be in the male changing room” and that during a discussion Frost had said that “her press people were going to contact the BHA [about Dunne] and if they didn't do anything in a certain period of time they would take it to the press”.

Closing arguments are expected from both sides on Wednesday, with a further day set aside on Thursday should it be required.

Read these next:

Current and former riders expected to give evidence as Robbie Dunne case resumes

'Whoa moment' – Stratford attendant says Dunne verbals were out of the ordinary

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

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