Bryony Frost-Robbie Dunne: Racing Post readers have their say on the hot topic

As soon as the Bryony Frost-Robbie Dunne independent disciplinary panel hearing finished on Thursday, readers have been emailing the Racing Post in their droves on the matter. Here are their views . . .

Racing has no right to be treated differently

Following the announcement of the decision in the Robbie Dunne case, isn’t it time racing tried to drag itself into the 21st century and stop justifying the unsavoury side of its nature by trotting out the tired old ‘racing is different’ excuse?

Why is racing different? Footballers have had careers ended as a result of horrendous tackles; boxers have their heads and bodies attacked in each bout, rugby carries a real risk of serious injury. Yet the dangers of racing are put forward for it to be treated as an exception and used as an excuse for the appalling weighing room culture that seems to be set in the last century (and not even the latter part of it).

Every time an incident occurs in racing that would be deemed totally unacceptable in any other profession the excuse is trotted out that racing is different and that anyone outside the sport can’t possibly understand. Gordon Elliott comes to mind – posing on a dead horse, just a bit of racing fun, eh? Slagging off/exposing yourself to female jockeys – comes with the job, doesn’t it?

I’m an ordinary racegoer and fan of the sport, I’ve never met Bryony Frost or Robbie Dunne and certainly don’t believe that they’re respectively an angel or the devil. However, the language used and some of the actions that took place in a shared weighing room seem undisputed by either party and this alone wouldn’t be acceptable in any other profession. Banter can make sport even more fun, but this isn’t banter, it’s offensive, it’s intimidation and would lead to dismissal in any other workplace.

Would Dunne (or any jockey) be happy if his wife/partner/daughter/sister were spoken to and treated that way? Would he expect them to just put up with it?

Having had her case upheld in an independent hearing, Frost is now being subjected to more bullying by valets who have refused to work with her. That may become worse as more jump on the bandwagon. Anyone else find that ironic?

It’s time for racing to get a grip and realise it has to work hard to keep punters, the majority of whom aren’t foul-mouthed louts and don’t condone what those inside the industry try to pass off as a bit of fun.

Racing depends on punters coming through the gates and owners buying horses. Not all of them will care about what’s happened to Frost, but given the warm reception she received at Warwick I hope enough of them will think it’s time for change.

Racing should realise there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed and put in place measures to resolve behavioural complaints without those subject to inappropriate behaviour being forced to take such drastic measures.

It seems unlikely this will happen in time for Bryony Frost to be able to see out the remainder of her career without further aggravation but, hey, Leicester City won the Premier League – stranger things have happened.
Sue Cretney
Bourton-on-the-Water

Dunne was badly treated

Like many others long involved in racing, I am much dismayed by the treatment of Robbie Dunne. When he rode for me when I was a permit holder he was polite and courteous to all and sundry – what’s more he always gave the horse a proper ride (not always the case with others).

The process of investigation, to which he was subjected, appears to have been chaotic and incompetent (just like it used to be when the Jockey Club ran horseracing).

The hearing was undertaken by a panel with cursory, if any, experience or involvement in horseracing (no such involvement is mentioned in the biographies on the BHA website) let alone with experience of the weighing room or riding in a race (whether a point-to-point or under rules).

The chairman, Brian Barker QC, was a criminal lawyer and judge of distinction in that sphere but with scant experience of the civil process (a vital qualification for chairmanship of this tribunal, I would have thought, as it is not a criminal court).

The sentence is unduly severe and Robbie Dunne may be justifiably indignant and upset at the manner in which he has been received.
Robin Mathew QC
Burford

Appalling lack of support

After listening to current and retired jockeys on Sky and ITV Racing, most have no comprehension of how the Robbie Dunne case looks to the racing public.

It’s absolutely appalling how Bryony Frost was treated by Dunne, but almost as bad is the complete lack of support she received from fellow jockeys, including her female colleagues. I am astounded that Tom Scudamore and Richard Johnson felt able to defend the actions of Dunne.

Listening to Jon Holmes for the PJA on ITV Racing I have no confidence the weighing room culture will change – he doesn’t even accept Bryony was bullied by Dunne. He should resign.

The ITV racing team are too close to the people who work in racing and are rarely objective in their comments on controversial issues.
It’s hardly surprising there are no black or openly gay National Hunt jockeys if this is the way women are treated in the weighing room. After a 50-year love affair with the sport I’m not sure I want to be associated with it any more.
Steve Chudley
Devon

No excuse for bullying

Anyone over the age of 40 will have witnessed bullying of some kind in the workplace, whether racism, sexism or homophobia. This behaviour was de rigueur in my days working in the City. It does not make it right, however, in the office, on a building site or the weighing room.

The generation after mine has grown up in an environment in which bullying is not tolerated in most places of work. Some of us enjoy calling this ‘woke’ and those who seek a more equal workplace ‘snowflakes’, but surely any policy to reduce bullying is to be commended.

Jockeys are not alone in living dangerous, stressful lives where many struggle to make a living. There is never an excuse to warrant tribal, bullying behaviour in any profession, and the PJA are totally wrong to condemn the BHA, who have made the correct decision in this case.

Hopefully the outcome of the case will make the weighing room a less daunting place to work, and more attractive for future jockeys.
Jimmy Douglas-Mann
Fulham

Jockeys lost my respect

Some things emerging from the Frost-Dunne case are that one jockey is not exactly popular with her fellow riders, whereas the other seems happy to be seen as a ‘Jack the Lad’ of the weighing room.

Most crucially, there are clearly no winners in any of this. Certainly not Bryony Frost who, if the vibes from the weighing room are to be believed, will likely find herself ostracised even more, a consequence of the shameful behaviour of some fellow jockeys, and one notable ex-jockey, who effectively closed ranks to defend Dunne.

I fully accept that if Frost and any other female jockey wants to compete on equal terms with men they must expect to be treated equally when disputes arise from race-riding issues.

That in no way excuses the disgusting behaviour of Dunne exposing himself and vile comments made to Frost and to at least one other female jockey.

Bryony Frost is obviously not everyone’s cup of tea, but she has shown real courage to fight her corner in this unseemly episode, which is more than can be said for some of her weighing room colleagues, who really ought to take a good look at themselves.

I, for one, have lost all respect for them.
John Peacock
Northallerton

Outdated culture at fault

One can’t help but wonder if the treatment dished out to Bryony Frost and the abysmal lack of support she received from both male and female jockeys was born out of jealousy.

Those riders don’t emerge from this investigation with much credit. Indeed, they should have a good hard look at themselves and their outdated weighing room culture.

Bryony is an excellent jockey and eloquent talker. Quite simply, she is a breath of fresh air and a superb ambassador for the sport of racing.
Anthony Horner
Newark

Frost should be applauded

Robbie Dunne deserves his ban of 18 months. All jockeys in support of him need to realise it is not okay to intimidate a colleague, and it proves yet again that women are abused by men. I applaud Bryony Frost for her courage to speak out.
Wendy Keelan
London

Why did no-one step in?

With jockeys and the PJA keen to say how angry they are at how the weighing room has been portrayed in the Dunne-Frost case and stressing what a caring and sympathetic working environment it is, one question has not been put to any of them: how was Robbie Dunne allowed to get away with a sustained and long-lasting campaign of bullying and vilification against Bryony Frost with no-one stepping in to stop it?

That question needs to be asked of them, directly.
David Meilton
London NW2

BHA too slow to take action

Racing has made the national newspapers and television for all the wrong reasons during the last two weeks.

I spent more than 30 years dealing with workplace disputes, grievances and disciplinaries, many multi-faceted, including bullying racism, sexism etc. None took anywhere near as long as the 18 months the BHA took to get to this position from the original complaint from Bryony Frost.

Acas (government advisory service for employers) guidance is that these matters should be dealt with swiftly.

Over the last two weeks we have heard plenty about the weighing room culture, and it’s worth remembering BHA representatives have access to these areas. Are we meant to believe they never heard what’s been reported in this case?

This has been a shameful incident for racing and it proves beyond doubt that the BHA is not fit to be the regulatory authority.
Gerry Morrissey
North London

PJA reaction disgraceful

The disgraceful rejection by the Professional Jockeys Association of the BHA’s findings over the Robbie Dunne bullying case may well make contributors to the Injured Jockeys Fund think again.

If jockeys condone such boorish behaviour, then there are other charities that probably deserve the money more.
Iain McKelvie
West Sussex

Jockeys should be ashamed

Over recent weeks I have been angry, to shouting level, about how the racing industry has closed ranks around Robbie Dunne. I have no personal view on him, but his comments and actions are just not allowed in any environment in the modern age, and demonstrate how out of touch the weighing room and jockey community have become. There is no justification at all for how Dunne treated Frost. None. Full stop.

Would any of us want our daughters to enter such an environment as a young jockey? Absolutely not. There is no justification for the foul language and abuse. The jockeys and weighing room community should be truly ashamed of their attempt to justify what has happened.
Colin F Rankin
Racing supporter

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