Banned jockey Robbie Dunne appeals his 18-month suspension for bullying and harassing Bryony Frost after he was accused of threatening to put her through a fence and calling her a ‘f***ing whore’ and a ‘dangerous c***’
- Robbie Dunne appealed against his 18-month suspension imposed last month
- The 36-year-old jump jockey was found guilty of four breaches of Rule J19
- He has appealed against the findings of the BHA panel and the length of his ban
Robbie Dunne has appealed against his 18-month suspension imposed last month by a BHA disciplinary panel for a campaign of bullying and harassment against fellow jockey Bryony Frost.
Dunne was found guilty of four breaches of Rule J19 which covers conduct prejudicial to horseracing.
The 36-year-old jump jockey has appealed against the findings of the BHA panel and the length of his ban.
Robbie Dunne has appealed against his 18-month suspension imposed last month
Daryl Cowan, Dunne’s solicitor, said: ‘A notice of appeal has been lodged with the BHA and we are awaiting an appeal panel to be appointed and a hearing date.’
In written reasons for their decision published this month, the panel described Dunne’s behaviour as ‘wholly inappropriate for a professional athlete in an equal opportunity sport’.
It is believed Dunne will have a beefed-up legal team for the hearing with Robin Mathew QC, a former trainer, as well as barrister Roderick Moore and Cowan, who represented him at the first hearing.
A BHA appeal does not constitute a re-hearing, so Frost will not be called to give evidence again.
Dunne was last month handed an 18-month ban for bullying fellow jockey Bryony Frost (above)
One of the most serious allegations made at the hearing back in December, and the one which led to Frost making a complaint, was that Dunne threatened to put his rival jockey ‘through a wing’ — the side of a fence — after a race at Southwell on September 3, 2020 in which his horse was killed.
Dunne said in the hearing that this comment was a ‘figure of speech’ but the panel ruled: “We find that words used on September 3 were as a promise to cause real harm that were over and above the usual jockey mantra of “murdering”.’
On other occasions, it was claimed Dunne used misogynistic language towards Frost, including caller her a ‘f***ing whore’, a ‘f***ing slag’ and a ‘dangerous c***’.
Frost also accused Dunne of ‘opening his towel up and shaking himself’ in front of her in the men’s changing room.