Former stable lad disqualified from horseracing for 32 months for serious sexual misconduct and abusing his position

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A former stable lad who led up a Gold Cup winner at Royal Ascot has been banned from racing for two years and eight months for serious sexual misconduct and abusing his position.

David Hickin, 37, admitted breaching racing’s code of conduct for his behaviour towards two 18-year-old women and a 22-year-old woman, who were identified only as Person A, Person B and Person C.

The incidents, which happened between May and July last year at an undisclosed yard, were detailed during a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday.

The disciplinary panel was told Hickin had made “repeated comments” of a sexualised nature to Person A, including around sexual arousal, touched her without consent on her legs, observed her getting changed and made a comment about masturbating over her photographs on Instagram.  

Hickin also touched Person B on the legs and bottom without her consent and told Person C “I’d give you one” if she were not with her partner. Hickin had also placed “undue pressure on Person A not to disclose the events”, according to the BHA’s representation to the panel on Wednesday.

In a hearing first reported on by Frank Keogh on Substack, Silas Lee, representing the BHA, said of Person A: “I would submit this is clearly a young woman who has been profoundly affected by this series of incidents. She has been very seriously harmed by this sexual misconduct."

Hickin, who had led up 2021 Gold Cup winner Subjectivist but was no longer working for Johnston Racing at the time of the incidents, represented himself at the hearing and told the panel: “Even at the yard I was at, a few of the other lads were doing the same. I just went along with it as well and thought it was okay, and obviously it’s not. 

"It shouldn’t have happened, I know that, especially at my age. I have apologised to the three girls.”

Written reasons for the decision will follow in due course.