Former BHA employee speaks of shattered confidence after trainer confrontation

A former BHA employee has spoken of his experience at being verbally abused by a trainer at Brighton in 2015, saying the interaction left his confidence shattered.

Wayne Hardie was inspired to speak out following the frank revelations from Doncaster and Southwell's clerk of the course Roderick Duncan, who was left suffering panic attacks and anxiety caused, in part, by criticism from trainers.

Hardie, who worked for the late Josh Gifford and looked after smart chaser Bradbury Star, whose CV includes two Mackeson Gold Cups, a Scilly Isles and Mildmay Novices' Chase, regrets not taking the matter further, having been called an unacceptable four-letter word when working as an equine welfare integrity officer.

"I never said anything about it and just took it," he said. "Maybe I should have gone to the stewards and explained the trainer in question abused me. The BHA vet on duty said, 'It's part of the job and you have to expect this – probably best to brush it under the carpet'.

"That's not on. It never happened again and it was the first and only time I had an issue like that. It wasn't nice to be called that to your face and have someone prodding you in the chest and pushing his nose up to your face."

Hardie, who now runs a gardening business, says the incident contributed to his departure from the BHA in 2016 after ten years of service.

He added: "It probably didn't do me a lot of good in the long run with my confidence doing the job. When you're testing horses in a sampling unit and someone behaves like that it knocks your confidence quite badly.

"I'm only there to test the horses, it's down to the stewards who they want in. He took offence at his horse being tested and took it out on me."

Hardie, who now assists Philip Hide on racedays at Fontwell, endured the breakdown of his marriage during his time with the BHA, but praised chief executive Nick Rust for his personal touch when leaving the organisation.

Wayne Hardie now assists Philip HideCredit: Edward Whitaker

He said colleagues often faced the wrath of trainers, but not at the level he had, continuing: "No-one should tolerate that in any form of job and I wish I'd pursued it and gone to the stewards.

"It wasn't good, but I carried on, seeing the guy most days and he'd say, 'All right mate', but there was never a sorry or anything. He obviously thought it was normal, but it's not in my book.

"He probably thought he was being picked on and some trainers take offence because they think the BHA are after them. That doesn't excuse it at all. You shouldn't have to take that abuse."

Robin Mounsey offered a response on behalf of the BHA, and said: "Abusive language or behaviour is simply unacceptable and has no place in the racing industry.

"We encourage anyone who is on the receiving end of such behaviour – including BHA officials – to report it to the relevant organisation or representative body, or the stewards if it is on a raceday."

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