Rob James tells panel he succumbed to peer pressure when mounting dead horse

Rob James told the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board’s referrals committee he was "stupid and naive" to mount a dead horse at Colin Bowe’s yard having reacted to peer pressure and that he had quickly regretted his actions.

The Cheltenham Festival-winning amateur had his rider’s licence and point-to-point training permit withdrawn for 12 months, with the last eight months of the sanction suspended, after the panel found him guilty of bringing racing into disrepute over a video of the incident that was shared online.

Jockey Rob James suspended for four months after IHRB hearing into video

The evidence emerged from the findings published on Thursday following the hearing, which took place the previous day.

James said he first became aware of the video, from the incident five years ago, late on Monday, March 1, when a friend told him it had been posted on social media.

He stated he was unaware such a video existed and he was "heartbroken" when he saw it. He recalled the incident, although he admitted he had initially got the date it happened wrong.

From the records of Bowe, the trainer at whose premises the incident took place, it was discovered that it was actually August 27, 2016 and not April, as had initially been suggested.

James explained he was 22 at the time and was riding out for Bowe when the incident occurred. He said a few members of staff were asked to assist with the horse, Three Hail Marys, who had died of a heart attack during exercise. A senior member of staff encouraged him to jump on the mare and being "young and naive" he reacted to the peer pressure and did so for a couple of seconds before patting the mare as he got off her.

He admitted it was a stupid act and not one he would try to defend as that would only add insult to injury, but he did immediately recognise his wrongdoing. His action of patting the mare as he got off her was, he said, an attempt to show some respect having immediately realised what he had done. He confirmed that the member of staff who recorded the video no longer works with Bowe.

James also provided details of his current situation within racing in that he continues to ride out for Bowe and has also obtained his own handler’s permit, which allows him to run horses in point-to-point races in Ireland. He has invested heavily in his own enterprise by improving his facilities and in purchasing horses to run.

He concluded by saying the incident has had a bad effect on his family in that he had let everyone down at home. James accepted he was in breach of Rule 272(i), the regulation under which Gordon Elliott was punished last week, which relates to someone within racing's jurisdiction acting in a manner which is "prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct or good reputation of horseracing". The suspensions will begin on Monday.

The hearing on Wednesday was chaired by Justice Leonie Reynolds, with Nick Wachman and Sean Barry also on the panel.

Bowe was not the subject of any further investigation given he was not present in his yard and did not witness James mounting Three Hail Marys on the day in question.

However, the leading point-to-point handler was sanctioned under rule 148(vi) and fined €130 for failing to report Three Hail Marys as dead. Instead, Bowe returned the mare as out of training on August 28, 2016, one day after she suffered a fatal heart attack.

Read more:

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