Safety and welfare of riders central to weighing-room culture say former jockeys

Former jockeys have insisted the safety and welfare of riders and horses is central to the self-policing approach taken to racing incidents and that the weighing room is not a closed-off area for score-settling.

The culture in the weighing room and the approach taken by riders has been under scrutiny after a BHA report into allegations made by Bryony Frost of bullying and inappropriate behaviour by Robbie Dunne was leaked over the weekend.

Among the conclusions reached by the BHA investigators was that “there is a cultural issue in which threatening behaviour is condoned and not reported in the weighing room”, although David Bass, the new jump jockey president of the Professional Jockeys Association, said on Monday the matter had been “blown out of proportion”.