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From the Sunday Times article it seems there was at least a steward’s enquiry into the fatal fall :
Gregory Pearson, a stipendiary steward at Southwell that day, recalled the official reaction to Flint’s complaint. “I assured Mr Flint that whilst he remained at the door, we would immediately return to that particular section of the race and review again from all available angles in the presence of the stewards’ panel chair and my fellow stipendiary steward. Upon having completed another thorough review of when Cillian’s Well had fallen, the stewards were unanimous in finding that there was zero evidence to suggest that Miss Frost had ridden in a dangerous manner, let alone committed any offence and ultimately was not considered responsible for causing Cillian’s Well to fall.”
There definitely seem echoes here of the current Dettori/McMonagle criticism. You have to wonder if the criticism of the riding would have happened if a more senior jockey had been on the other horse, and perhaps those doing the criticising should be looking for faults closer to home.
On what planet, in what century, is calling someone “a f***ing whore”, and “a f***ing slag”, and threatening to deliverately hurt someone, “the done thing”? But raising the issue to the relevant authorities, is not “the done thing”?
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“one jockey stressed it was a competitive working environment with a hierarchy that tended to lean on more experienced professionals handling riding disagreements and cautioning younger jockeys where it was felt it was needed”.
Didn’t Dettori say that Oisin Murphy was “difficult” in his early career but they’d managed to “whip him into shape” (or words to that effect)? I remember doing a double take on that one and thinking that it suggested a somewhat toxic environment.
I agree TTC. I daresay Frost isn’t the easiest person to deal with but there really is no excuse.
As Seasider has touched upon, sadly going official with these types of concern rarely works out well for the person doing it. Obviously it shouldn’t be like that, but organisations and groups tend to close ranks rather than actually do the introspection that they should when these things are raised.
You certainly need a lot of backbone and persistence if you are going to be able to weather the storm. It takes a lot of courage to even raise these things to begin with. Regardless of the outcome, I wish Bryony Frost well.
David Walsh again:
Frost believes the ill-feeling between her and Dunne stretches back to when she was an amateur jockey, before 2017. “I recall being in the men’s changing room and he would stand in front of me naked,” she claims. “I didn’t want this and none of the other jockeys were like that. I would try my hardest to avoid him at all times. He was the type of person that I did not want to be around.”
So this intimidatory behaviour began over 5 years ago, before Frost achieved wider publicity when winning the Cheltenham Foxhunters’ on Pacha Du Polder. There will have been plenty of witnesses to Dunne exhibiting his junk in this way, but in all likelihood it was seen by jockeys and valets as banter, a word that has fast become a repository for all kinds of unacceptable shenanigans.
I’m wondering whether other female jockeys have experienced similar situations.
If the vast majority of us shouted that sort of abuse or exposed ourselves in the workplace then we’d rightly be out of the door in no time at all, and possibly worse. Why should this be ‘acceptable’ in a jockey’s workplace?
You have people in the Murphy thread saying that he should be held to account for his drinking like anyone else would be. If that’s the case then so should jockeys be held to account for other behaviour that isn’t acceptable elsewhere.
Or maybe we should dismiss drinking as ‘banter’ and it will all be ok
I’m wondering whether other female jockeys have experienced similar situations.
Or indeed if the likelihood of this sort of thing happening deters some from giving it a proper go.
I daresay Frost isn’t the easiest person to deal with.
What makes you say that? Genuine question, I have no idea if you are right or not.
“I daresay Frost isn’t the easiest person to deal with.”
Because she is succesful both on course and in the media, and jealousy reigns.
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Re the alleged indecent exposure, if racing genuinely wants to become more inclusive, then it needs to look at how to ensure there aren’t reasons why women are forced to enter the men’s changing rooms to start with. Obviously the men should still know better and the responsibility is on them, but the whole setup seems wrong.
I daresay Frost isn’t the easiest person to deal with.
What makes you say that? Genuine question, I have no idea if you are right or not.
To be fair, I don’t know either but she is a “big personality” and in the glare of recent publicity and adulation (which she may or may not welcome). In my experience, this can be difficult to deal with both for the person concerned and those around them. Regardless of whether this is the case or not, it doesn’t excuse the abuse she seems to have suffered
Re the alleged indecent exposure, if racing genuinely wants to become more inclusive, then it needs to look at how to ensure there aren’t reasons why women are forced to enter the men’s changing rooms to start with.
Not sure that’s still the case Marlingford. Hopefully even racing has managed to move on now. Bigger issue is the other male jockeys who stood by and said nothing.
Tonge, I believe female jockeys still have to get weighed in the male changing room. Happy to be corrected by anyone who knows better!
I thought the scales were outside the weighing room ? , it would have be a lot better if this had been dealt with quicker , Dunne has over stepped the mark and most likely will take a hefty penalty for it , whether she was in the right or wrong Frost has now put a target on her back , as I’ve said before nothing against her she’s a fine jockey but compared to Blackmore ….it’s no contest , I reckon if Dunne had been waving his c#ck in Rachel direction he would got a laugh and then kick to the bollocks
Lacking knowledge of the various racecourse dressing room layouts, I’ll just guess that if Frost could have possibly avoided Dunne’s unwelcome attentions by being elsewhere then she would have done.
Racecourses should be mandated to upgrade facilities for female jockeys as a matter of urgency, because as we speak it’s clear they don’t have a safe space at some venues.
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