Rob James referral hearing to take place on Wednesday

PA Sport Reporters
March 9, 2021 6:30 pm

IHRB announces investigation has concluded.

A referral hearing into a video of Irish amateur jockey Rob James sitting on a dead horse will take place on Wednesday, after the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board concluded its investigation.

Just days after an image of Grand National-winning trainer Gordon Elliott sitting on a dead horse was posted on Twitter, a video of James – who rode the Elliott-trained Milan Native to victory at the Cheltenham Festival last year – emerged on the social media platform.

James has since apologised for his “wholly inappropriate and disrespectful” actions, and said he was “heartbroken by the damage” caused by the video, which was taken in 2016.

The IHRB investigation into a video circulating on social media last week has concluded and a referral hearing will take place on Wednesday. The IHRB will not be commenting further on this matter until after the hearing.
— IHRB (@ihrb_ie) March 9, 2021

A Tweet on the Irish regulatory body’s feed on Tuesday read: “The IHRB investigation into a video circulating on social media last week has concluded, and a referral hearing will take place on Wednesday. The IHRB will not be commenting further on this matter until after the hearing.”

Following a referral hearing last Friday, Elliott was handed a 12-month ban, with the last six months suspended.