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Gordon Elliott (Picture from March 2020)
Photo:
Simon Cooper / dpa
Renowned Irish racehorse trainer Gordon Elliott has been suspended for twelve months, six of which are suspended.
In addition, Elliott has to pay 15,000 euros.
This was announced by the responsible Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) on Friday evening.
Elliott has to answer for a photo that was circulating on social media over the weekend.
The picture shows a dead horse lying in the sand.
Elliott sits on top of him, looks into the camera and shows the victory sign with two fingers.
With the other hand he is holding a cell phone to his ear.
The picture was taken in 2019 after the horse died of a heart attack while on a gallop.
"Total absence of respect"
"The photo demonstrates the complete absence of respect for the horse that was in the care of Mr. Eliott at the time," writes the IHRB about the lock.
The withdrawal of the trainer's license for twelve months was justified due to the seriousness of the act and the damage it caused to the Irish racing industry, and it should also have a deterrent effect.
At the same time, the board announced that it was not a case of animal cruelty, Elliott had cooperated during the investigation and wrote of a "concerted attack" against him, the exact circumstances of which have not yet been clarified.
Elliott then published a statement on Twitter accepting his situation and his sentence.
He will never again show disrespect to the life of a horse, or tolerate it in others.
"Horses are my life.
I love her, ”he wrote.
Elliot's suspension will be effective March 9th.
He had already been sanctioned by the British Horseracing Authority for the duration of the investigation by the Irish authorities.
Horses trained by Elliott are no longer allowed to compete in Great Britain, but owners can transfer their animals to another trainer.
Another video surfaced on social media on Tuesday showing jockey Rob James climbing a dead horse to the laughter of bystanders.
James had won a race at the renowned Cheltenham Festival in 2020 with the Milan Native trained by Elliott.
The IHRB had also announced an investigation into this video.
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ngo / Reuters