Jockey Davy Russell given four-day ban for punching his horse in the head
The jockey initially got away with a caution but public outcry saw the Turf Club review its decision
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Your support makes all the difference.Davy Russell has been given a four-day ban from racing for punching his horse Kings Dolly in the back of the head before a race at Tramore last month.
The jockey was initially given a caution by the Turf Club but the case was reviewed after the registrar of the Irish National Hunt Steeplechase Committee Josh Byrne deemed the punishment too lenient.
Russell’s suspension will begin in a fortnight’s time, meaning he is free to race in the upcoming Listowel festival.
Watch a video of the incident:
Authorities had been under severe public pressure to increase the punishment with a video of the incident (above) shared thousands of times on social media.
The footage shows Russell clearly strike the back of the head of his mount after it ran aggressively at a "show" hurdle before the race set off.
In defending himself, Russell told At the Races that he deemed the "slap" was "appropriate" in order to control the horse.
"At that stage she was out of control and if she had continued in that vein during the race then I would have had a very difficult time trying to control her," he said.
"I just needed to let her know there was someone on her back and I thought a slap on the soft of the neck was the appropriate action."
Nevertheless, the RSPCA subsequently described Russell's actions as "completely unacceptable".
"Davy Russell is not a bad jockey, and it was out of character, but hitting a horse like he did is completely unacceptable. It's a nonsense," said RSPCA equine consultant David Muir.
"Where he struck her is a major muscular area and it probably hurt Russell more than the horse – but that doesn't make it acceptable. Horses, like any other animal, should be treated with respect, and punching one is disrespectful."
The Racing Post reports that when handing Russell the four-day punishment on Tuesday, chairman of the appeals body Joseph Finnegan said: "It is important not to understate the seriousness of the offence."
Nevertheless, some defended his actions, describing the subsequent social media outrage as overblown.
Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning jockey Robbie Power said the reaction was "way over the top" and Russell's punch was "not malicious".
"On the video I saw, it looked as if the horse was paying no attention to Davy's instructions to slow down going into the hurdle," Power said.
"I cannot believe what some people are saying. Some of the things I've read have been ridiculous. The reaction on social media has been way over the top. There was no malicious intent there and people need to realise that."
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