Howard Johnson

From todays Horse and Hound news....



<H2 class=articleTitle>Racehorse trainer Howard Johnson faces welfare charges
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20 July, 2011
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Racehorse trainer Howard Johnson appeared before a British Horseracing Authority inquiry today (Wednesday 20 July) in London facing welfare charges.

Mr Johnson faces a fine and lengthy ban after one of his horses, Striking Article, was found to have been run eight times after having its leg "de-nerved".

During a claiming chase at Musselburgh on 7 February 2010 Striking Article, owned by Graham and Andrea Wylie, was pulled up with an injured tendon and subsequently put down.

A post mortem found the horse had undergone a palmer neurectomy. This procedure severs the nervous connection in the lower leg and is banned in the sport on welfare grounds as it affects the horse's ability to feel pain.

It transpires Striking Article had undergone the banned procedure in April 2008 and run eight times since.

Mr Johnson said he was unaware it was against the Rules. He faces fines of up to £3,000 and if he is found guilty of "wilful neglect" could be banned for up to 10 years.

In a separate investigation he has also been charged with administering anabolic steroids to three of his horses — Whisky Mac, Mintaka Pass and Montoya's Son.
The hearing is expected to last two days.
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I was chatting today with one of the chaps who, as part of the BHA's integrity services, makes both planned and spot checks on racing yards to ensure they're complying with their licensing - this can involve deciding to check every horse in the yard for banned substances, to ensuring their equipment like spas, treadmills, etc., is in good, safe working order. We talked about this issue and there is, in his opinion, no excuse at all for HJ on any of the above counts. He had, he felt, trained for long enough to know what what was and, if he was unsure, all he had to do was to call up the BHA for guidelines.

The problem with the palmar neurectomy is that it deadens the part affected, so that in this case the horse could not feel pain in the foot or leg. By denerving the limb, it would not know if it had snapped its leg or twanged a tendon, or even if it had hit a jump hard - it would just keep going, which is what it eventually did in its final and fatal run. It would also be a dangerous conveyance in a field of competing animals for the same reason. Many horses are denerved when they suffer constant debilitating pain in a limb, but they cannot be used for racing - you could, for example, denerve your hack for riding, but it is felt it is too risky to have such a horse galloping among others, where, due to not being aware of the onset of pain, it would continue to gallop until perhaps falling down in the middle of a bunched field, bringing down others and potentially risking the life and limb of other horses and riders.

Even if HJ were 'unaware', common bloody sense would've dictated that this would hardly be a brilliant idea.

As for the steroids - I imagine he'll blame his vet, although he claims they weren't given 'enough for a cat'. It doesn't matter if there wasn't enough for a gerbil - they're banned outright, and he bloody well knows that.

I hope they hurl the rule book squarely at his stubborn head. There's an epidemic of people in the news knowing nothing at all right now, who are in positions where they should absolutely know. Time to give them all a good wake-up slap.
 
I sincerely hope they throw the book at him - it'll be an outrage if he's not banned for that. He can hardly claim a blemish-free previous record either...:whistle:
 
I see this made the main television news last night. The July Cup also made the main news (for the reason a woman won it rather than the fact that the joint top-rated two-year-old of last season had). Items such as Canford Cliffs beating Goldikova at RA, or Fame And Glory winning the Gold Cup were of course not considered important enough.
A shame that this sort of thing sucks in the media attention.
 
Unfortunately, it's mostly what's considered sensational that gets big Press these days - any footie sex 'scandal', bent cricketers, dodgy police/politicians, unethical horse trainers, etc., etc. What we don't want is more fuel on the fire about cruelty to animals, which is just what this twerp's provided. Aarse! (In best Father Ted voice.)
 
krizon said:
Unfortunately, it's mostly what's considered sensational that gets big Press these days - any footie sex 'scandal', bent cricketers, dodgy police/politicians, unethical horse trainers, etc., etc. What we don't want is more fuel on the fire about cruelty to animals, which is just what this twerp's provided. Aarse! (In best Father Ted voice.)
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Indeed so… but it’s all horseracing is ever noted for. At least football and other sports get mentioned according to the merits of the occasion. With racing it’s only ever the Derby and Grand National that get on and perhaps a Gold Cup when Kauto Star and Denman are taking on Arkle and Winged Pegasus.
 
I'd rather hoped that Racing for Change would've tried to, er, change that. Perhaps it's because British racing is seen first and foremost as a betting medium rather than a pleasant day's outing (unlike the reverse in France, for example, which doesn't seem as beset by scandal), which in itself is perceived to still be aimed at grimy and tatty betting shops (like my nearest, a Wm Hill's which is firmly stuck in the 1970s)? If we can't wrench racing away from an apparently widespread perception that it's all set up for betting and barely at all for a well-serviced, friendly, and reasonably-priced day out for anyone (kids included), then we're probably doomed to see its worst aspects highlighted, as the rest is so run-of-the-mill.
 
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The Disciplinary Panel hearing to consider charges against licensed trainer Howard Johnson adjourned on the evening of Thursday 21 July without concluding. An additional day is required and a date will be confirmed in the next few days.

Paul Struthers, Head of Communications for the British Horseracing Authority, said:

"Unfortunately the Panel were unable to hear all of the evidence in the time available. There were unforeseen issues arising in respect of a witness before proceedings began yesterday, and whilst both sides were confident that the hearing would still conclude in time, some of the other evidence presented and witness examinations took longer than anticipated.

"There is a possibility that the hearing could reconvene in early August but if not the next available date that all parties can attend is early September. We will confirm the date once all parties have agreed on it."
 
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