THE first days of the hearing before a disciplinary panel to adjudicate on the allegations against jockey Robbie Dunne of “conduct prejudicial to the integrity or good reputation of racing” on the foot of a complaint made to the BHA by fellow jockey Bryony Frost, were heard this week.

Dunne is charged with seven individual rule breaches but denies the majority of the accusations and his defence evidence is yet to be heard.

But it was an unpleasant week of testimony that reflected poorly on the weighroom.

The leaked report in the Sunday Times noted that “the evidential burden of the BHA is to prove on the balance of probabilities that the conduct in question occurred as alleged and amounted to bullying and harassment.”

Much of the evidence this week was of very intimidating conduct and Frost also appeared very isolated by the behaviour of her fellow professionals.

Indeed, you could say the Professional Jockeys Association have not acted terribly professionally if the evidence this week is accurate.

At times it felt like many incidents when a woman accuses a man of improper conduct. Why would she lie or exaggerate to put herself through this? Why should she have to grin and bear it if it made her uncomfortable or fearful for her safety? Obviously there are two sides to a tale but both can’t be correct.

Many of the on-track incidents which are alleged to have caused Dunne’s grievances also took place at behind-closed-doors meetings with fewer people around and some of the incidents are included on the general replays available. But the races from the 2020 season are there to view. I’ve looked often at them by now.

2.00 Leicester, February 13th – This Breac and Frost beat Dunne’s mount in a two-mile chase. Frost’s horse does hang across Dunne’s mount on the run-in but seems to be sufficiently clear.

2.50 Stratford July 8th – Frost’s mount Wisecracker slightly cuts Dunne’s off on the bend mid race – nothing to what you would see on the final bend of an Irish bumper.

In the hearing, Frost alleged that Dunne came over on his horse “very aggressively” and claimed she had “murdered him.”

4.10 Uttoxeter August 17th – there appears to be no contact by the two riders during the race. Dunne is charged with verbally abusing and threatening a fellow jockey.

4.00 Southwell, September 3rd – Wisecracker and Frost jumped slightly left to the rail three out, in the incident where Dunne’s mount Cillian’s Well fell and was injured. But it’s difficult to be convinced the move caused the fall.

[And, M’lud, take a look at how Royal Rendezvous jumped through the PWC Champion Chase in Gowran on October 3rd, and how Easy Game fell. You can say sh*t happens.]

There are also the independent witnesses and the off the racetrack behaviour included in the “bullying and harassing a fellow licensed jockey” accusation some of which Dunne also denies.

The crux is do you believe that Frost was afraid that Dunne might go out to cause her injury in a race. If she thought that, was getting little support, then she had little remedy but to report to the highest authority.

You can find that Frost sometimes allows her mounts to correct themselves going into a fence – in last year’s King George she did allow Frodon to jump uncorrected to his left, particularly four out. But the feeling is that she often allows the horse to correct itself, be on the right leg to jump, even if that means moving off a straight line, though that’s no excuse for carelessness.

It’s difficult to compare the incidents to similar situations in other sports – junior and senior participants together, and male and female side by side.

If she gets more publicity than her success deserves, there is a reason for that. She is good for the sport. The one thing that holds the whole industry together and needs to be emphasised at all times is the joy of being a partner, being on board a running horse.

See it in the video she shared last year of riding the retired Black Corton up on the moors and again on the JockeyCam she wore in the Gold Cup on Frodon.

It’s difficult to compare this “weighroom culture” with other sports due to the weighrooms being occupied by both male and female and shared access to facilities. But do senior riders have a right to tell junior riders when they were wrong? There is a lot more fallout to come – from both of the trials currently being heard.

Some changes have been put forward but there may need to be many more.