by Milton Harris was stripped of his license after damning findings of dishonesty, bullying a fellow trainer and “inappropriate” behavior with junior staff.
A dossier of scathing criticism against Wiltshire-based Harris has led to a British Horseracing Authority judicial panel ruling him “uncontrollable”. The 64-year-old, who has trained more than 50 horses at Sutton Veny in the Wylye valley near Warminster, has been repeatedly criticized for manipulative behavior in a lengthy summary.
“We are firmly of the view that the only appropriate conclusion in the light of our findings, the Racing Rules guidance and the circumstances of the case generally is that MH [Harris] that he is not a fit and proper person to hold a trainer’s license as he does not have the personal qualifications necessary to do so,” wrote a panel led by Sarah Crowther KC, Alison Royston, Kirsty Madden.
Evidence was heard in private, but among 11 findings against Harris was that he “behaved inappropriately and in a manner designed to exercise undue control and power over the personal and private lives of young and vulnerable employees through abuse of trust “.
Harris crossed a line
“He allowed or allowed a culture to prevail in his yard where more serious safeguarding issues could easily occur,” the panel said.
Harris had “crossed a line” towards one under-16 team member. WhatsApp messages expressing “adult opinions” and mocking with “sexual innuendo”.
“MH [Harris] they suggested that these were ‘innocent pranks’ but our decision is that these jokes were inappropriate and overstepped the mark,” the panel found.
“We want to make it clear that we do not think MH’s behavior is acceptable [name redacted] done for reasons of sexual pleasure. However, it was inappropriate, because, apart from her age, [name redacted] that she had additional vulnerabilities, such as her home location and MH, whether consciously or otherwise, was using this to create a situation where [name redacted] he relied more on MH and saw. It could all isolate her and put her under MH’s control.”
Other findings against him relate to breaching conditions for being a company director, trading in thoroughbred stock and intimidating neighborhood trainer Simon Earle. Harris said Wednesday he was “disappointed” with the results.
The BHA first revoked the license of racing legend Harris in November. From Bromsgrove he started his working life as a barman describing himself as ‘a working class kid in a working class pub’.
First lost license in 2011
In 2001 he took out a license to train in Paxford in Warwickshire but, 10 years later, he was declared bankrupt and stopped training, which he described as “assets fine but no cash and no dealings”. good. choir”.
He spent the next seven years fighting to get his license back and it was finally granted in 2018. In 2021-22 he produced 56 winners and won 55 races last season. This season he was on course for his best ever season having already sent out 33 winners.
However, after a four-day hearing held behind closed doors, the panel wrote: “In the previous cases before the Licensing Committee, it was found that MH gave dishonest evidence to the Committee, was dishonest with the BHA and that it was missing. an insight into the purpose of the regulation and the effect of its conduct… We find that he has not revealed anything new in this case, it is the same story, just with the different names of the people who are in line to help them.”
Harris was also found to have bullied and harassed Earle and acted inappropriately towards staff, including a girl who was “between 14 and 16” at the time. “We find Milton Harris to be unregulatable, or at least in the regulatory context, unregulatable,” the panel wrote.
Secret recording of Tirades
Earle secretly recorded many confrontations with Harris, during which he used dirty and abusive language and behaved in a threatening manner. As for his treatment of the teenage girl on his team, Harris denied doing anything wrong and said he was acting like a father figure.
In a statement sent to the Racing Post, Harris said of the results: “I have only received the reasons and I am obviously disappointed. His immediate priority is the staff, some of whom have a very long standing, the horses and my owners. That’s the focus at the moment.”
However, BHA integrity director Tim Naylor said: “Some of the details in the Licensing Committee’s decision are uncomfortable to read. Mr Harris’s conduct over a long period of time fell well short of what we expect from a licensed person and, as the Committee found, it would damage the reputation of racing if it was allowed to continue without any repercussions. We are therefore satisfied with the Panel’s decision that Mr Harris is not a fit and proper person to hold a licence.”
