A member of the public complained to racing’s ruling body that Phil Kirby’s staff were shown riding without body protectors
The power of
Social Media lies not only with the tweeter, as one trainer found when photographs posted online by his business were used against him in disciplinary proceedings. Phil Kirby has been fined by the
British Horseracing Authority for failing to ensure his staff wear body protectors when riding his racehorses, a problem that came to light only because a member of the public noticed it while looking at the social media output of Kirby’s stable.
“Several posts on his social media ... showed six of his staff not wearing safety vests whilst riding horses that are in his care and control,” said a BHA statement on Monday. “The pictures that had been posted between May and July 2020 also indicated that the staff had not been wearing safety vests for several months.”