Will Howard Johnson be able to survive the committee decision?
Howard Johnson is facing an investigation which could have adverse consequences on his career. The trainer is suspected of going against the rules of the British Horseracing Authority. If Johnson is proved guilty next month, then his license would be effectively
cancelled.
Johnson, who is well renowned for training jump racehorses, is currently facing two charges. One is to allow
Striking Article, a horse under Johnson’s care, to participate in races despite the fact that the horse had undergone a neurectomy. The other involves giving three horses dosage of nandrolone, which is a banned anabolic steroid. Neurectomy is a surgical
procedure that removes the nerve which gives sensation to the lower leg. In this way, the horse is able to run on, insensible to any pain that he or she might be experiencing.In addition to this, it puts the jockey in danger because the horse will run beyond
its pain barrier and will not be aware of any injury that may cause it to lose balance and fall. Therefore, this procedure has been duly banned. However, Johnson had
Striking Article undergo the procedure while the horse was under his care. After the neurectomy,
Striking Article ran eight races and won three of them. The last race that the horse ran took place at Musselburgh in February 2010. Unfortunately, the race resulted in the death of
the animal as it suffered a tendon injury. Consequently, the horse had to be put to death. The fact that the charger had undergone neurectomy came to light when a post mortem was performed on the poor animal. The charge of having the mount undergo
a banned surgical procedure is grave. Apart from the breach of law, it also indicates cruelty on part of the trainer. However, the owner of
Striking Article, Graham Wylie is still supportive of Johnson. He made the following comments, “The operation was done because the horse was hurting. He actually won three races after he had the operation. He was not put down because of the neurectomy
but because he had severed a tendon.”
To make it worse for Johnson, the charge of doping the other three horses in his care is also added to his list of wrong doings.
Mintaka Pass, Montoya’s Son and Whisky Magic were all given Laurabolin, an anabolic steroid that contains nandrolone. This steroid enables a horse to increase its performance in the long term, which gives it unfair advantage
in races. Therefore, the steroid is banned from being administered except in cases where the life of the horse is in imminent danger.
If the BHA’s (British Horseracing Authority) disciplinary committee decides that the behavior of Johnson was not up to the standards of husbandry, then he would be liable to pay a fine of £3,000. However, in case the degree of his behavior is considered
more severe, then Johnson would be prohibited for six months to a year. The worst case scenario would be a ban ranging from five to ten years. This would happen if he is determined to have indulged in ‘willful neglect’ of
Striking Article. For administering the dosage of the banned steroid, the penalty can also be a prohibition for as long as three years.
Johnson will not comment on the situation until after the committee decision. He is up for an appearance in front of the committee on 10th February. There is also a probability that the trainer is referred to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeon’s
disciplinary panel, to act as a warning to other trainers and vets.
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