An amateur jockey has been given a 12-month ban after footage emerged of him sitting on a dead horse.

WARNING: LOWER DOWN IN THIS ARTICLE IS A PICTURE OF A DEAD HORSE

Rob James has had his Irish rider’s licence and handler’s permit revoked for 12 months – the last eight of which will be suspended – after the clip circulated on social media.

It came just days after Grand National-winning trainer Gordon Elliott was banned for six months in the UK and Ireland for the same reason.

James, who won at Cheltenham in 2020 with a horse trained by Elliott, apologised for the “wholly inappropriate and disrespectful” video.

He said he was “heartbroken by the damage” it has caused.

James was banned after a hearing of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) on Wednesday evening.

The IHRB tweeted: “Having considered the evidence, the referrals committee found Mr James in breach of Rule 272(i) in that he acted in a manner which was prejudicial to the integrity, proper conduct and good reputation of horseracing.”

Elliott, 43, trained James and his horse Milan Native to victory in 2020 and is one of racing’s biggest personalities.

He has trained 32 horses that have gone on to win at the Cheltenham Festival, but will be forced to miss out this year.

He will also be absent from next month’s Grand National meeting.

Elliott’s business has suffered financially since the picture of him with the dead horse surfaced, with owners Cheveley Park Stud moving their high-profile horses away from his yard and bookmakers Betfair ending their relationship with him.

In addition to the suspension, which began on Tuesday, Elliott was also ordered to pay costs of 15,000 euros (£12,900).

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