Jockey Noel Callow, a well-known determine in Australian horse racing with a chequered historical past, has been suspended for 5 months.
Noel Callow has been hit with a prolonged ban (Picture: Getty Photos)
A famend jockey who recorded himself making racist and offensive remarks to passers-by has been handed a big five-month ban from the game. Noel Callow, a distinguished determine in Australian horse racing with a chequered previous, has ridden over 2,000 winners, together with 5 at Group 1 degree, incomes over £20million in Australia.
He has an extended historical past of misconduct and was suspended for 2 months in Could this yr after being concussed in a brawl with one other jockey, instigated by 50-year-old Callow. Noel confronted two further fees of conduct detrimental to the pursuits of racing in August after a video of his behaviour whereas biking via Darwin got here to mild. Callow pleaded responsible when he appeared earlier than a listening to of Queensland Racing Integrity Fee stewards.
Within the first recorded incident, Callow made derogatory feedback together with “you stink like f***”, “have a bathe”, and mockingly referred to the person as “Yothu Yindi”, earlier than singing lyrics from the Treaty anthem in a way clearly meant to ridicule, the report mentioned.
Within the second incident, whereas biking on a footpath, the video captures Callow saying: “Have a look at these c****”; “Cease strolling on the f****** footpath, you f****** c**ns,” and “Stand up the c**ns.”
Callow’s solicitor Matthew Stirling contended that the remarks within the first incident should not be thought of racist and had been unlikely to inflict severe reputational hurt on racing, while within the second his feedback “had been racist however made in passing”.
He maintained it remained unclear whether or not anybody really overheard the remarks.
Noel Callow is not going to be allowed to race for 5 months (Picture: Getty Photos)
Though the jockey recorded the incidents, the footage was shared privately amongst mates who had been requested to not distribute it additional.
Stirling cited different comparable sporting circumstances to advocate for a 4 to 6 week ban, however the panel decided the Callow video introduced it extra in keeping with circumstances corresponding to Irish coach Gordon Elliott, who obtained a prohibition in 2021 after {a photograph} surfaced of him perched on a deceased horse while utilizing his cellphone, “the place international media publicity magnified reputational hurt”.
The stewards decided: “Racist and obscene language, even when meant as misplaced humour as submitted by Mr Callow, is objectively offensive, blameworthy, and damaging to racing’s fame as soon as publicised.
“Whereas Mr Callow contends that he solely shared the footage with a restricted variety of associates, it stays the case that he created, recorded, and disseminated the fabric. That act initiated the chain of occasions which foreseeably led to wider publication.
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“A licensed individual bears duty for the dangers inherent in recording and sharing offensive materials. The truth that others might have contributed to its wider dissemination doesn’t absolve Mr Callow of accountability for putting the content material into circulation.”
Callow was handed a five-month disqualification for each fees, which shall be served consecutively.
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