LONDON (AP) — The British Horseracing Authority has banned one of Britain’s top trainers for four years after he removed nerves from one of his horses and gave anabolic steroids to three others.
Howard Johnson says he will not appeal his ban, which begins Friday, but will instead retire immediately.
A post-mortem on his horse Striking Article discovered that it had undergone a palmar neurectomy, removing nerves in its lower leg. It is illegal for horses to race following such an operation, yet Striking Article went on to run eight more times.
The BHA’s disciplinary panel says “Johnson’s reckless disregard for the rules was behavior which fell seriously short of the standard to be expected of an experienced licensed trainer.”
