Jockey accused of 'jumping off' horse while leading race hit with five-year ban
Alvinio Roy fell off his horse Special Force at Champ de Mars racecourse in Mauritius while leading the race, with a stewards' report describing it as 'bizarre'
A jockey who fell off his horse in a peculiar manner while leading a race has been banned for five years. Alvinio Roy's abrupt departure from his horse, Special Force, at the Champ de Mars racecourse in Mauritius, was caught on camera and has since been viewed thousands of times.
A stewards report from the day stated that Roy lost his right stirrup, then the left one, lost balance and fell off. An inquiry was postponed as the jockey was unable to take his subsequent mounts.
Ian Paterson, a former chief steward, labelled the incident as "bizarre", adding: "At the very least it looks like incompetent riding." Disgruntled bettors expressed their opinions, with the majority voting for Roy to be permanently banned in a poll on a Mauritius racing Facebook account.
Roy presented several reasons to explain what happened on August 10 during a stewards hearing on Wednesday. He claimed that his saddle had moved, which he said he communicated to the stalls handlers, according to a report from the Sporting Post.
However, this was checked before the start and found to be correct.
Despite Roy's concerns about his saddle, the stewards suggested that the vigour with which he rode from the stalls did not support his argument. Roy was asked: "How did you fall? There was no stumble nor no sudden movement from the horse. The horse was as good as he could be. What really happened?"
The jockey insisted he was using new lightweight stirrups and as he tried to steer the horse towards the rails in the straight, his foot slipped, causing him to lose balance and fall off.
However, the stewards' panel found no issues had been reported with the stirrups at the time and dismissed his version of events.
Chief Stipendiary steward Riyaz Khan commented that Roy's departure from the horse "looked more like a jump than a fall. It was too perfect to be a fall", as per the Sporting Post article.
Roy was subsequently convicted of engaging in a corrupt or prohibited practice, resulting in a five-year disqualification.
The panel also accused Roy of giving false testimony, noted that he was responsible for the saddle's fitting, and remarked that he didnt attempt to remain on the horse.
Despite facing potential police action, Roy has announced his intention to challenge the conviction.
