Gordon Elliott is a trainer of three Grand National winners including Tiger Roll, has given his explanation for the photograph that appeared of him sitting on a dead horse.
Top racing trainer Elliott has apologized after a photo surfaced of him sitting on top of a dead horse.
Age
He is 42 years old.
Gordon Elliott Dead Horse Photo
“The photo in question was taken some time ago and occurred after a horse had died of an apparent heart attack on the gallops. I appreciate that initial viewing of this photo suggests it is a callous and staged photo but nothing could be further from the truth.”
The image shows Elliott astride the horse, which is lying on its side. He is making a peace sign with one hand and holding his phone to his face with the other, and a caption across the photo reads: “New work rider this morning.”
Apologize
“Firstly, I apologize profoundly for any offense that this photo has caused and can categorically state that the welfare of each and every horse under my care is paramount and has been central to the success that we have enjoyed here at Cullentra,” wrote Elliott as he put out a statement on Twitter on Sunday after the image went viral online.
Statement
In his statement Elliott said he had received a phone call as he was standing over the horse, waiting to help with the removal of the body.
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When the call came in he sat down “without thinking” and then responded to a shout from a member of his team by gesturing “to wait until I was finished,” said the statement.
“Such background information may seem trivial at this time and will not allay the concerns of many people both within and outside the world of horse racing,” continued Elliott. “However, I feel it is important to provide people with some context surrounding this photo.”
Elliott ended the statement by saying he was cooperating fully with an investigation announced by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board in a brief statement on Twitter on Saturday.
