A jockey who snorted cocaine on a night out has been banned for six months and given a stern ticking off for his “reckless and dangerous” behaviour.
Ray Dawson, 30, was reminded of the consequences of taking the drug by a BHA disciplinary panel chair Tim Grey and told: “I don’t want to see you again."
Dawson has ridden more than 200 winners and last year rode subsequent 1,000 Guineas heroine Mawj to a Group 2 success.
Two years ago he opened up about his battle with addiction and how he had turned his life around since crashing his car while under the influence of alcohol in 2019.
However, Dawson admitted he had used cocaine when giving a positive urine sample when he was riding at Bath in August and has not ridden since August 24.
He appeared before a BHA independent disciplinary panel on Monday which heard he had taken “eight or nine” lines of cocaine after drinking in a Newmarket pub and for which his licence was withdrawn for six months, backdated from September 1.
After issuing the punishment, Grey told Dawson: “What I say now is of real importance, so please do listen.”
He said: “Cocaine is extremely dangerous. It is illegal for good reason. Taking cocaine whether with or without alcohol is deeply destructive.
“It poses a risk to those around you and as a jockey riding horses for a living, the risk you pose to your fellow jockeys, to those on the course and the public at large when you use drugs is both real and serious.
“That is not to ignore the risk posed to the reputation of the sport by you behaving in such a reckless and dangerous manner. All of that is the selfish consequence of your decision or of any jockey’s decision to take drugs.
“You know that as well as those risks you pose to others, there is also a huge risk to you from failing to remain abstinent from drugs and in your case alcohol which you tell us is a gateway which can lead to your use of cocaine and is also a real threat to your continued sobriety.
“Accepting drugs from an unknown man in a pub is reckless in the extreme and puts you at real peril. You can have had no idea precisely what you were ingesting, it’s effect on your body or indeed your mind.
“I tell you this not to preach but in the hope you will remember this hearing in the future. In the future you will, we sincerely hope, have a fulfilling and successful career in racing, but there may be times when continued abstinence is challenging.
“When that happens think about this hearing, think about what you will be throwing away, and I hope this will provide you with an additional incentive to find the strength to continue to remain abstinent.
“We have no doubt you can achieve great things if you put your mind to it, and doubtless you will make you family and in particular your daughter very proud if you do.”
He concluded: “We wish you every success in battling what we know are difficult dremons, but this is the first step on that road to full abstinence.
“Whilst I thank you for attending I would also thank you not to come back please. I don’t want to see you again.”
A statement issued on Dawson's behalf said: "Ray would like to thank the BHA and the disciplinary panel for the way in which this matter has been handled. He looks forward to returning to race-riding in the spring, subject to having established to the BHA's satisfaction that his recovery remains on track."