The appellant, a standardbred driver, appealed a Judges' Ruling that fined him $300 and imposed a 5-day driving suspension for striking the shaft of the race bike with his whip during a race, in violation of Rule 22.23.03(d) of the Rules of Standardbred Racing.
The appellant admitted the rule violation, and the hearing proceeded on penalty only.
The Ontario Racing Commission panel dismissed the appeal, upholding the fine and suspension.
The panel considered aggravating factors, including the appellant's previous record, the number of times the rule was violated during the race, and the aggressive nature of the hits, concluding that the penalty was necessary to serve as a deterrent and protect the horse and public interest.