HOWARD Johnson has been charged by the British Horseracing Authority having admitted to running a horse that had undergone an illegal operationwhilst under his care.
The operation - known as a neurectomy - came to light following a post-mortem carried out on Striking Article after the horse was pulled up and euthanised at Musselburgh on February 7 2010.
The procedure involves severing nervous connection to the lower leg to cause numbness. It is banned under the Rules of Racing on welfare grounds.
Johnson, from Crook, County Durham, has also been charge under a separate investigation in relation to the administration of laurabolin, an anabolic steroid containing nandrolone, to three other horses under his care.
A provisional date of February 10 has been scheduled for disciplinary panel of the BHA to consider the case.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article