Milton Harris: Horse racing trainer stripped of licence after 'campaign of abuse'

Milton Harris is a Grade One-winnng trainer based in Wiltshire

Horse racing trainer Milton Harris has been stripped of his licence after a catalogue of incidents including a "campaign of abuse and harassment" against a neighbour and rival.

He has been found not to be a "fit and proper person" to hold a trainer's licence.

Harris was also said to have behaved inappropriately toward female staff.

The 64-year-old Englishman was suspended by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) in November 2023.

Speaking on Wednesday, Harris said he was "obviously disappointed" with the decision.

Harris, who trains at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, was third in this season's jump trainers' championship with 33 winners at the time of the suspension.

He was in his second spell as a trainer, having spent seven years without a licence after declaring bankruptcy in 2011.

'Very aggressive' - row with rival trainer

In written reasons issued by the BHA's Licensing Committee on Wednesday a series of incidents relating to Harris' behaviour were outlined.

The committee found Harris had carried out a "campaign of abuse and harassment" over several years against Simon Earle, who ran a neighbouring horse training yard.

A recording was played to the hearing from July 2020 when Harris had accused Earle of reporting him for breaching Covid regulations.

"MH [Harris] is very aggressive. He shouts at SE [Earle] and directs a torrent of invective, belittling and emasculating him," the report states.

In October 2020, there was a further incident in which Harris threatened to block off the stable at Earle's yard which Earle recorded. The committee found that Harris' behaviour was "belittling, and his threats were designed deliberately to have greatest impact" on Earle.

There were also incidents in February and March 2021 which led the BHA to issue Harris with a written warning because of his conduct towards Earle.

In June 2022 there was an incident during which Earle recorded Harris calling him "mummy's little boy" and "pathetic" while also swearing at him.

The committee found this was "yet another example of MH [Harris] humiliating, abusing, insulting, demeaning, and belittling" Earle.

There was a further incident that day which ended with Harris suggesting they have a boxing match to sort out their differences.

"MH [Harris] gave evidence that he had suggested that he and SE [Earle] settle their scores by having a boxing match 'under Queensbury Rules'," the report found.

"He explained that he had dealt with other professional disputes in this fashion previously and seemed to think that this was an acceptable approach to dispute resolution by a racehorse trainer."

The report found that "the course of bullying conduct has continued until very recently" with another incident in November 2023.

The panel wrote: "It is clear to the panel that the bullying and harassment campaign which MH [Harris] was orchestrating left SE [Earle] with few good options.

"It is apparent to us that MH [Harris] has had a significant adverse impact on SE [Earle]'s psychological wellbeing, which ought to have been entirely foreseeable to him. The conduct of MH [Harris] was not a proportionate or justifiable response to the difficulty he was facing with his fellow trainer and neighbour."

'Clearly inappropriate' - 'toxic tone' at Harris' yard

There was also evidence from a woman who worked at Harris' yard when she was aged between 14 and 16. She was living away from home in a hostel on Harris' yard.

The panel said the "sheer quantity of WhatsApp messages" he sent to her "causes us concern". He had named her 'Lovely Young Girl' in his phone.

The panel said specific passages in the WhatsApp exchanges are "clearly inappropriate" but made it clear "that we do not think that MH [Harris]'s conduct with her was done for reasons of sexual gratification".

There was also evidence relating to his behaviour towards a girl who was aged either 12 or 13 who worked on his yard.

She gave evidence that Harris "would make inappropriate comments about young girls' weight, and in the breakroom he would set a toxic tone".

The panel found he "has caused or permitted a culture to prevail on his yard where more serious safeguarding issues causing real harm could easily occur".

Harris was also found to have committed breaches in relation to several conditions which were put on his licence in 2018.

Concluding the report the panel added: "His [Harris'] conduct before the panel has included crude attempts to pervert the process, carried out with an arrogance that suggests he felt the panel would not see his behaviour for what it is and that such crude attempts might even work."

'Obviously disappointed' - Harris' response

Harris described himself as "disappointed" by the verdict, with a further response planned in the coming days.

"I've just seen the decision of the committee and I'm obviously disappointed," he said.

"My immediate priority is to look after the horses, owners and long-serving staff here. I will make a statement [on the decision] in a few days' time."

Harris won the Grade One four-year-old Juvenile Hurdle at Aintree with Knight Salute in 2022, and the Silver Trophy at Chepstow in October 2023 with Pyramid Place.

In December, his assistant Tony Charlton was granted a temporary licence to train from the same yard.