Horse jockey Christophe Soumillon has been suspended for two months after pushing an opponent off his mount.
During a race on Friday, Soumillon stuck out his elbow — seemingly with intention — and knocked Rossa Ryan off his horse at a high rate of speed. Ryan hit the dirt and tumbled several times before coming to rest on the track.
Ryan was able to get up and walk off the track.
Soumillon has since issued an apology. He claims he stuck out his elbow in order to warn Ryan of moving toward the inside of the track.
“Unfortunately, when I asked my horse to go there and to the right I pushed him for a stride or two and he fell off,” Soumillon said in an interview. “Straight away, I knew I made a mistake. I’m terribly sad with what happened because I hate seeing stuff like this.
“It was not a nice act on my side, and I’m terribly sorry and I want to apologize for what I did today.”
Soumillon says he met with Ryan after the race.
Soumillon’s two-month ban will go into effect after this weekend’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.