Jockey Admits Stopping Horse after Threat from Premier League Star’s Father-in-Law

Jockey Dylan Kitts admitted to deliberately restraining the horse Hillsin from winning a race at Worcester in July 2023 after allegedly receiving threats from John Higgins, the father-in-law of Premier League footballer Ashley Barnes. Kitts, trainer Chris Honour, and Higgins are facing charges from the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) for conspiring to stop Hillsin from achieving its best possible placing, a claim Honour denies. Video evidence showed Kitts making only a token effort near the race's end, holding the horse back, which he later confirmed in a BHA interview, citing threats from Higgins and instructions from Honour. Higgins and Barnes were placed on an exclusion list for failing to cooperate with the investigation, though Barnes has not been charged. The inquiry revealed suspicious betting patterns and payments from Higgins to Kitts before the race. Higgins did not attend the disciplinary hearing due to medical issues, which were deemed insufficient by the inquiry chair to excuse his absence.