British Horseracing Authority suspends drone use after horse gets spooked

The British Horseracing Authority has suspended the use of drones at its races after a jockey claimed his horse had been spooked by the devices.

On Friday, the BHA announced that it had made the decision to suspend drone flights after Oh So Terrible reared up and collided with the rail at the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Fillies’ Stakes on Thursday.

Oh So Terrible’s jockey Frankie Dettori, who’d been unseated by his nag’s reaction, reported that he’d heard the unmistakable sound of the drone at the time of the incident. Jockey Ryan Moore, who was astride Believable in the same race, said the noise of the drone was “very noticeable” during the race.

The drone was operated by RaceTech, a UK-based provider of technical and broadcast services to the racing industry. The company struck a deal with the BHA 14 months ago to provide overhead shots of races.