An amateur jockey has detailed his battle against cocaine addiction as he was banned from horse racing for six months on Thursday.
George Gorman, 28, who works for trainer Gary Moore, tested positive for a metabolite of the illegal drug when he was riding at Chelmsford in December last year.
He told a BHA independent disciplinary panel that he had taken cocaine during a period when he was recovering from injury. But he said he was glad he had been caught as it had forced him to seek the help he needed to try to cure his issues for good.
“I’ve made steps in the past to battle my addiction with limited success, success for a period of time followed by relapses, this particular one being brought on by pain medication I was put on for an injury I sustained in August," he said.
“I am actually grateful to the BHA that this has happened because it has put me in contact with the Sporting Chance and organisations such as CA and AA.
“So far I have been much more successful than I have been in the past with the help I’ve been provided. In just over a week’s time I will be four months clean of cocaine.
“On Sporting Chance’s guidance it was suggested to me that complete abstinence from all substances would be beneficial in winning this particular battle, so as of next week I will also be two months sober from alcohol.”
Gorman, who has ridden six winners from 115 rides, said he hoped the steps he had taken would act as "roadblocks' which would enable him to return to riding once he had served his ban.
He said his family, Moore and trainer Richard Rowe had been particularly supportive.
“I was so concerned to start with about the stigma attached to it. The last thing you want to feel is marginalised, that it’s you against the world because it leads you back down that path again,” he said.
Gorman was suspended until June 20 and must submit to an enhanced sampling programme.
Panel chair Philip Curl said: “We have been encouraged by your frankness and cooperation from the outset and the way you have positively responded to the positive sample, particularly cooperating fully with Sporting Chance and following their advice.”
