A JOCKEY in France has been banned for two months for elbowing Irish jockey Rossa Ryan out of the saddle at Saint-Cloud on Friday.
Christophe Soumillon was racing alongside Ryan in the Prix Thomas Bryon Jockey Club de Turquie and elbowed the Galway native off the horse
The Belgian jockey has now been banned for 60-days for his actions today
Ryan was not injured from the incident
Speaking to Sky Sports Racing, Soumillon expanded on the situation
"I felt a little bit of pressure from Rossa on my outside while trying to keep a better position behind Ryan (Moore). I was just behind Ryan at the time, and I put my elbow against him just to make him understand I wasn’t going to the inside," Soumillon said
"Unfortunately, when I asked my horse to stay there and go a little bit to the right, I have pushed him for a stride or two and he fell off.
A shocking incident in the Prix Thomas Byron, as Christophe Soumillon elbows Rossa Ryan out of the saddle at Saint-Cloud.pic.twitter.com/9FVbzvodFc — Sporting Life Racing (@SportingLife) September 30, 2022
"Straight away I knew I made a mistake and I’m terribly sad about what happened because I hate to see stuff like this. When you are doing that it is even more terrible, so I really want to apologise to everyone, all involved with the horse.
"I have just seen the jockey and he is fine and I’m happy about that and the horse too. As for all the people who love racing, it was not a nice act from my side and I’m terribly sorry and want to apologise for what happened today."
He continued: "I have just received a big suspension from the France Galop Stewards, I’m going to be suspended for two months – sixty days of racing, it’s a very very big thing.
“Unfortunately, my end of season is now gone, but I accept the sentence for what I did and the terrible decision I made.
"I shouldn’t do that, I didn’t do it on purpose to make him fall off his horse, I was just trying to keep my position, but maybe I did it with a bit of power and it was a misjudgement from my side.
"I don’t really understand what happened in that moment, it went so fast, but it is a terrible thing what I did. I know a lot of people will not excuse me and I feel very bad at the moment for that."
Soumillon's ban will begin on 14 October so he will be able to ride Vadeni in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Europe's richest race, at ParisLongchamp on Sunday.
See More: Christophe Soumillon, Horse Racing, Rossa Ryan
