Apprentice with ADHD faces no punishment for forgetting drug test sample, Racing Post reports.

The 22-year-old jockey, based in Yorkshire with Kevin Ryan, explained to the panel that the breakup of a relationship had prevented him from accessing his medication for several days before the Beverley fixture. He had been unable to recover it from the home of his ex-girlfriend before she went away on holiday. He emphasized the impact of his medication, stating that it significantly impacts his behavior and makes following instructions much easier.

The panel heard that Wilson-Ruddock was informed upon arrival at the track in May last year that he had been selected to give a urine sample. He was also instructed to complete a whip-rule training module. Wilson-Ruddock, who was nervous about his first ride back from injury after an absence of more than half a year, explained that his mind was preoccupied, leading to his inadvertent failure to comply with the instructions.

After his ride, Wilson-Ruddock left the course hurriedly, partly due to the insistence of family members. He later offered to take the test at another track that night or the following day, ultimately providing clear samples at York that week. The panel also heard expert medical evidence about the extent of his ADHD, with his solicitor emphasizing that his condition prevented him from providing a sample, and modifications should have been made to account for this.

The panel, chaired by Fiona Horlick KC, acknowledged the failure to take medication daily as irresponsible but accepted the satisfactory explanation for the failure to provide a urine sample. As a result, Wilson-Ruddock was deemed not in breach of the rules. After the verdict, the chief executive of the Professional Jockeys Association criticized the BHA for the unnecessary ordeal Wilson-Ruddock had been put through and stated that the charges should never have been brought.