Jockey caught drink driving at Appleby Horse Fair after brother's 21st birthday given ban

A jockey caught drink-driving at the famous Appleby Horse Fair has been given a 12-month ban. Flat jockey Nathan Evans, 27, has partnered 167 winners which have earned £1.7 million in prize-money and he is best known for riding the Michael Easterby-trained Hoofalong to victory in the Scottish Sprint Cup in 2016.

He appeared before South Cumbria Magistrates Court in Barrow-in-Furness where he pleaded guilty to one charge of driving a motor vehicle with excess alcohol.

The court was told that the jockey had celebrated his brother’s 21st birthday the night before he was stopped by police in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, at around 10.20am on June 6 June - the second day of Europe’s largest gathering of traveller communities.

Prosecutor Peter Kelly said: “Police took an interest in the defendant’s Volkswagen Golf registration plate.

“They spoke to the driver and thought it was appropriate to ask him to undertake a roadside screening test. That was positive and led to his arrest. There were two other people in the vehicle at the time.

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“He has then been asked to undertake the breath analysis procedure by providing two further samples.”

The court heard the lowest reading was 55 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal drink driving limit is 35 micrograms. Mr Kelly said the defendant was a man of good character with no previous convictions.

In mitigation defence solicitor Trystan Roberts said: “The concern about the registration plate was because it was obscured with dirt. Once stopped he fully complied with police.

“He had been out the night before celebrating his brother’s 21st birthday. He had been drinking and had not had anything to eat.

“He is a jockey. The disqualification is going to be significantly felt. He travels to race grounds around the country. His income is very limited. He is supported by his parents. He is extremely contrite. I am sure you will not be seeing him again.”

Chair of the bench Charles Crewdson banned Evans from driving for 12 months. However he was offered the opportunity to complete a drink driving rehabilitation course which would reduce the length of ban by 12 weeks if completed successfully. He was also ordered to pay a £120 fine, £85 in court costs and a £48 surcharge.

Before imposing the sentences, Mr Crewdson told the defendant, of Main Street, Amotherby, Malton, North Yorkshire: “I hope you have learnt a salutary lesson. You must think about what you are doing.”