Duggan to fight sanctions on Millstreet participants

SHOWJUMPINGIRELAND (SJI) is to impose stiff sanctions on some of its members and officials, as it completes a list of those people it deems breached its rules at last week’s “independent” Millstreet Show All-Ireland Championships.

SJI chairman Ronan Corrigan yesterday said that correspondence would be issued soon to those members it had identified as breaching its rules at the show.

“All the lists of those that were competing and officiating at Millstreet are almost complete. We have obtained video evidence, photographic evidence and records of who competed and we estimate that the rules were breached a couple of hundred times,” said Mr Corrigan. “Already, some letters to officials are in the post; these would be for minor, single infringements.”

Show organiser Noel C Duggan yesterday told the Irish Examiner that he intends to strongly contest any sanctions imposed by the SJI. He is in dispute with the organisation as he says its insurance company refused to indemnify him following an accident at his 2007 show. Last week, large numbers of SJI members and prominent officials defied their governing body to support an event that is an intrinsic part of their sporting year.

Mr Corrigan, however, said the SJI had no choice but to penalise members. He said it was possible officials would be removed from their position and he clarified what constituted an offence for a rider.

“Each time you compete is an offence, so, for example, if a rider has three horses in a competition, he has breached the rules three times. As for punishment, the first offence will result in a fine of €100, the second offence is €200, the third is €300, plus a 14-day suspension, while further infringements will result in longer suspensions and steeper fines.”

He also stressed “that a suspension will apply to competition days, ie days on which the SJI has a registered show”.

“Also, we have been in contact with the Irish Horse Board with regard to the forthcoming World Breeding Federation Championships in Lanaken, Belgium, as horses or riders that competed in Millstreet may find they will not be selected.

“We also may publish the lists of all suspended members. Our own officials believe this is the best route, as it a way of informing shows and other members of those that breached the rules of the association,” said Mr Corrigan, who confirmed the SJI’s AGM would take place on September 21.

Mr Duggan’s dispute with the SJI has also seen him withhold levies, collected as part of entry fees at his 2008 show. Instead, he gave them to a third party to hold. He has also filed a complaint with the Competition Authority and yesterday he said he would even take his case to the European Union.

“I’ll go wherever I have to go to make my case and succeed,” said Mr Duggan regarding a possible trip to Brussels. “I’ll take my case to Europe, if needs be. It will be on behalf of those people who have been threatened and bullied. I will defend those people who supported Millstreet.

“Last week was the best week of my life, better than the Eurovision, World Cup show jumping, boxing championships, etc. I was never so elated about anything.”

The success of his show came despite the SJI scheduling its national championships opposite it, while it also put on a show in Limerick.

Mr Duggan remained defiant yesterday and said of the SJI sanctions: “There isn’t a jail big enough to hold the people who will refuse to be intimidated by a couple of people in Dublin. Little people in big places talk down to big people in little places.

“We already have set in motion the programme for our independent 2011 show and we are planning a big show for October.

“This is all about insurance and nothing else. It has nothing to do with money. If it did, we would not have invested millions in the sport for over 40 years and keep doing so. We do not ask for any money at the gate, nobody is ripped off at the bar or restaurant, and we put up top prize money, ie this year it was €107,500. Every penny of that goes to the competitors without any deductions. Our facility is incomparable with anything in the globe. We produce the best ideas for competitions that have been copied in Ireland and beyond. Also, we do not ask for any sponsorship, particularly in these times.