THE Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) Jumping Committee yesterday came out in support of Irish show jumping team manager Robert Splaine in his dispute with rider Jessica Kürten.

SHOW jumping received a boost yesterday with the news that the national championships are to be revived following a nine-year break.

THE chairwoman of the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI), Patricia Furlong, yesterday welcomed the latest moves at the formation of an umbrella body for equestrianism.

THE Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) executive has been issued with draft proposals on the setting up of an umbrella body for the equine industry as the initiative gains momentum.

ROBERT SPLAINE was yesterday officially installed as the manager to the Irish showjumping team and he said his priorities were to stay in the Samsung Nations Cup Super League and to finish in the top five of September’s World Equestrian games, thus qualifying for the Bejing Olympics.

THE new management team for Irish international show jumping will be officially unveiled on Monday, according to the Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI).

MICHAEL DOWLING, chairman of the implementation group charged with setting up the umbrella body for equestrianism, yesterday said the ending of the Show Jumping Association of Ireland’s international status should not affect its role in the umbrella organisation.

SHOW Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) chairperson Patricia Furlong yesterday described the association’s decision to relinquish control of all international teams to the Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) as a positive development for the sport at grassroots level.

BRITISH show jumping legend Malcolm Pyrah is one of five candidates in the frame to become the next Irish show jumping team manager.

EVENTING followers will be disappointed to hear that Blarney Castle International Three-day Event will not be run this year. The event was scheduled to return to the eventing calendar in 2006, having not run since 2001.

THE Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) has received more than one application for the post of team manager to the Irish international show jumping team

COMMANDANT John Ledingham will not be applying for the newly-advertised position of team manager to the Irish international show jumping team.

SHOW JUMPER Jessica Kürten notched up a hat-trick of wins at Leipzig over the weekend, but failed to make a major impression in yesterday’s World Cup Qualifier.

THE Equestrian Federation of Ireland has taken over international team selection duties from the Show Jumping Association of Ireland.

THE new chairperson of the Show Jumping Association of Ireland, Patricia Furlong is confident the legal advice she received concerning the validity of last month’s Leinster Region election is above reproach.

KEVIN BABINGTON says he would welcome the Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) taking over selection of the senior show jumping team from the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI).

JESSICA KÜRTEN’S World Cup ambitions have taken a setback following a fall prior to Christmas.

TAYLOR VARD has spurned a bid by the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) to have him withdraw his resignation as chairman of the senior selectors.

A MEETING between Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) chairman Charles Hanley and Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) president Charles Powell aimed at smoothing relations between the two bodies failed to materialise yesterday, following the leaking this week of a letter written by the SJAI interim chief executive Liz Pottie.

THE Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) could impose further sanctions on the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) if it refuses to agree to the demands of a document presented to the SJAI last Friday.

THE chairman of the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI), Charles Hanley, said yesterday the terms of a contract had been “agreed” with chef d’equipe designate Robert Splaine.

THE chairman of the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) hopes this week to convince the chairman of the Irish team selectors committee to withdraw his resignation threat.

JOHN LEDINGHAM and Robert Splaine are, as expected, the two front-runners for the post of Chef d’Equipe of the Irish Show jumping team following a meeting of riders and management in Dublin yesterday.

A FULL-TIME chef d’équipe for the senior Irish show jumping team is expected to be appointed this month.

ONE of the riders central to this year’s show jumping dispute over selection for Nations Cup teams is unable to attend a meeting set to kick-start a review of the contentious process.

THE Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) will take the first step in the review of the selection process for senior nations cup teams by holding a meeting on October 10.

IN the gloom that has surrounded show jumping, there appeared a chink of light this week. Only time will tell if things get any brighter.

EFFORTS to resolve the row that has beset Irish showjumping failed yesterday, with Jessica Kuerten and Harry Marshall declaring themselves unavailable for international team selection.

THE withdrawal of Cian O’Connor from the Irish team in next week’s Aachen nations cup can only be described as fate kicking us when we are down.

CIAN O'CONNOR offered to withdraw his name for selection for the last two Samsung Super League Nations Cup competitions this year in a bid to restore some harmony to Irish showjumping.

Threats were made against Irish international showjumper Cian O’Connor during the Dublin Horse Show last week, a senior equestrian official confirmed tonight.

John Tynan

INTERNATIONAL show jumper Robert Splaine yesterday said the drug testing procedure at Irish shows needs a serious review, following his experiences at Ennis last month.

TURMOIL and recrimination surfaced within the Irish show jumping camp again yesterday, with Harry Marshall the latest rider to pull out of the senior nations cup squad.

IRELAND’S showjumpers climbed out of the relegation zone in the Samsung Super League yesterday, when placed fourth in the Nations Cup at Rotterdam.

HARRY MARSHALL yesterday said his forthcoming disciplinary hearing will not prove a distraction as he lines out in today’s Samsung Super League opener in La Baule, France.

THE last vestiges of the Cian O’Connor saga are, one by one, being dealt with.

THE chairman of the body representing professional show jumpers in Ireland yesterday said it was important to address the anomaly where riders banned at international level can compete on the domestic circuit.

CIAN O’CONNOR has no immediate plans to compete despite being allowed to do so at national level.