Robert Splaine will continue as manager of the Ireland show jumping team, following a review of his performance over the past two years.

Billy Twomey landed in Verona, Italy, yesterday confident he can boost his World Cup account after making his first deposit last Sunday.

Shane Sweetnam may have offloaded his top ride last year, but that does not mean he is ready to relinquish his position as a stalwart of the Irish team.

Austin O’Connor believes the Irish team selected for the eventing nations cup at the World Equestrian Festival in Aachen next week is not without potential.

Corkman Tony Hurley was last night elected chairman of ShowjumpingIreland at the first meeting of the new executive.

Insurance is the biggest issue facing ShowjumpingIreland, according to Munster Region chairman Tony Hurley, after a quadrupling of the association’s premium to €625,000 for 2013.

Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) has sought clarity from the Competition Authority regarding a new Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) ruling that will ban riders, horses and judges for six months if they participate in what the FEI terms “unsanctioned events”.

Show jumping followers can expect a 25% rise in membership and horse registration fees next year as a result of the quadrupling of ShowjumpingIreland’s insurance premium.

Cork show jumper Billy Twomey is recovering in Germany following planned surgery on his back to repair discs.

ShowjumpingIreland (SJI) chairman Christy Murphy sees nothing wrong in the organisation backing Robert Splaine to remain as Ireland team manager, while affirming that others should be allowed apply for the post.

Commandment John Ledingham has given a qualified expression of interest to becoming Ireland’s next show jumping team manager, James Kernan is in no doubt that he would like the role, while Jack Doyle has said he would “give consideration to it”.

Show jumper Denis Lynch gave further notice of the potential of his up-and-coming stallion Contifex when fourth with the nine-year-old in the Rolex World Cup class in Bordeaux, France, at the weekend.

Shane Breen obviously hopes Billy Twomey and Denis Lynch secure places for Ireland at the Olympics, but he also believes it is logical there should be a “level playing field” when it comes to selecting who lines out in London.

MORE than anything, show jumper Jessica Kürten saw her first major grand prix win in over a year last Sunday as one of portent.

HORSE Sport Ireland (HSI) has had to defer the introduction of its anti-doping and medication regime, which was due to come into force on January 1.

SHOWJUMPINGIRELAND (SJI) intends to ratify the Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) anti-doping and medication programme, despite postponing a meeting of its executive that was due to discuss the final draft yesterday.

IT IS almost certain that Sports Minister Leo Varadkar will move to ensure a fixed term will apply to the position of Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) chairman after it was brought to his attention that none exists.

IT took over two months, but Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) yesterday identified the Sia Group as the consultancy that will undertake a review of Ireland’s poor performance at the European Show Jumping Championships in Madrid.

WHETHER it was by design, or co-incidental, one major theme emerged at last Tuesday’s National Equine Conference: The need for more thoroughbred blood in the sport horse population.

IT may be a long-shot, but Conor Swail feels he is justified in having one eye on the two individual Olympic places up for grabs after placing second with Lansdowne in the World Cup contest in Toronto, Canada, on Wednesday night.

EVENTING IRELAND (EI) chairman John Wright yesterday revealed that the organisation’s membership has dropped by almost 40% in just three years.

JAYNE DOHERTY yesterday smiled her way through her dressage test at the European Championships in Luhmühlen, Germany, and she had reason to continue doing so at the end of day one when placing a creditable 14th with The Only One on 51 penalties.

JUST one of the nine A samples taken from horses on the domestic circuit that tested positive for a banned substance has been confirmed by a B sample positive, according to ShowjumpingIreland.

FRANCIS CONNORS has been competing at Millstreet Horse Show for “about 35 years”, and is determined to add to his good memories of the Cork event this week.

THIS week it emerged that:

IRELAND show jumping manager Robert Splaine has blended two debutants with three riders boasting vast experience in his nations cup squad for next week’s Dublin Horse Show.

AN “independent” review of ShowjumpingIreland’s (SJI) insurance policy has been initiated by Horse Sport Ireland (HSI).

HORSE SPORT IRELAND is again putting up a prizefund of €75,500 for its Irish Sport Horse Studbook Show Jumping Series.

IRELAND will contest this year’s Meydan Nations Cup Series, despite a 60% cut in funding by its affiliate, ShowjumpingIreland, coupled with a reduction in the Irish Sports Council contribution to high performance.

IRELAND show jumping team manager Robert Splaine believes the nations cup in Wellington, Florida last weekend provided him with a couple of combinations for his Meydan Series assault later this year.

THE first nations cup of the season and Robert Splaine is on a scouting mission.

SENIOR rider Michael Ryan says Eventing Ireland must have good cause if it chooses to redirect the money it annually allocates for high performance.

THE effects of the dispute between Jessica Kürten and the owner of her top horses Lady Georgina Forbes were made visible yesterday, with the latest Rolex World Rankings showing the rider falling to 16th.

NOVEMBER in Toronto and Dermott Lennon is in top form. Fourth in the World Cup qualifier with Hallmark Elite and, along the way, picking up a couple of decent placings.

SHOW jumper Billy Twomey’s consistency has been rewarded with his inclusion for the first time in the world top 10.

SHOWJUMPINGIRELAND (SJI) chairman Ronan Corrigan says the organisation is conducting a review of its working relationship with Horse Sport Ireland (HSI).

THE recently-formed Irish Show Jumping Centres Group (ISJCG) is not hanging around.

AUTUMN show jumping leagues could be under threat amid doubts over the standard of insurance cover provided by ShowjumpingIreland (SJI), Ballyrafter proprietor Anne Waistell claimed yesterday.

It was all systems go yesterday at both the unaffiliated Millstreet Horse Show All-Ireland Championships in Co Cork and the Showjumping Ireland National Championships in Co Kildare.

NUMBERS were better than expected yesterday at the opening of the Millstreet Horse Show All-Ireland Championships, as many of the show jumping fraternity defied the threat of sanction by the sport’s national governing body to attend the Cork event.

THE chairman of ShowjumpingIreland (SJI) Ronan Corrigan has confirmed the organisation was undertaking a review of its anti-doping policy.

THE Chairman of Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) Joe Walsh conceded yesterday it will never be possible to guarantee that equestrian sport will be totally clean, but new regulations will see HSI succeed as much “as humanly possible”.

JESSICA KÜRTEN qualified for the World Cup final last Sunday and then declared her surprise at the achievement.

IT could be described as vive la difference for Horse Sport Ireland as it adopts a more laissez faire approach with its proposed breeding formula which, according to chairman Joe Walsh, has been devised with the help of the French national stud.