Equestrian: It came as no surprise on Tuesday that Tony Hurley was returned as chairman of ShowjumpingIreland for a third and final year.

It has come as a surprise, even to Showjumping Ireland, that membership and registration figures for January are up, albeit marginally, on the same time last year.

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

Former club player John Andrews has agreed to become the head coach at AIL club Ballymena.

DONOVAN MCNABB, the National Football League’s highest-paid player, returns to quarterback for Philadelphia today when they take on another team with an explosive quarterback talent - Atlanta - in the playoff second round.