PERHAPS it was an early celebration ahead of St Patrick’s Day, but Ireland’s show jumpers ensured Florida was green last Sunday when winning the first Samsung Nations Cup of the season.

THE Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) yesterday transferred international team selection back to the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI).

IT is understood that Eddie Macken was appointed the chef d’equipe of the Irish show jumping team last night.

THE Show Jumping Association of Ireland is set to announce the appointment of a chief executive officer next Wednesday.

KEVIN BABINGTON pauses — he is reluctant to talk about Cian O’Connor.

SHOW Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) Chairman Charles Hanley has denied that a purge is taking place in the association, following a number of surprise resignations.

OLYMPIC gold medallist Cian O’Connor is innocent until proven otherwise, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern urged yesterday.

OLYMPIC CHAMPION. Two words which have struggled to find a home in the Irish lexicon cheered a nation last night.

THE new showjumping team management of chef d’equipe Colonel Ned Campion and Olympic trainer Eddie Macken will make their first appearance at the crucial nations cup show in Aachen on July 16.

TOMMY WADE yesterday said he had no intention of resigning as Chef d’Equipe to the Irish show jumping team, despite a vote of no confidence in him and the international selectors committee at the Show Jumping Association of Ireland AGM on Tuesday.

EDWARD DOYLE, one of the riders involved in a row with the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) over the sacking of Olympic team trainer Eddie Macken, last night said he was disappointed at the lack of official response to a letter outlining their grievances.

THE announcement of Eddie Macken as Olympic team trainer by the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) selectors this week, will, hopefully, bring the curtain down on the unfortunate controversy that had sprung up around the position.

EDDIE MACKEN was officially announced yesterday as trainer to the Irish Olympic show jumping team following a meeting of the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) selectors and the Olympic High Performance Committee.

A NOTE of disharmony emerged this week in the Olympic show jumping camp, with some of the long-list of riders ensuring Eddie Macken was installed as team trainer in place of original choice Lieutenant Colonel Gerry Mullins.

WITH the Olympic year in the offing, chief show jumping selector Peter Leonard is confident Ireland can produce the goods and win the country’s first gold medal in the code.

KEVIN BABINGTON and Carling King produced one of only two double clears yesterday to help Ireland finish fifth in the European Show Jumping Championships in Donaueschingen, Germany.

SHOWJUMPER Kevin Babington is cautiously optimistic Ireland will carry off the Aga Khan trophy at the Dublin Horse Show on Friday.

IT was Ireland über alles in Germany last weekend, when our show jumpers notched up a superb Nations Cup double.

IRELAND won the Aachen Nations Cup in Germany yesterday afternoon — though they had to wait until the competition’s last rider knocked the last fence to claim victory.

THE Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) selectors have made the prudent decision to nominate Trevor Coyle ahead of Jessica Kürten for the Gothenburg World Cup Show in Sweden next week.

THE decision not to send a showjumping team to the cash-rich Spruce Meadows show in Calgary next week was based on the desire to do well at the World Equestrian Games, according to Peter Charles.

CIAN O'CONNOR produced a performance of courage at Hickstead yesterday as he secured the competition's sole double-clear to take Ireland within a whisker of landing a hat trick in the Samsung Nations Cup.