EFI set to submit interim board nominations
The submission comes as efforts to set up the umbrella body gain momentum.
EFI secretary general Dan Butler yesterday said: “We will submit our representatives on Monday and I expect that efforts to get Horse Sport Ireland up and running will accelerate in the next few weeks.”
He was speaking ahead of today’s AGM of the federation.
The Irish Horse Board has already submitted the names of its interim board representatives.
Michael Dowling, chairman of the Implementation Group charged with setting up Horse Sport Ireland said yesterday: “I think things are in place to move ahead. The IHB nominated its people last week and I expect the interim board will be in place quickly. Its next move will be to draw up the memorandum and articles and then appoint a chief executive.”
Asked when the umbrella body will be up and running, Mr Dowling, a former secretary general of the Department of Agriculture, said: “The best one could expect is, if not by the end of the year, certainly before easter of next year.”
The interim board will comprise 12 EFI directors (comprised of representatives from the SJAI, Eventing Ireland, Dressage Ireland etc along with one representative for the three organisations Para Equestrian Ireland, Carriage Driving and the Irish Long Distance Riding Association). The IHB will have five directors on the interim board, which will have an independent chairman.
A spokesperson for minister O’Donoghue said: “Once the nominations are in place, the minister, in consultation with the Minister of Agriculture, Mary Coughlan, will select a chairman. The minister is hopeful that in the next couple of weeks we can tie this down.”
Irish Horse Board chairman and former agriculture minister Joe Walsh and Mr Dowling are two of the names touted as contenders for the post of interim board chairman.
* IRELAND’S show jumpers delivered a suitable riposte to the disappointment of relegation from the Samsung Super League when placing second in the Croatian Nations Cup at Zagreb last Friday.
Team manager Robert Splaine believed the competition was a reflection of what his charges will face in next year’s FEI nations cup series.
“This was a very encouraging result against some strong opposition and in view of what we have to do next year. There were some new horses here as well and I am very pleased with the team’s performance,” said the Corkman.
He was justified in being pleased, as his team were close to victory, denied by Germany by just two faults.
Dave Quigley on board Ashdale Futuro got the Irish challenge off to the perfect start on a zero score, which was matched by Cameron Hanley, riding SIEC Ratina Z.
The charge continued with Conor Swail, fresh from being crowned national league champion, opening with one fault on Rivaal, a result that Capt Shane Carey and African Drum repeated.
It left Ireland on a one fault total at the half-way stage.
With three riders going in round two, Quigley was not called upon, though clears from Swail and Hanley kept Ireland very much in the hunt.
But five faults from Capt Carey saw Ireland finish on six, two behind Germany.
Carey bounced back with a double the following days on Hands Free. On Saturday, the Army officer had over a second-and-a-half to spare in the Little Prix Zagreb, a 1.40 jump-off class. On Sunday, he achieved his brace with another convincing win in a 1.40m one-round contest.
* CIAN O’CONNOR this week said he knew nothing of reports he and Clem McMahon had been barred from Cavan Equestrian Centre.
O’Connor and Clem McMahon were said to have been barred from the centre last weekend following a dispute with officials.
O’Connor said: “I know nothing about it. I have no issue with anybody at Cavan EC.
“I will be doing my entries as usual for the next show at Cavan in November.”
The Show Jumping Association of Ireland said it had no involvement, as the show was not affiliated to it.
Neither Clones rider McMahon nor a representative from the Cavan Equestrian Centre were available for comment this week.
* SARA CLINGHAN placed 16th in the World Singles Driving Championships last Sunday at Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy, with the 19-year-old Highmoor Firecracker. The woman from Banbridge, Co Down, finished on 142.09 penalties.
Clinghan, a double All-Ireland champion and British championships winner with Highmoor Firecracker, was one of only three people last weekend to have driven the same horse at three previous world championships.
Britain achieved a double, with Paul Sidwell (128.47pens) and Weirbank John adding the individual title to the team gold secured by Di Hayes, David Matthews and Ian Bertram.
* LIEUTENANT GEOFF CURRAN placed a creditable 15th in the Eventing World Cup final in Malmo, Sweden, last weekend.
The Waterford rider had a score of 99.8 penalties with Kilkishen in a competition that was dominated by France.
Nicolas Touzaint on Galan De Sauvagere scored 42.2 to come out tops in a battle with compatriot Jean Lou Bigot and Derby De Longueval (48.5).
A new format was used for the final, with the cross-country and jumping phases run on the same day, split by about three hours’ rest and a formal horse inspection.
* FOUR faults denied Jessica Kürten victory in the Open European Masters Gold League final in Lanaken, Belgium, last Sunday.
The 37-year-old world number two rider was one of seven to make the third round of the competition — part of the lucrative Global Tour — and she posted the fastest time of 34.84 seconds. However, four faults with Castle Forbes Libertina in the 1.60m contest saw her drop to fourth and pick up €11,500.
Victory went to Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa on Oasis, his time of 35.32secs making him the fastest of three riders to record triple clears in a competition that had 38 starters.
It was the perfect end to the day for Pessoa, who had already won the Silver Masters Final with Cantate z.
Picking up €50,000 for his gold league win, €13,300 for his silver league win and a new Chrysler car, Pessoa’s performance saw him rocket up the Global Champions Tour to third place, netting him €another €75,000 of the €600,000 bonus money on offer.
Belgium’s Ludo Philippaerts rode away with a €250,000 bonus after topping the overall Global Champions Tour rankings.
Kürten pocketed a bonus of €10,000 for her eighth place in the tour.
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