EFI move on without Horse Board
The move, which was decided at a meeting last week, comes after months of discussions failed to convince the IHB of the merits of coming on board at this time.
The EFI decision was based on recommendations put forward by Atlantic Sports Management and Training MD Morgan Buckley and the taskforce charged with investigating the setting up of the unified body, Horse Sport Ireland.
The federation envisages the new body will come to fruition within the next 12-15 months and has left the door open for the IHB to come on board at a later stage.
Privately, it is hoped that the timescale can be reduced dramatically if the IHB makes a positive gesture to line themselves up for a merger, and this latest development could force the board’s hand.
The EFI is under pressure to implement a modernisation process to meet Irish Sports Council demands. As part of the council’s high performance strategy geared towards the Athens Olympics, the EFI will secure 100,000 in extra funding. This would have been at risk without the modernisation process.
The EFI, in organising its shop in preparation for Horse Sport Ireland, is adopting the following points as recommended by the taskforce:
* That the FEI disciplines, such as the SJAI, Eventing Ireland and Dressage Ireland etc, should fully integrate their structures, staff and resources with the EFI, leading to the creation of a new general council, board of directors and executive. The board will be composed of seven members from the FEI disciplines, four from the other organisations and a president. It is also suggested that the IHB chairman or a representative be invited to the join the new board, with a member of the EFI joining the IHB on a reciprocal basis.
* That a new secretary general and high performance committee and director be appointed to the EFI.
The EFI are hoping that the IHB will follow suit in implementing a reorganisation that would bring the sports horse and breeding sector together under one umbrella.
A MOTION of no confidence in the SJAI’s Cork/Kerry branch secretary Tony Hurley was carried at the branch’s opening meeting last Friday night.
The vote of no confidence arose as a result of “irregularities in the electoral process leading up to the annual general meeting of 2002, which was held in Millstreet on Dec 4”, according to a statement issued by chairman John Hannan.
The no confidence motion in the national chairman was decisive, carried by 13 votes to 3 at the Macroom meeting.
The motion centres on a claim by Mr Hannan and other committee members, that they were not informed of the full list of candidates for the committee elections. Mr Hannan claims he asked Mr Hurley for this information prior to the AGM, but after the deadline for nominations had expired. However, he discovered one extra candidate on the voting list issued to members on the night.
Mr Hurley does not dispute the facts, but said he did not disclose the name of the extra candidate having been thus requested.
The Corkman said yesterday: “As far as I’m concerned, I’m still on the Cork/Kerry committee. I will consider my future in showjumping after I have chaired my last national executive meeting in two weeks time.”
No date has been set for the next meeting of the committee, but it can be expected within the next two to three weeks.
Mr Hurley’s tenure as national chairman of the SJAI is due to end on January 28, having reached the maximum three years. He did not put his name forward for the SJAI national executive this year. He has been branch secretary since 1980 and has served 35 years on the committee.
Mr Hurley has been one of Ireland’s top course designers for many years.
