Doyle calls for anomaly to be addressed

THE chairman of the body representing professional show jumpers in Ireland yesterday said it was important to address the anomaly where riders banned at international level can compete on the domestic circuit.

Show Jumpers’ Club Chairman Jack Doyle made his comment after the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) said it could not extend Cian O’Connor’s three-month international ban to cover national competitions in Ireland.

As revealed in yesterday’s Irish Examiner, the SJAI National Executive said that, under its rules, it did not have that discretion to extend the ban. The ban was imposed by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) after the Meath-based rider’s horse Waterford Crystal tested positive for banned substances at the Athens Olympics.