Swail objection to be investigated
An SJAI statement issued yesterday said the national executive had decided on December 17 to set up an appeals committee to resolve the on-going dispute.
The statement added: “The appeals committee will begin work in early January, with a view to resolving the matter as quickly as possible, to the satisfaction of all concerned.
“Details of the membership of this committee will be announced in due course.”
The basis of Swail’s argument centres on a decision to add the north Wexford grand prix to the league schedule. He claims this resulted in him losing the title to Francis Connors, whose late rally included gaining valuable points at the disputed show.
Swail says he had opted for nations cup duty in Spain towards the latter stages of the league, as he felt his lead was unassailable. Though he returned for the last round, it was to no avail, as Connors placed second to be crowned league champion by two points.
The SJAI subsequently offered Swail the equivalent of the winner’s purse as a gesture of magnanimity.
At the recent Show Jumpers Club Awards Ball, Connors was presented with the trophy as title holder. However, he has yet to receive the winner’s purse.
Yesterday, the Waterford rider said that he didn’t have a problem with the SJAI decision to set up an appeals committee.
“I don’t mind at the end of the day once it’s sorted,” he said. “It will be good to have everything out in the open.”
However, he felt that, once the committee had completed its task, he would continue to be the title holder: “I would be very surprised if there was a change.”
He also said that, based on past experience, it would be quite normal to not have received the prize money three months after the conclusion of the league.
Swail, speaking from Genoa, Italy, yesterday, said he was aware the SJAI was going to look into what he felt was a legitimate objection on his part.
“As far as I was concerned, it was not over yet.
“It is a step forward. At least they might listen to me and deal with it responsibly and not hide it under the table.”
The Co Down rider plans to be back in Ireland on Christmas Eve, having spent three months competing on the continent.
SHOWJUMPER Trevor Coyle renewed his association with big time showjumping last weekend with favourable results, finishing third in the Geneva round of the World Cup.
Riding the 11-year-old, US-owned mare Fleur, he produced a jump-off clear in 38.1 seconds to finish just over a second of the pace.
The rider from Portadown, Co Armagh, was one of only five in the 13-horse timed round to finish faultless in a competition won by former world champion Rodrigo Pessoa.
Coyle has only recently returned to top-class international competition in earnest, after winning the ride on the Beverley Hills Farm string of horses, formerly ridden by American Ray Texel.
Three years’ ago, Coyle and the stallion Cruising were at the pinnacle of the sport, narrowly missing out on gold on their debut in the World Cup finals to Brazilian Pessoa. Later in 1999, he won the Aachen Grand Prix.
Soon after, he parted company with Mary McCann’s brilliant grey, having briefly joined Paul Schockemohle’s set-up in Germany.
His latest performance announces his return in no uncertain terms and he is again set to become a force in showjumping.
CONOR SWAIL and Cameron Hanley were fast out of the blocks when competing on the continent last weekend.
In Milan, Swail showed his class by boasting a three-second margin when winning a speed class on Windgates King Koal on Saturday. The following day, however, the Co Down rider was three seconds off the pace, placing third with Windgates Mystique in another speed class.
Hanley, riding Jerome, was the only rider to break the 52-second barrier to claim the top prize in a 1.45m speed and handiness class at Frankfurt.
The Connacht rider also placed fifth with Lady Pachat.
Also in Milan, Robert Splaine reached the jump-off in the grand prix at Milan.
Though he beat the winning time, four faults on Coolcorron Cool Diamond meant he had to settle for sixth place. Earlier in the week, he placed third on the stallion in a 1.40m contest.
On Friday, the Corkman was less than three-tenths of a second adrift of the winner when jumping clear in a two-phase class, but was edged out to fourth with Springfield Ohio.
IRISH dressage rider Anna Merveldt-Steffens notched up her second big win on the continent last Sunday, when taking the Milan Masters in Italy.
The rider from Ballymore Eustace, Co Kildare scored 70.91% on Fosbury 2 to win the 10,000 Grand Prix Kur (freestyle to music).
The 15-year-old Westphalian gelding belongs to Merveldt-Steffens’ trainer Jo Hinneman.
Two weeks’ previously, the Munich-based rider won the Grand Prix Speciale in Munich.
