Last vestiges of O’Connor saga being dealt with one by one

THE last vestiges of the Cian O’Connor saga are, one by one, being dealt with.

This week, the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) said it did not have the discretion to extend the three-month FEI ban imposed on the rider.

Regardless of the merits of this, the Show Jumpers’ Club Chairman Jack Doyle says it is imperative this anomaly must be closed. Stressing he did not want to focus on specific cases, he said: “This is something the SJAI should look at, but not because of Cian O’Connor. It is something they should have looked at previously. This issue has nothing to do with Cian O’Connor, except that his case highlights it. It should have been addressed 10 years ago.