Fourth spot puts Irish clear of relegation
Clear rounds from Harry Marshall (Ado Annie) and Clem McMahon (Gelvin Clover), allied to four from Jessica Kürten, put the team joint second at the halfway stage. Billy Twomey (Anastasia) provided the discard score of 10 faults.
Round two saw an improved four-fault performance from Corkman Twomey, but first round heroes Marshall and McMahon finished with eight apiece. It was left to German-based Antrim-born Kürten to get things back on track with a clear as Ireland finished on 16 faults.
Switzerland ran out winners on a score of 11 and moved to the top of the league. The Irish performance moved them off the bottom of the league for the first time this season. Now in seventh place on 7.5 points, they are replaced in the eighth place relegation slot by the Netherlands who are, however, just 0.5 points behind. Belgium are three points ahead of Ireland.
With four rounds to go, it is very tight also at the top. Switzerland are on 22 with half-point differences between them and each of the next four countries: the US, Germany, Britain and France.
Equestrian sport received a double boost this week with the news that its high-performance grant has been increased by almost 30% and the Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) announcement it has agreed to proceed with moves to set up an umbrella body.
The State funding, channelled through the Irish Sports Council, amounts to €450,000, an increase of €100,000 on the 2004 figure. The largest high- performance grant made this year by the ISC to any sport, it is a tremendous fillip to equestrianism, which has been bedeviled by controversy in the past 18 months.
EFI president Avril Doyle said in a statement: “We are extremely grateful for the continued confidence shown by the Irish Sports Council in equestrian sport in Ireland. This generous high- performance funding will allow us to greatly enhance our preparations for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.”
Meanwhile, the EFI decision to move on the umbrella body comes after years of stagnation and obstructionist moves by some of the bodies involved. The latest impasse resulted, ostensibly, from a need to concentrate on the Olympics and the subsequent fallout from Cian O’Connor’s tribulations. In reality though, the EFI balked at the appointment of ministerial nomination Michael Dowling as chairman of the implementation group, which was charged with devising the structure of the umbrella body.
Dowling’s previous role as secretary of the Department of Agriculture and the department’s close connections with the Irish Horse Board led to fears the latter would be favoured when it came to setting up the umbrella body, whose working title is Horse Sport Ireland.
Coincidentally, or perhaps not, the EFI announcement came days before today’s planned meeting of equestrian organisations, called by the new Irish Horse Board Michael Osborne.
MEP Ms Doyle said: “We are proceeding with the wishes of Minister for Sport John O’Donoghue and the Irish Sports Council for an implementation group that will oversee the formation of an umbrella body for the industry, and we are awaiting the minister’s confirmation of a candidate to chair this group.”
Ms Doyle continued: “The EFI has spent the last six months reforming its memoranda and articles of association to reflect the Liam Connellan recommendations, and I now look forward to working with the new guard at the Irish Horse Board, who are completing their own internal review.”
“The implementation of the strategic plan for the sport is of paramount importance, and the resources that will be available through a larger NGB will help to make this possible,” Ms Doyle said.
Undoubtedly, the recent ratification by the EFI’s sometimes disparate constituent bodies of the revised memoranda and articles of association is crucial to the progression of an umbrella body. It did not come without some debate, an indication that the road ahead may still be rocky. Crucial to the success of the concept will be the attitude of the Show Jumping Association of Ireland, the largest equestrian organisation.
It is concerned its influence will be diluted by the formation of Horse Sport Ireland, while other bodies will ironically, fear closer ties with the SJAI will see them subsumed. However, as Ms Doyle alludes to, the prospect of State largesse to back the new body, is the prize for going boldly forward.
THE Irish Horse Board is supporting the breeding of traditional Irish hunting horses through a new showing class at this weekend’s Cork Summer Show.
The Irish-Bred Ridden Hunter Championship has been initiated in response to the increasing use of Continental warmblood stallions, a trend which could decrease availability of the traditional Irish hunter. The IHB has put up €1,500 prizemoney for the show class.
The competition will be fought out between the two highest-placed Irish-bred horses in each of the various ridden hunter classes at the show.
THE announcement by the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) on Tuesday that Cian O’Connor had officially waived his right to appeal against the loss of his Olympic gold medal was not exactly earth-shattering. It was the publicly-stated intention of the 25-year-old rider.
Regardless, due process had to be followed and, last Friday, O’Connor’s attorney informed the FEI of his decision.
The Meath-based showjumper had the right to appeal - to the Court of Arbitration for Sport - the decision of the FEI to disqualify him and, some would argue, he had justification, considering the FEI’s appalling handling of the case.
It would be disingenuous to say this brings an end to the affair - investigations continue into the theft of the urine sample and the break-in at the Equestrian Federation of Ireland office - but it is certainly a milestone.
Soon, Brazilian Rodrigo Pessoa ((Baloubet du Rouet) will be the recipient of a gold medal, with American Chris Kappler (Royal Kaliber) and German Marco Kutscher (Montender II) receiving silver and bronze, respectively.
