Stone to throw hat in ring in bid to become head of FEI
The FEI announced this week it had accepted Helander’s resignation as secretary general, effective from August 31.
The FEI said: “Dr Helander made his decision to open the way for the important changes that will occur with the implementation of the new structure of the FEI, which was approved last April at the general assembly in London.”
The FEI structural changes include the replacement of the secretary general position by one more akin to a chief executive.
Yesterday, Stone - the current FEI director of sport - confirmed his interest in the new position, saying: “I will be putting my hat in the ring.” But he said: “It’s hard to be confident, as we do not know the profile of the job yet. This will be decided at the next FEI executive meeting in June. They may decide to look for someone with experience in business.”
It is unsure when the appointment will be made, but it is likely to be before the end of the year.
Stone was previously Equestrian Federation of Ireland secretary general and has spent the past eight years with the FEI.
The 48-year-old held the position of assistant secretary general until it was wound up and replaced by the director of sport portfolio. Previous to that, he was head of development.
Stone was managing director of Pegus Horse Feed and retains a share in the company. He commutes to Dublin from the FEI’s Lausanne headquarters most weekends.
If Stone succeeds Helander, he will be taking over an organisation in need of a major overhaul.
Swede Dr Helander held the secretary general’s post for 10 years, but, under his stewardship in the recent past, it has come under severe criticism.
The handling of the Cian O’Connor case held it up to ridicule. Also holding it up to denigration was the case of event rider Bettina Hoy, in which the Court of Arbitration of Sport over-ruled the federation in deeming she should be penalised for a show jumping error, a decision that cost her individual gold and Germany team gold.
TWO Army riders will, it is hoped, bring some firepower to Ireland’s team when it lines out in the Samsung Nations Cup Super League second round in Rome at the end of the month.
Captain Shane Carey (Killossery) and Captain Gerry Flynn (Bornacoola) will join Denis Lynch (Domingo) and Harry Marshall (Ado Annie) on the team, with Robert Splaine (Clarion Hotels Coolcorron Cool Diamond) as fifth man and Liam Buckley as chef d’equipe.
Buckley, the Leinster region representative on the SJAI’s International Affairs Committee, will be hoping the team can improve on their disastrous outing in the La Baule opener last Friday, when they finished last of eight.
Not helping the cause in France was the temporary disqualification of Harry Marshall for tongue tying his mount Ado Annie.
Chef d’equipe Taylor Vard missed a couple of his charges compete as he battled with the show organisers to have Marshall’s four-fault score counted, instead of the 12 incurred by Robert Splaine on Clarion Hotels Coolcorron Cool Diamond.
Calls to the FEI saw the decision reversed - while tongue tying is prohibited under FEI rules, it seems no form of punishment is cited - and Marshall was allowed to compete in round two after being fined 100 Swiss francs. Ultimately, however, the inexperienced Irish team went on to put up a total of 48 faults in a competition won by the all-female US team on 16 faults.
David Quigley scored eight and 12 with Ashdale Futuro, Marshall added eight to his first-round four, Denis Lynch opened with 12 on Domingo, but had eight in round two, while Splaine notched up scores of 12 and eight.
The normally upbeat Vard afterwards said he continued to believe Ireland will maintain its position in the league, admitting that while his optimism had not suffered, his “pride was dented.”
He said the dispute over Marshall had not impinged on the team performance, but he said it did not help morale.
“We always had our backs to the wall here,” he said, reiterating that he “had to beg” to get the riders to line out, a situation that speaks volumes.
Meanwhile, International Affairs Chairman Vard yesterday would not go on the record to verify that Eddie Macken had not informed the committee of his intentions regarding the chef/trainer’s position. Vard had previously said Macken had rejected the offer of the position.
However, in press release issued this week through the Showjumpers’ Club, international affairs committee member Tom Slattery “reported that the role offered to Eddie Macken has neither been accepted or rejected by him.”
GIVING hope of an improved performance in Rome was the brace scored by Captain Shane Carey in the three-star show at Cervia, Italy, with the 15-year-old Lismakin, having warmed up with a second place on the bay gelding.
Conor Swail was also on target, riding the Dutch-bred Poncho to victory in the small grand prix. The Malahide-based Co Down rider also featured in the main grand prix, placing sixth.
Earlier in the day, Swail took a second place with Coco 75 in the 1.35m class
On Friday, Captain David O’Brien got the ball rolling for the Irish, when winning a 1.40m class on the 11-year-old Irish-bred mare Lismore Clover.
In Munich, four faults in round two saw Ciaran Howley place seventh in the grand prix with Darcatos, while in Eindhoven, Dermott Lennon jumped a double clear with Condios to finish sixth.
MARK KYLE, riding Drunken Disorderly, finished best of the Irish at Badminton Horse Trials last weekend, coming in at 21st. Lying 53rd after dressage, the 31-year-old improved dramatically to 23rd when adding just 1.6 penalties on the cross-country with the grey gelding. Eight show jumping faults did not stop his promotion, as he finished two places better on 72.8 penalties.
It was a different story for Eric Smiley. Riding MacLoud, he was equal 25th after dressage, but dropped to 33rd with 91.4 penalties.
Trevor Smith, aboard Dunrath Hill, was one of eight combinations eliminated on the cross-country.
Pippa Funnell won the competition for an amazing third time in four years on a score of 44.5. Riding Primmore’s Pride, the 36-year-old led from start to finish, jumping clear in both cross-country and jumping. In doing so, she exacted revenge on compatriot William Fox-Pitt (Tamarillo), who denied her a hat-trick last year.
Adding to her win was the fact the 36-year-old Funnell went into last weekend’s competition without eventing legend Supreme Rock. The gelding, who carried her to victory in 2002 and 2003, was retired last week, a decision that, obviously, did not affect Funnell’s ability to win.
Supreme Rock is a 17-year-old bay gelding and was bred by Lindy Nixon-Gray in Skibbereen, Co Cork. He is by Edmund Burke and out of Rineen Classic.
CLEM MCMAHON came out tops in a ding dong battle with Cian O’Connor in the Lux Z Grand Prix at Barnadown, Co Wexford, last Sunday.
McMahon and Gelvin Clover were drawn fifth of eight jump-off combinations and did just enough to relieve Ryan Crumley (Baltimore) of the lead when coming home clear in 37.64 seconds.
However, O’Connor was waiting in the wings and any fears McMahon had were soon realised when O’Connor knocked almost half a second off the target with Gain Dot Com for a finish time of 37.17.
Not to be outdone, McMahon repaid in kind with Hermes de Reve, his clear in 36.55 giving him victory and putting him top of the IJM TimberFrame League.
THE proclivity for Irish events to feature royals continues with the news Dartfield will boast a King in its line-up.
Ballindenisk World Cup Qualifier recently saw Zara Phillips in attendance, but Dartfield this week upped the ante with the announcement Mary King will compete.
The 1992 and 2000 Badminton winner and member of last year’s British Olympic silver-medal winning team will compete in the feature CCI two-star competition, which will also feature Tiny Clapham and a strong Irish contingent.
The Irish Examiner-sponsored Dartfield International Three-Day Event takes place on June 2-6 in Loughrea, Co Galway. Supported by the Irish Horse Board, Fáilte Ireland and the Irish Sports Council, it lists - along with the CCI two-star - a CCI one-star, CCIJ one star and CCNP two-star in its schedule.
