DESPITE a recent High Court dispute between directors of the Showjumping Association of Ireland, which was ultimately resolved through mediation, the organisation’s Annual General Meeting proceeded without any significant issues being raised at the Mullingar Park Hotel last Tuesday evening. Approximately 30 members attended the meeting, the majority of whom were serving on committees/volunteers, while there was a noticeable absence of riders.

Chairman Des McFadden opened the AGM by welcoming the new CEO Pat Hanley to the organisation. He said that “under the Crowley Report, one of the recommendations was that a new CEO should be appointed”, and that, with the help of a subcommittee, they had achieved this. He added that Hanly’s experience in the RDS would be a massive benefit to the organisation. McFadden went on to say that there are still a lot of things to be done, but that the organisation had successfully settled the long-running case. He finished by thanking everyone for coming to the AGM.

Moving on to the consideration of the accounts, balance sheets and reports from the auditors, the Auditor said that based on 2025 accounts, the SJI was in a healthy position. There was an increase in the insurance premium from €475,318 to €523,368, which he said was reflected in other sectors. Terms on loans had been successfully reduced.

Although no item for Any Other Business was listed on the agenda, some members raised questions from the floor regarding the cost of a settlement with Millstreet and the expense incurred by the recent High Court proceedings.

In August, the association had been restrained in the High Court from voting on a resolution seeking to remove its Chairman, Des McFadden, along with three other directors from the board. Board members involved in the legal action - Neal Doherty, Derek Reid and Aldyth Roulston - were all present at the AGM.

The week prior to the meeting, the court confirmed that the parties had reached an agreement. The presiding judge struck out the proceedings with no order as to costs. However, members attending the AGM sought clarification on the terms of the settlement and the overall legal costs to the organisation.

One member stated that, as a member-based organisation, those involved had a right to know how much the cases would ultimately cost the association. Responding to questions from the floor, Des McFadden said he was not at liberty to disclose the cost of the settlement in the long-running case, citing a confidentiality clause within the agreement. This position was reinforced by the association’s solicitor, Mark Killilea, who also referred to the confidentiality provisions when declining to provide details of the settlement figure.

Although the organisation’s Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended October 31st, 2024 indicate that the company remains in a healthy financial position, it is unclear whether the same will be reflected at next year’s AGM, when the cost of the long-standing settlement is expected to be accounted for.