HEIKE Holstein has been nominated to ride at her fourth Olympic Games next month aboard her home-bred Irish Sport Horse mare Sambuca.

News of Holstein’s nomination was confirmed by the FEI on Thursday following a reallocation of individual quota places after Horse Sport Ireland’s dressage High Performance director, Johann Hinnemann, decided not to nominate an Irish team for Tokyo, despite the team having secured a first ever qualification at the 2019 European Championships.

The team withdrawal has been met with an appeal by international dressage riders Dane Rawlins and James Connor.

Proud

“I’m delighted to represent Irish dressage as an individual,” Heike Holstein told The Irish Field. “The last year and a half has been a rollercoaster. Having bred Sambuca and produced her over the years, I always felt she was very talented and always aimed and wished that I could get to the Olympics. It has been a long road with ups and downs, so I am just delighted that the wish is coming through.

“The team was always the dream but I am proud to be going as an individual. I couldn’t undertake the journey without the full support of Dressage Ireland, Horse Sport Ireland and my sponsors. I hope to do Ireland proud.”

Holstein leaves Ireland tomorrow (Sunday) for Rotterdam where she will compete in the CSIO5* competition, before Sambuca goes into quarantine in Aachen, Germany, on Tuesday, July 6th.

Acting CEO of HSI, Joe Reynolds said: “It is great for Heike. We are supporting her properly and doing whatever we can to give her the best shot possible.”

No team

A press release issued by HSI on Monday said the HP director “has taken the decision not to nominate a dressage team to OFI for the Tokyo Olympics. This decision was taken as several key members of the Irish team that had qualified for the Games are unfortunately no longer available for selection due to a combination of horse retirement, veterinary and medical reasons.

“In consideration of the remaining qualified combinations, the dressage High Performance director (HPD), Johann Hinnemann, reviewed his ‘Olympic Nominations Policy for Dressage’ as against the combinations available. Hinnemann advised the board that two combinations have not met the specific criteria as set by the HPD, and as such, the HPD is not in a position to nominate these combinations. The resulting consequence being a team of three athlete/horse combinations cannot be fulfilled.”

That Olympic Nominations Policy for Dressage document states “the dressage HPD’s primary objective is to nominate the appropriate ‘mix of combinations’ to give Ireland the best chance of a top-eight finish at the 2021 Olympic Games.”

It states the HPD will consider results at CDI3*, CDI4*, CDI5* and CDIO* in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and the consistency of scores over 68%. It says the HPD “reserves the right to consider scores below 68% should same be merited.”

Riders appeal team withdrawal

IRISH dressage riders Dane Rawlins and James Connor have appealed HSI’s decision to withdraw the team from Tokyo 2020. The appeal will be heard on Monday.

British-based Rawlins, who switched to ride for Ireland in 2011, said the situation “isn’t right”. Speaking to The Irish Field, he added: “The whole aim of this, right from the beginning, from before the Europeans, was to get a team to the Olympics. Irish dressage has improved so much. Despite losing those leading lights, we can still have a second team. Something is very wrong and I have so many questions.”

Asked if he was contacted officially by the High Performance director Johann Hinnemann or Horse Sport Ireland, Rawlins said: “No – I got a text message, forwarded on from someone to Johann and then to me. I didn’t get a call. That is not good enough for any sport. Something is incredibly wrong with this behaviour.

“It [the decision] was left until there was effectively no way forward. As far as I am confirmed it was left intentionally, I feel we should have time to respond. I am gutted.”

Rawlins and the 12-year-old gelding Espoire competed at three international shows so far in 2021, where their best score was 66.95% in the Freestyle to Music at Doha CDI5* in February. They scored 70.92% at the same venue in 2020 and 70.4% at Olympia, London, in December 2019. “I get that there is specific criteria (68%) but there is enough leeway left in that document. To be fair, I always thought I was number five, I thought I would be the non-travelling reserve, but now I would have an opportunity. We have spent a lot of time, effort and money – without regret – and committed ourselves to this. It is an honour to represent Ireland. We should have known certain facts a lot earlier. I think we have been misled.”

Joe Reynolds confirmed the appeal is to be heard on Monday, where a panel of senior counsels will be nominated and one of those will hear it. “We will make a submission and they [athletes] will make a submission. We will await that process,” he said.