Madam,
May I use your paper to draw public attention to what I consider to be the scandalous situation which exists in Irish pony show jumping.
As a veterinary surgeon who has been measuring ponies for the SJAI (SJI) since the scheme started 42 years ago, I have measured at least 25,000 ponies. I do not need a measuring stick to assess within 1cm the height of a pony.
My assessment is that at the RDS this year, a pony which was 136cms competed in the 128cms class and two ponies which were 153cms competed in the 148cms class. At least 1/3 of the competing ponies were over height.
This situation, for which SJI must accept full responsibility, has brought pony show jumping in the RDS into disrepute and ultimately reflects badly on Irish standards in general.
To try to rectify this internally with SJI, I submitted a motion to the AGM: “The SJI should review and revise pony measuring” (seconded by Ms Patricia Collins).
The Executive refused to accept this motion. I have served on the Executive of SJAI for over 30 years and in that time no motion from a member has ever been rejected.
Therefore I am forced to alert the public to this situation, which in the first instance undermines democracy and ultimately makes the organisation complicit in this cultural corruption.
To a child rider, there is nothing more priceless than qualifying to compete at the RDS. I say this to parents, there is no glory, there is no honour, and there is no decency in competing, or wining on an oversized pony. You are teaching your children to steal from another child.
All this could not have happened without the complicity of a few vets. A vet’s signature, especially in equine matters is traditionally associated with diligence, honesty and integrity.
Some vets have knowingly sabotaged this trusted system and this in turn reflects badly on all vets involved in pony measuring as they are automatically compromised by association.
Indeed all pony owners can identify measuring centres to which they can take an oversized pony and get them measured in.
This ‘Big Pony Plague’ is sustained by the fact that there are rich relatives who are unscrupulous enough to pay enormous prices for these big ponies.
Because of their height advantage, they become “winners” and thereby claim unsporting advantage over children from less affluent families.
The salient questions now are:
1. For how long will honest parents who still regard show jumping as a worthwhile, fair and clean sport stand idly by and allow their children to be “mugged” by others on big ponies?
2. For how long will the RDS risk its universally esteemed reputation for integrity and for setting and enforcing industry standards, remain ambivalent to the current state of affairs, which attracts the derision of foreigners who are bemused by our ‘Big Ponies’?
3. Why do so many ponies “successful” at national level become unavailable for international selection?
To endure and sustain these anomalies any longer merely draws the sport of Irish pony show jumping into disrepute and also impugns the integrity of all those responsible.
Historically when height was a defining condition for pony competitions, the RDS measured all ponies on site before they were allowed to compete. I respectfully request the RDS to revert to this practise by using the current infallible laser system and in so doing, restore confidence in the system.
To effect remedy, two constituencies must be activated:
1. The SJI membership at the forthcoming AGM and,
2. The RDS membership to ensure that all ponies competing at the Dublin Horse Show are measured on site.
The world is crying out for clean sport, yet the SJI remain silent.
Yours etc,
Brian Gormley,
Glendara,
Granard,
Co Longford.