MADAM,

I wish Team Ireland Equestrian well in Tokyo.

No dressage team travelling, riders Dane and James are to be congratulated for highlighting what happened to them to ensure it should never happen again. In my view, HSI should be offering to reimburse all their legal costs to recognise the wrong which has been done, as opposed to glorifying that the appeals system justified HSI’s flawed stance not to send them.

I read in a national newspaper, that Dr David Stickland, a member of the dressage selection committee, had written to the relevant Ministers, raising his concerns about the information given to HP committee, the essence of what was attributted to him per the article was – Dr Stickland said a committee meeting he attended on June 3rd was not made aware James Connor met the minimum requirements to compete until after their discussion.

The article went on to quote his email: “The Olympics are about participation, not only about winning, and indeed winning was never on the cards anyway; but participation builds the future and encourages the future generations whereas failure to send a team does the exact opposite.”

The comments of Dr Stickland raise serious questions about who in HSI had the information? Why was it not made available? Who on the committee was opposed to sending a qualified team?

Were the Board of HSI aware of this information at the time they made their decision? For me, the board of HSI hiding behind the nomination policy they approved in December 2019 does not really cut it, maybe, I am not alone in this view?

It was within the discretion of the Board of HSI to vary the approved nomination policy which states: “this nomination policy can be amended at any time by Horse Sport Ireland. Horse Sport Ireland reserves the right to amend or change the policy where necessary at any time in order to fulfil the objective of the policy.”

In the Dail this week, James Lawless TD, described not sending a team as “outrageous and is a national scandal”, Minister Chambers recognised the “disappointment” and how “frustrating for riders who had secured a place at the Olympics” was the decision of Horse Sport Ireland not to send a team.

HSI spoke last week about the competitive process, for selecting Showjumping and Eventing teams. However the numbers and statistics do not support the same argument around Dressage with a limited pool of FEI-ranked riders and horses.

The FEI rankings for the three disciplines show jumping 108, 11 are in the top 100, and five of which in the top 50. Eventing 245, four are in the top 100, and one of those in the top 50. Dressage 12 of which one is in the top 100, and one of those in the top 50.

The relative numbers highlight the lost opportunity not to have sent a dressage team to the Olympics, and highlights the magnificent feat of what was achieved in qualifying in the first instance.

I wait patiently for HSI to set out their stall, or maybe more aptly to muck out their stall, with regard to this debacle, certainly following the facts that have now come to light, the failings as identified, and what actions they are taking to remedy the situation.

If there are no consequences for those involved, a more appropriate name for the HSI might well be H’Ostrich Sport Ireland.

Yours etc.,

Sandra Cusack

Colbinstown

Co Kildare