ANYONE involved in public life knows only too well the way things can suddenly turn - we only have to look at our nearest neighbours for evidence of that.

To say it was a tumultous week at Horse Sport Ireland over the last seven days is quite the understatement. There were two resignations from the deeply divided board over the controversial vote to dismiss CEO Denis Duggan from his post last Friday evening - among them, one of the most recognisable names in terms of corporate governance in Ireland in UCD’s Mary Lampkin Coyle, a ministerial appointee to the board, and Mallow solicitor David O’Meara who represented the broad spectrum of affilitates. Suffice to say their loss will be keenly felt and of this moment, we are waiting official confirmation from Minister McConalogue’s office that he has accepted Prof. Coyle’s resignation.

Denis Duggan, who left the top job at Macra na Feirme to join Horse Sport Ireland, remains in his role as CEO and is currently attending the FEI General Assembly in Capetown, South Africa on the behalf of Horse Sport Ireland.

It’s clear that there’s going to be a lot more to come from HSI in terms of the next strategic moves from both sides arising from the outcome of this vote but significantly, its fallout could have serious implications for the wider Irish Sport Horse industry. In the last half dozen years, we have now quite a long list of CEOs at HSI - Damian McDonald, James Kennedy (interim), Ronan Murphy, Joe Reynolds (interim) and Denis Duggan. The optics simply don’t look good.

If Sport Ireland or the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine decide to halt the funding stream into the organisation until they have some confidence in it, it will be our wider industry that suffers. Take a look at the other sporting organisations that had their public funding tap turned off until they could prove they were fit for purpose - is Horse Sport Ireland next and if so, where does that leave our industry?

Last week’s released HSI Annual Report showed a deficit of over €300,000 on their books. The board received legal advice from its legal team about the financial implications at stake - it looks as if there could well be an even deeper black hole in the finances of HSI.

The stage is now set for what could be an expensive showdown between the remaining board members of Clare Hughes, Lucinda Creighton, Edward Doyle, Paul Duffy, Tom Freyne, chaired by Joe Reynolds, and CEO Denis Duggan who has well over 20 years experience of sitting on various boards himself. Ringside seat anyone?