Show jumping was in turmoil again yesterday following the sacking of the Show Jumping Association of Ireland's director-general and the threatened resignation of the chairman of selectors.
Robert Joyce, who was brought in as director-general in March on a permanent contract, was told after a meeting of the board of directors in Tullamore on Thursday night that his services were no longer required.
Mr Joyce, a native of Co Galway, had been given a permanent contract with the SJAI on March 9th, with an agreement that he would serve a six-month probationary period. The trial period had then been extended to December 9th, but the directors decided at Thursday's meeting not to keep Joyce in the €100,000-a-year job.
"It's hard to say whether I've been sacked or just not re-employed," Mr Joyce told The Irish Times yesterday. "I'm disappointed, but it's not really a surprise."
SJAI chairman Charles Hanley confirmed yesterday that Mr Joyce would not be continuing in his role as director-general.
"Basically he is gone but I can't give any more information until I finalise things with him," Mr Hanley said. An acting director-general is to be put in place at the SJAI offices in Kill, Co Kildare, until a replacement can be found.
Mr Joyce believes two key issues were "major contributing factors" to his removal. His restructuring plan for the office resulted in the SJAI being brought to the Labour Relations Commission. Staff have been seeking an anti-bullying and harassment policy and the case is now due to go before the Labour Court in January. An unfair dismissal case is also to be heard in the new year.
Only 11 of the 21 SJAI directors, along with chairman Charles Hanley, were present at Thursday's executive meeting. At an earlier meeting of the international selectors, continued discussion over the appointment of a chef d'equipe resulted in chairman Taylor Vard walking out of the meeting, stating that he would be resigning his post.
A letter was faxed to Mr Hanley yesterday in which Mr Vard said he would only remain as chairman if three members of the four-man committee - Brian Gormley, Paraic Geraghty and James Tarrant - resigned.
Robert Splaine was proposed as chef d'equipe at an SJAI executive meeting last month, but the terms of his contract have still not been agreed. Copies of a letter from Mr Splaine's solicitor requesting clarification on a number of minor points had been sent to Messrs Gormley, Geraghty and Tarrant and it is understood that Mr Vard, who had not received a copy of the letter, felt private negotiations had been entered into. Mr Vard could not be contacted for comment yesterday.
Two members of the selection panel, Tom Slattery and Liam Buckley, resigned on the last day of the Dublin Horse Show in August after dissension over the handling of the selection of the four team members for the Aga Khan Cup. The controversies are unlikely to enhance chances of increased funding when Equestrian Federation of Ireland representatives meet the Irish Sports Council next month. Show jumping received almost €200,000 in Sports Council grants this year.