Irish show jumping, which was dragged under the critical spotlight of the international media in August when the governing body's director general resigned on the eve of the Kerrygold Horse Show, has been plunged back into turmoil following the departure of both the chairman and more than half of the national executive committee yesterday morning, just hours before the three-day indoor international fixture at Millstreet got under way.
Bernie Brennan, who became the Show Jumping Association of Ireland's first female chair in January, issued a four-paragraph statement yesterday announcing her immediate resignation and that 11 of the 20-member executive had also resigned their posts.
Departing simultaneously with Brennan are four of the five Leinster region representatives on the national executive, including vicechairman Michael Hutchinson and three other Leinster members, four northern region representatives and three from Connacht, all of whom have been supporters of Bernie Brennan during the recent upheaval.
There are now just nine members of the executive left, but the SJAI constitution states that a full quorum of 11 must be in attendance at all meetings before any executive business can be conducted.
An emergency meeting of the remaining executive has been called for Tuesday next and it has been suggested that other members will be co-opted on to the committee under the chairmanship of Ado Kenny, former national chairman between 1989 and 1991 who is currently serving as chairman of the Connacht region.
Meanwhile, show jumping's governing body remains without a ruling hand and there can be no doubt that yesterday's mass resignations, following on from the months of controversy within the association, could do untold damage to the sport. The SJAI is by far the largest of the 14 bodies affiliated to the Equestrian Federation of Ireland, the umbrella organisation for all horse activities. The EFI receives funding directly from the Irish Sports Council, with Government funding for equestrian sport totalling £200,000 this year. The SJAI, which has six representatives on the EFI board, received £53,000 in the annual disbursement from the Federation.
The resignations come hot on the heels of another potential controversy following the EFI announcement that it is to launch an official inquiry into alleged "competition irregularities" in last week's Scariff Grand Prix, which formed the second leg of the £15,000 Grand Slam at the East Clare venue.
The SJAI has now put its accounts back on a legal footing, having lodged audited accounts for the years up to and including 1997 with the Companies Office just before the September 30th deadline. But there are still unanswered questions hanging over last year's figures and the Sports Council could well withhold further funding until the SJAI has its house in order.
