Show Jumping News: James Kernan, a member of the late 1970s Dream Team that won three consecutive Aga Khan Cups between 1977 and 1979, and fellow former Olympian Tommy Brennan were named yesterday as the advisors to the Equestrian Federation of Ireland's (EFI) new jumping committee.
The committee, which has responsibility for senior and developmental team selection - a role previously under the remit of the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) - was established at the end of February when John Ledingham was announced as chairman.
A week later, Robert Splaine was named as manager of the senior show jumping team and, in that capacity, was also drafted onto the new EFI committee.
The two newcomers announced yesterday now complete the complement.
Irish Sports Council chairman Ossie Kilkenny spoke to The Irish Times after yesterday's meeting.
"It's time to leave the factional elements behind and put the sport first," he said, referring to the controversies that dogged the sport last season.
"If the riders have an agenda which doesn't put the sport first, their ability to perform will be diluted.
"There have been a lot of very tough decisions in the past months that have been unpopular and unpalatable in many quarters, but it's time to move forward now," he continued.
EFI president Charles Powell was also keen to look to the future rather than at the past, urging members of the press "to resist the temptation to pick holes in the fabric of the sport".
He went on to describe the new committee members' combined experience as "perhaps unrivalled" in the history of Irish show jumping.
Ledingham expressed himself delighted to be working with what he termed "such a talented group", prior to announcing the nine long-listed riders for the first Samsung Super League in La Baule at the beginning of next month (May 4th-7th).
They are: Shane Breen, Captain Shane Carey, Harry Marshall, Conor Swail, Cian O'Connor, Denis Lynch, Marie Burke, Peter Charles and Edward Doyle.
A squad of eight riders was also named for the non-Super League Nations Cup meeting in Copenhagen (May 11th-14th).
A notable absentee from the La Baule panel is Jessica Kürten. The world number two will be competing at the World Cup finals in Kuala Lumpur the weekend before La Baule and will not be back in time to travel to the French fixture.
Kürten has, however, assured team manager Robert Splaine that she will be available for selection this season, with the World Equestrian Games in Aachen at the end of August as the main goal.
Irish Sports Council chief executive John Treacy met the members of the jumping committee after yesterday's announcement, immediately before the full committee held its first meeting.
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