Sport

HSI will explore ‘all appeals mechanisms possible’ after missing out on Olympics

Initial appeal turned down after Cian O’Connor is distracted during round in Aachen

Cian O’Connor appeared on course to go clear with Good Luck at the European team show jumping championships in Aachen before a member of the arena party ran across his path and into the flower bed, putting the rider off his line and a rail fell. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho

Sat Aug 22 2015 - 00:56

Horse Sport Ireland are pursuing what they describe as “all appeals mechanisms available” in an attempt to salvage the showjumping team’s hopes of Rio Olympics qualification.

Ireland finished an agonising 0.380 penalties behind third and final Rio qualifiers Spain following a dramatic finale to the FEI European Championships team competition in Aachen, Germany on Friday night.

Britain and Switzerland secured the other two Rio tickets on offer, but controversy surrounded Ireland’s seventh-placed finish.

Cian O’Connor, Ireland’s third of four team riders, had jumped clear approaching the 11th fence, but a member of the arena staff then appeared to run in front of him, before leaping into a flowerbed to avoid horse and rider. O’Connor then had the next fence down.

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Had he completed a clear round, the London 2012 individual bronze medallist would have helped secure an Olympics place, especially as fourth team member Denis Lynch then left all the fences up.

O’Connor could be seen gesticulating angrily as he exited Aachen’s 44,000-capacity main arena on his somewhat inappropriately-named horse Good Luck.

While world champions Netherlands celebrated winning gold, with Germany finishing second, Switzerland third and Britain fourth, Ireland began an appeal process.

Damian McDonald, chief executive of Horse Sport Ireland, the national governing body for equestrian sport in Ireland, said in a statement: “We are very proud of the Irish team’s performance at the European Championships in Aachen.

“As regards the incident where an arena official ran in front of Cian O’Connor, causing interference, we will be pursuing this through all appeals mechanisms available to us within the rules of the international governing body, the Federation Equestre Internationale.”

There remained no news of an outcome as the clock ticked past midnight in Germany.

Ireland’s initial protest to the was rejected, but an appeal was then made to the appeal committee.

O’Connor was heavily involved in official Irish protestations after the competition, along with Ireland team manager Robert Splaine.

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