Macken 'only man' for team, says Marshall

There were further calls yesterday for Eddie Macken to take over the reins of the Irish showjumping team.

There were further calls yesterday for Eddie Macken to take over the reins of the Irish showjumping team.

Harry Marshall, who was controversially dropped from last week's Aga Khan Cup team and has now stated that he will not ride on a team with Cian O'Connor, told The Irish Times yesterday that Macken would be the only man who could persuade him to jump on an Irish team again.

"I'd only come back if there was a good man at the helm," Marshall said yesterday.

"If you want the best thing for the team you need the right man at the helm. There's only one man strong enough, knowledgeable enough and who'd command enough respect and that's Eddie Macken. Eddie has to be in total charge."

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Marshall has also stated that he would not work with the current selection panel.

Two selectors - riders' representative Tom Slattery and Liam Buckley of the Leinster region - resigned at a meeting in the RDS on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, it is believed that approaches are being made to try to lure Jessica Kürten back to the Irish team.

Kürten, who has also said she will not ride on a team with O'Connor following the positive dope test on Waterford Crystal, pulled out of last week's Dublin Horse Show.

Like Marshall, Kürten refused to put her name forward for selection for the Aachen Super League show in Germany at the end of the month.

Eddie Macken said on Monday he would take over the Irish team if the current selection panel resigned.

He also said that he would be able to get both Kürten and Marshall back on the Irish team. "But they'll all have to make compromises," Macken said yesterday.