Equestrian News: The Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) have vetoed attempts by the Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) to retain Tommy Wade as chef d'equipe to the Irish team and, during a marathon, seven-and-a-half hour meeting put Colonel Ned Campion into the role.

Olympic Council of Ireland president Pat Hickey gave full approval to yesterday's move by the EFI. "We are very happy with the resolution to have Ned Campion back in the saddle," he said last night.

The decision reversed the unanimous agreement reached at an emergency executive meeting of the SJAI on Monday night, when the June 8th sacking of Eddie Macken as team trainer was ruled to have "no effect".

Similarly, the June 15th a.g.m. at which a vote of no confidence in the selectors was passed by SJAI members, who also vetoed in favour of bringing Macken back as trainer and as chef d'equipe, was also ruled to have no effect.

Despite objections from the SJAI national chairman, Charles Hanley, the EFI executive yesterday voted to bring in Colonel Campion as chef d'equipe and leave the selection of a trainer for the Olympic team to Campion, Olympic equestrian team manager John Ledingham and the riders themselves.

The SJAI had faxed a letter to Macken in Vancouver on Monday night after the emergency executive meeting, stating that the decision reached at the June 8th selectors' meeting and the two a.g.m. proposals had had no effect and that Macken's role as appointed trainer of the show jumping team was therefore still intact. In a peace offering presumably designed to prevent Macken continuing with legal action against the SJAI, the executive also offered Macken a vote on team selection.

However, Hanley said last night that, in several telephone conversations with Macken during yesterday's EFI meeting, the Longford-born show jumper said that he could not work with Wade. As a result, the EFI agreed that, in the interests of the sport, they would go with Colonel Campion as chef d'equipe.

Whatever the objections from the show jumping world, as the governing body of equestrian sport in Ireland the EFI is empowered to overrule SJAI selections.

The preparation, selection and organisation of all teams and individual riders for all international events is the responsibility of the EFI, not the SJAI, and, although the EFI may previously have been seen merely as an organisation that rubber-stamps selections, yesterday's meeting proved that the federation still has claws.

Neither Macken nor Wade were available for comment last night.