Kelly back as SJAI director general

Show jumping, which hit one of the lowest ebbs in the history of the sport in Ireland last week with the resignation of more than half of the executive and the national chairman of the governing body, clawed its way back from the brink last night when a three-hour meeting in Dublin restored some order at the helm and brought Tony Kelly back as director general.

The Show Jumping Association of Ireland (SJAI) had been under threat of disintegration following first Kelly's resignation at the beginning of August, and then last week's departure of national chairman Bernie Brennan and 11 members of the executive.

The sport is also labouring under the shadow of an official inquiry into allegations of "competition irregularities" - polite parlance for fixing - at a £15,000 Grand Slam in Clare 10 days ago.

The remaining nine members of the executive met in the Irish Farm Centre last night in a last ditch attempt to put the SJAI back on track before tomorrow's crunch meeting between the chairman of the Irish Sports Council (ISC), John Treacy, and Ned Campion, secretary general of the Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) and the man in charge of the Clare inquiry.

Ado Kenny, who held the national chair between 1989 and 1991, has again been called on to take up the reins, with the new Leinster region chairman, Gerry Thompson, elected as national vice-chairman.

In his new role, Kenny issued a four-paragraph statement early this morning. He announced that the executive had been supplemented by additional members elected from the regional committees to provide the necessary quorum and, once business was back on a democratic footing, had immediately moved to reinstate Kelly as director general in response to the overwhelming vote in favour of his return at the a.g.m. at the end of September.

Kenny said after last night's meeting that the atmosphere had been congenial throughout. "There was consensus on everything," he said, "not an argument in sight and we hope that's the way it's going to stay."

The official statement ended on an upbeat note. "We confidently expect that 1999 will be a good year for the association, not just in financial terms, but more importantly on the show jumping front."

Kelly's return to the fold will be welcomed by the grass-roots members who flocked in their hundreds to the a.g.m. to pledge their support for the former director general. The new executive obviously also has faith in Kelly and his ability to put the SJAI house back in order, but the reshuffle has been achieved only in the nick of time.

Campion is to meet Treacy at the ISC's offices in Fitzwilliam Square at noon tomorrow. Although the meeting was originally called to finalise details of a carding system to agree funding levels for elite athletes, both sides had confirmed that the problems within the SJAI would be discussed.

In a further show of solidarity from the EFI, the umbrella body that covers all branches of equestrian sport, a two-paragraph statement was issued last night by the EFI's executive committee in which it was stated that the EFI is "anxious to offer its services in any way it can . . . with a view to seeking a resolution of outstanding matters".