Olympic selection dispute

HEIKE HOLSTEIN, who made her debut on the international dressage circuit only last season, has been selected to fill the single slot available to Ireland at the Atlanta Olympics. It is the first time that the Irish Dressage Society has been forced into making an official selection, and the announcement of the 24-year-old Carbury, Co Kildare, rider as the sole dressage representative in Atlanta has already caused controversy following Anna Merveldi's win in the Arnhem Grand Prix Speciale yesterday.

Merveldt, also from Kildare and similarly based in Germany, qualified for Atlanta last year and earned Ireland's one Olympic slot by finishing sixth in the World Equestrian Games in the Hague two years ago. Her horse, Rousseau, seemed to have lost form in Wiesbaden last month, but was second in Friday's Grand Prix at Arnhem and went on to win the Speciale.

The selectors, who were nominated only this month specifically to solve the Olympic dispute, named Holstein due to her "steady, improving and, consistent performances with Ballaseyr Devereaux, which was bought for a reputed $1 million last year. An appeal has been lodged, however, in an attempt to get a second place granted to Ireland so that Merveldt will also be able to travel to Atlanta.

Holstein's brother, Eric, who broke into the international show jumping ranks last year and put up a show at Hickstead earlier this month, slotted into second place with Ballaseyr Kalosha in the Bartons Transport Grand Prix at Hawthorn Farm yesterday, when the honours went to Will Hayes and Solas Realta with the only double clear round.

Tom Slattery, who has led the Heineken league rankings since the start of the season, maintained his advantage in spite of a stop at the third fence in the first round with the stallion Coille Mor Hill. But his nearest rival, Conor Swail, edged closer when finishing third and fourth in the four-horse jump-off and is now within six points of the top.

On the international circuit, the Irish team finished third in the San Marino Nations Cup at the Pavarotti International, headed by Britain and Switzerland. First round clears from Marion Hughes (Flo Jo) and Friday's Grand Prix winners, Trevor Coyle and the stallion Cruising, kept the Irish well in touch in joint-second with the Swiss at the halfway stage. But none of the quartet were clear at the second attempt to slide down to third in the eight-nation contest.