The chairman of the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) judicial committee, which will be hearing the Waterford Crystal doping case against Athens Olympic gold medallist Cian O'Connor, is still pushing to have the case heard in mid-February, despite objections from O'Connor's legal team.
"I am still hopeful and still trying to inflict as much pressure as possible to try and hold the hearing on one of the original dates proposed, either February 17th or 18th," Mr Ken Lalo told The Irish Times.
Five dates have so far been proposed by the FEI, but still no agreement has been reached on either a date or a venue for the hearing.
A further proposal to hold the hearing over two days and to take testimony by conference call from witnesses unable to attend in person has also failed to meet with agreement from the O'Connor side.
One of the chief stumbling blocks to agreeing a date is that Cian O'Connor's vet, Mr James Sheeran, is leaving the country for three weeks' holiday today.
"At least one judicial committee member has changed his holiday plans, and I've also changed some business meetings to facilitate those dates," said Mr Lalo.
O'Connor's solicitor, Mr Andrew Coonan, has also informed the FEI that neither he nor his senior counsel, Mr Michael Collins, will be available for the mid-February dates either.
"I expect further correspondence is likely to go out today to request that one of the dates be chosen," said Mr Lalo.
"If that is not possible, and if we are satisfied that there are real objective reasons, then we will have to suggest other dates.
"I think it's likely to last a full day but, to be on the safe side, I have suggested that the judicial committee members make themselves available for two days," he added.