Equestrian Sport: Ireland's only eventing World Cup qualifier is in serious jeopardy after massive withdrawals from the cross-country phase at Ballindenisk in Co Cork on Sunday sparked calls for an investigation into the ground conditions.
Eventing Ireland, the national governing body for the sport, sent out a press statement yesterday morning expressing concern at the level of withdrawals and promising an internal investigation into the circumstances that resulted in just nine of 32 starters in the World Cup class running across country.
"It is most upsetting that one of our international events has ended in such controversial circumstances", the statement declared. "There is an obvious need for appropriate follow-up."
Eventing Ireland are to request sighting of official reports that will be filed to the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) within the next two weeks and will then hold their own internal investigation.
Catrin Norinder, director of the FEI's eventing and Olympic departments in Lausanne, said yesterday she was taking the matter very seriously.
Norinder said: "We will have to review all the different elements and see where we go from there, but if there is a problem we would have to consider cancelling the World Cup qualifier at Ballindenisk.
"All the World Cup qualifiers have to be of a certain standard and we are going to take a much stronger standpoint on qualifiers in the future", she told The Irish Timesyesterday.
The World Cup qualifier was not the only competition hit by withdrawals at Ballindenisk over the weekend. In total, 62 of 157 horses that started in the four classes did not run across country.
Eddy Stibbe, due to ride for the Dutch Antilles but who pulled out because of injury, is expected to write a formal letter of complaint about the ground conditions to the FEI.
The Eventing Ireland statement itself has caused controversy, with some members of the society's board of directors expressing their concern that it was issued without the approval of the full board.
It is known that Eventing Ireland chairman Neil Morris contacted chief executive Brian Mangan to discuss the matter and Eventing Ireland president Lord Carew was also informed before the statement being sent to the media.
"We worked night and day trying to improve the ground", event director Joyce Fell said yesterday, "but have we ever had five weeks of no rain in April? And a lot of the riders withdrew because they're heading for Badminton."
Fell reported that world and European champion Zara Phillips, who finished fifth in the Ballindenisk World Cup qualifier, had made no complaints about the footing. And Heidi Woodhead, who won the feature Irish Horse Board-sponsored class with her 12-year-old horse, The Biz, was another rider who didn't feel there was a problem with the footing.
"Yes, it was firm ground, but they worked through the night with the aerovator", Woodhead said after her 10,000 victory. "A lot of people pulled their horses out, but that was their own decision."
Stephanie von Schilcher, one of the ground jury judging at Ballindenisk, was sympathetic to the organisers. "It's a good idea to have an investigation, but let's not forget that the Fells have a farming operation going as well", she said. "For people like the Fells, there is a life apart from eventing."
