It has been no secret that Irish Showjumping has been in turmoil for all too long - they narrowly escaped relegation from the Samsung Super League after a year which has seen too much emphasis on politics and playground squabbling rather than an emphasis on the business of showjumping itself.

With Regional elections being blasted for being incorrect and some suggesting that the EFI should leave the SJAI to do their own thing the sport was going downhill fast - people were not keen to put their money into a sport which could not sort itself out and something had to be done.

The Irish Sports Council withdrew funding which saw panic spread throughout the sport and then the EFI made the best decision that could be made - they took back authority over showjumping!

Some in the sport seem unaware of the lines of communication and authority within the equestrian world and it is actually not that complicated - the International governing body of all equestrian sport, worldwide is the FEI (Federation Equestrian Internationale) who are based in Lausanne, Switzerland. Each participating country must have a National Equestrian Federation, which is a member nation of the FEI and it is this National Federation which is answerable to the FEI.

Many countries then decide to have individual sporting bodies within their own countries to govern individual disciplines but these sub-committees are still answerable to the National Federation who is then answerable to the International governing body.

The FEI have had their hands full in recent times with what can only be called the Athens Olympic Equestrian debacle, with dramas in all three disciplines and then the controversy over the Dressage Training method known as the Rollkur and they are no doubt now looking for a peaceful time where the purity and beauty of equestrian competition can again be the focus of the enthusiasts for a sport which has the welfare of the horse as the uppermost concern.

The first step in the rebuilding of Irish showjumping came around 10 days ago when Commandant John Ledingham was appointed Chairman of the newly formed Equestrian Federation of Ireland's (EFI) Jumping Committee.

This committee is to be made up of John Ledingham at the helm and he will have two advisors and a Team Manager to work with. Just days ago it was announced that Robert Splaine has been appointed Team Manager and so now we are waiting to hear who the two advisors will be to make up the full committee.

John Ledingham is a quietly spoken man, who has a way soothing wild waters and no doubt this is a skill which saw him as the logical choice for position of the Jumping committee Chairman - the riders, sponsors, owners and officials respect Ledingham as a man of integrity and this is very important in the aftermath of 2005 which saw accusations of favouritism and favours being hurled in many directions.

John, who is known by many as "Leds" has a competitive career which would be out of the reaches of most in their wildest dreams - 63 Nations Cup appearances representing Ireland in the khaki uniform of the Irish Army and a member of five winning Aga Khan teams, 3 World Championships appearances as well as 3 European Championships and an Olympic Games and still holding the record for 3 Hickstead Derby wins including Speed and Derby classes and add to this numerous International Grand Prix wins - so Leds is definitely a man who will have a working understanding of the riders and what they will go through as they work their way around the world representing Ireland.

Ledingham also understands the workings of committees having been the EFI High Performance Manager since 2003, the Irish Team Manager for all disciplines at the Athens Olympics 2004 and he is also heavily committed to the Irish National Coaching Scheme as the Chairman - all of which gives him a deep working knowledge of committees and their workings.

John has also been instrumental in raising the standard of the Junior and Young Riders in Ireland having been the Team Trainer for the Junior and Young Rider European Championships.

John - pictured left with Darragh Kenny at the 2005 Championships - is a favourite with the kids who enjoy his professionalism when coaching and his humour when dealing with the day to day dramas of riding for your country.

Both Splaine - pictured left - and Ledingham have represented their country at the highest levels and their passion for the sport is obvious and this is the most positive step Irish showjumping has seen for the sport which is seen by the Irish Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism as one of the "high profile sports where Ireland can compete successfully on the world stage".

With a wealth of exceptional riders, and with horses now coming through the ranks to the top level, Ireland should, with a strong management team running the sport, again return to their rightful position amongst the best in the world.

A further two appointments are yet to be made to the committee headed by John Ledingham and will be advisors to both John and Robert Splaine. They will be nominated by John in the very near future for the EFI's ratification - the sooner the committee is completed, the sooner the sport will be on its way to what will hopefully be a successful 2006 for Irish Showjumping.