As Dublin Horse Show closed it's gates for 2005, Irish Showjumping selectors met to discuss the Aachen round of the Samsung Super League Nations Cup team and who would represent Ireland.

Ireland have been hovering at the bottom of the 8 team league for most of the season, battling with the Netherlands, to avoid relegation to the Nations Cup League.

Since the shock positive drug test from O'Connor's Olympic mount, Waterford Crystal, after winning the Gold medal in Athens, and the consequent loss of the medal, Irish Showjumping has been plagued with intrigue, threats and public and private brawling between riders, officials and supporters.

Rumour of threats between riders, owners and officials were rife at Dublin Horse Show last week and the press have not been exempt from the threats and heavy handed tactics - this is not good news for the Irish in so many ways.

Monday's Irish Times newspaper headlined the front page with Grania Willis' exposé on the row raging over the selection for the Aga Khan Cup team on Thursday and RTE radio featured interviews with Harry Marshall and Taylor Vard on their 1pm news program today - the brawl is becoming increasingly public with all sides using the media to air their grievances and accusing their opponents of doing the same.

Cian O'Connor, through godfather Tony O'Reilly has the ear of the Irish Independent newspaper with those opposing O'Connor have been quoted in other media outlets - obviously all those involved in this mess are determined to get it out into the public arena and perhaps this is the only way for all the grievances to be dealt with openly and honestly.

The selection committee is made up of representatives of the four regions plus a Riders Representatives. On Sunday evening during the selectors meeting Tom Slattery, the Riders Representative and Liam Buckley, the Leinster Representative resigned and left the meeting mid way through. Tom Slattery is also the Team Trainer and at this stage no word has been heard as to whether he will continue in this position.

During the interview with RTE, Harry Marshall stated that he would "not jump on a team with Cian O'Connor nor with the current regime" as he is "uncomfortable being on a team with Cian". He talked of how the atmosphere was so good prior to Cian's return to International Showjumping during the time of his FEI imposed, 3 month ban and how it has deteriorated since Cian's inclusion on the Super League Teams.

Harry's anger was fueled to an all time high when he was asked at 6pm on Thursday (the evening prior to the Aga Khan Cup), by Chef d'Equip Eamon Rice, whether he minded jumping first and he stated that he had no problem whatever position he was to jump in - a question which clearly indicated that he was on the team. At 7pm, that same evening, he was told that he wasn't on the team "after the Army kicked up and Cian O'Connor said he wouldn't jump if Shane Carey wasn't on the team" and so he was dropped. Rice denied this was the case and stated that Harry was never on the team and that Shane was always on the team.

If it is as Eamon Rice stated then it seems strange indeed that Capt. Shane Carey, along with fellow officers Gerry O'Gorman and Gerry Flynn approached Taylor Vard and Liam Buckley at the Pocket Coffee Shop demanding an emergency meeting of the International selectors immediately declaring "I'm off the team!" according to Liam Buckley today.

The situation then escalated and reached unbelievable heights when personal security guards were called in to protect individual horses and Cian O'Connor employed a personal bodyguard - this situation was confirmed by Taylor Vard during his RTE radio interview.

Harry stated that he would not make himself available for selection for Aachen saying "if I wasn't good enough to jump in Dublin, how can they ask me to jump at Aachen where everything will be two holes higher?!"

During the RTE interview Taylor Vard was asked "why bring Cian O'Connor back into the team so quickly (after his ban concluded) when you are obviously losing top riders?" Taylor answered that Cian has done his time, his ban is up and he and Waterford Crystal are an important part of the team. In answer to whether O'Connors inclusion was "more important than the stability of the team", Vard answered that it was "only two riders who won't ride with him (O'Connor)."

Vard did offer some confusing discussion when he stated at one point that there were very few riders and horses for Ireland of the quality required for top level competition but then went on at a later stage to say that there were some 20 combinations at the required level - it would seem that the the problems which have been plaguing Irish Showjumping are far from over and are in fact only getting worse.

The brawling will surely be affecting sponsorship of events and riders themselves and will no doubt be affecting buyers decisions regarding Irish horses bought in Ireland.The discussion around the pocket in Dublin was that there were fewer buyers around than ever before and many wondered whether this was a direct result of the current lack of confidence in Irish horsemen and women - hopefully this is not the case!

Perhaps in an attempt to show a more palatable public view of Irish Showjumping the Irish Independent ran an interview with O'Connor in the business section of their Sunday edition on 7th August where the interview took the form of a question and answer fact sheet.

Cian talks of his first job at age 12 as an altar boy in Naas parish church and talks, in brief about his business dealings but perhaps the surprise question and answer was when he was asked what his greatest sporting moment was and he answered "winning the individual show jumping gold medal at the Athens Olympics" - perhaps a slightly indelicate question and answer in light of the current rows going on within the sport.

The Equestrian Federation of Ireland, in an attempt to play down the claims by Harry Marshall, issued a statement, released today,which said:

"The EFI greatly regrets the statement made by show jumper Harry Marshall that he will not jump on future Super League Irish Nations' Cup teams this season.

This comes at a time when Ireland faces possible relegation from the Samsung Super League, with the serious implications this has for all our top riders and for the industry in Ireland, and when every rider and horse is needed to strengthen our teams. It is not the responsibility of the individual riders to decide who does, or does not, jump on any of the senior teams.

Nor is it proper for a rider to withdraw their name from possible future selection if they are unhappy that they themselves were not selected for a particular team. This type of behaviour would make the sport ungovernable, were it allowed to continue."

The final International class at Dublin Horse Show, the Grand Prix, saw Shane Carey and Killossery listed but they did not start and Cian O'Connor and Waterford Crystal, although presumably qualified did not list for a start. Harry Marshall was the highest placed Irish rider taking his place in the top 8 lineup at presentation - he will definitely be missed at Aachen for the Samsung Super League Nations Cup class, as will Jessica Kurten!

The team for Aachen has been listed as Cian O'Connor, Capt. Shane Carey, Shane Breen, Billy Twomey and Marie Burke with John Ledingham as Chef d'Equip - no doubt Jessica Kurten and her husband Ekhardt will be in the stands watching the event with great interest!

Editors note: For the sake of the sport of showjumping worldwide, it would be best if this could be cleared up as quickly as possible ..............but sadly I believe it is far from over!

Regardless of who is telling the truth or who may be telling lies, the casualties in this maze of intrigue are the young riders who have their sights set on representing their country. From the time that Waterford Crystal and ABC Landliebe tested positive to banned substances, through the theft of urine samples, break ins at EFI offices and now the highly publicised loss of two of Ireland's best riders, the young riders we have spoken to in both Australia and Ireland have asked why they would bother working so hard to achieve elite status when it seems to them that it is not how good you are but how well connected you are - this is not good for the future of the sport.