Ireland awoke this morning, Tuesday, 2nd November, 2004, to news that the Equestrian Federation of Ireland offices had been broken into overnight.

This burglary may not have any connection to the disappearance of Waterford Crystal's B test sample but there is definitely room for a "conspiracy theory" as it took place immediately after the announcement of the missing sample - it would appear that the two events may well be connected. A burglary at an Equestrian Federation office would hardly seem to net the thief money, drugs or goods of monetary value which would almost certainly rule out the "usual" reasons for a breakin.

The presumption would be that "someone" was looking for some sort of documentation but EFI spokesman, Colin McClelland has been quoted saying " "The only documentation that is in there is something that Cian O'Connor and his solicitors would have copy of." and this would seem to rule out Cian O'Connor as a suspect surely.

Cian is making no public statement at this time but those close to him say that he just wants all this brought to it's "proper" conclusion as with the B sample now missing his chance to prove his innocence seems to have gone out the door.

With all that has transpired so far, the Irish Showjumping community, along with the Irish public have gone into shock - after the elation of the only Gold medal in Athens and the celebrations which greeted Cian on his arrival home people are now left with a nasty feeling about it all since the positive A sample was announced for Waterford Crystal with the follow up announcement that another of Cian's horses, ABC Landliebe had also tested positive to the same substance in Rome and the questions which had to be asked. Cian and his vet James Sheeran explained what had been administered and when. Things went quiet as the showjumping community waited to hear the results of the B sample but now events appear to be unfolding which would make an excellent new Jilly Cooper novel perhaps.

As the EFI offices are cordoned off by the Police this morning, little information is filtering through but the "word on the street" is that everyone is very confused by the turn of events of the past 24 hours and one of the rumours which is being suggested is:

The FEI testing was somehow faulty and there should actually never have been a positive received on the original sample which suggests that someone in "head office" is doing some quick protection work. If the B sample did prove that the testing procedure had been tuned in too finely to show up what was in fact a residual amount from months prior then there will be some serious questions asked. Nobody is suggesting that this was done to "get Cian" but that it was a mistake, which once announced was difficult to go back on.

There is no doubt that showjumping is currently in turmoil worldwide and there are many questions being asked with very few answers forthcoming right now - the reports worldwide of the "cruel practices" in the sport have made headlines world wide and I am still of the, perhaps niave, opinion that it is only a few rotten apples who take these options and that the majority of showjumpers from the ground level through to the elite of the elite do not condone or make use of these practices.

The talk of the doping of horses is again another discussion which is obviously happening at every gathering of equestrian folk world wide - and right from the beginning of this debacle many vets have said that if they tune the testing procedures so finely then it will be impossible to have proper and correct management of horses as you will not be able to treat horses for anything for fear of producing a positive test months later.

Surely a young man who has so carefully planned his rise to the top and his bid to represent his country at Olympic levels would not be so foolish as to make the "mistake" of administering a substance which would test positive at the Games - every rider is aware of the fact that there is random swabbing and they might be the "one" tested and so I would highly doubt anyone would take that risk at the ultimate event of a lifetime.

Whatever the final outcome is and with whatever the next turn of events is there are many questions which have to be answered and for the sake of the sport of showjumping, they need to be answered quickly.