Hickey hints equestrian sport could be dropped

Pat Hickey: 'snide remarks from my colleagues, saying that Ireland is at it again.'

EQUESTRIAN: EQUESTRIAN SPORT will be fighting for its Olympic life when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) meet this time next year. Following the drug scandal in Athens involving Ireland's Cian O'Connor and this week's positive tests from four horses, including Denis Lynch's Lantinus, Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) president Pat Hickey has said the sport is now "in the red zone" with regard to its inclusion in Olympic Games.

Hickey, who is also president of the European Olympic Committees, a powerful voting block including all of the European nations, added there were fundamental issues the sport had yet to iron out.

"There are a lot of problems occurring. I'm in no doubt," said Hickey.

"I'm appalled that this is happening in this sport. But there seems to be something wrong in the equestrian movement and they just have to get their act together. This sport could be in very serious difficulties for next year's vote, whether they remain on the programme or not."

In 12 months' time the 114 IOC members will meet to decide which sports will be part of games and which will fall out to create the vacancies.

Already he and other voting members are being vigorously lobbied by the sports that want to be included.

"Make no mistake, the lobbying for this is as big a lobby as the one for the venue for the 2016 Games. The old sports are lobbying to stay in and the new ones are lobbying to be included. Rugby Sevens has been extremely active, and so has golf. This is a big deal for the sports."

Between now and the voting, every IOC member will receive an outline of how each sport has performed. The assessment will look at everything from spectators to drugs issues to the quality of the venue.

"I am going to have a look at this (doping scandal) with my European hat on," added Hickey.

"I have called for an investigation into what happened for September. We want to get the opinions of the countries that are affected, because there are three others involved. We want to cut this dead.

"I am deeply ashamed of what happened. In my IOC hotel I have even been subjected to snide remarks from my colleagues saying that Ireland is at it again."

The chief executive of Horse Sport Ireland, Damian McDonald, said he hoped the sport would not come under pressure for its place on the Olympic schedule and reaffirmed they had told the truth at the hour-long tribunal hearing, which took place in Hong Kong on Thursday.

"We didn't ring a lawyer or a high-powered PR person," said McDonald. "We just went in to tell the truth. The issue now is how the FEI (International Equestrian Federation) view the case Denis (Lynch) has made. He left the tribunal, got the product and put it on the table for them to see.

"I'd be naïve to say there are not issues. Four riders were not allowed to ride in an Olympic final and now, sitting where I am in Hong Kong, it is difficult to imagine anything worse. We are on our knees here.

"Yesterday was very, very bad. But the challenge is for everybody to restore confidence in the sport. Obviously we'd like to see show jumping remains as an Olympic sport.

"Would I be afraid? I'd be concerned. But leaving the sport out of the Olympics would be a mistake."

Hickey also criticised the federation for the way he said they had reported the unfolding of the events to the OCI, and the fact the council were left in the dark about what was happening.

"They reported that there was a problem with horse and rider and that they were going into a meeting," said Hickey.

"They said that they would be back to us and we haven't heard since. Our chef de mission, Dermot Henihan, rang them (Irish equestrian management) 15 or 20 times."

McDonald said he was bemused by that account and was at a loss to understand that version of events, adding that within minutes of knowing there was a problem he had sent a text to Henihan and kept him fully informed.

"Any chance I got I spoke to them (OCI)," he said. "I'm bemused by it. I can't understand it."

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times