Robert Splaine has been reappointed as the high performance manager for Ireland’s showjumping team.

Mr Splaine had previously held the position for seven years running up to the 2012 Olympics. The role was advertised in December and after two rounds of interviews Mr Splaine was reappointed.

The news was confirmed after a Horse Sport Ireland board meeting last night (Tuesday 12 February).

“Robert demonstrated great desire for the role and he had a very clear plan for the team,” said Horse Sport Ireland chairman Pat Wall.

“There were other very strong candidates who were very impressive through the process.”

Mr Splaine added: “It is a huge honour to be reappointed to this position. Great success has been achieved by the team in recent years and I was proud to play my part in bringing home the first Olympic showjumping medal to Ireland [Cian O’Connor’s bronze in Greenwich].

“I look forward to working closely with Horse Sport Ireland, the riders and the owners to achieve our shared goals.”

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Two of the top jobs in Irish horse sport are up for grabs.

Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) has announced that the positions of team manager for Ireland’s senior showjumping and eventing teams will be advertised shortly.

Robert Splaine has been showjumping manager since 2005 and Ginny Elliot has been eventing coach since 2008.

Chairman of HSI, Joe Walsh, said: “Showjumping manager Robert Splaine and eventing manager Ginny Elliot have both achieved excellent results for Irish equestrian sport.

“However, in the interest of transparency and fairness the board is of the view that an open recruitment competition should be held for these important positions.”

Ginny told H&H: “A huge amount of progress has been made in the last four years and I am very grateful for all the support and commitment given by the riders and owners to achieve the improvements to date.

“The team finished fifth at the London Games with three riders in the individual final, a fantastic result exceeding all targets that were set.

“I have no doubt further progress can be made and I look forward to setting out my plans for the future.”

Both coaches’ contracts expire on 31 December.

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Ireland’s riders delighted the crowd by winning the FEI Nations Cup at the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show, the Aga Khan, this afternoon – the first time the home side has won since 2004.

“I’m over the moon, it’s fantastic,” said chef d’equipe Robert Splaine. “We wanted it so much for the crowd. We wanted to jump clears and give them something to cheer about.”

Clem McMahon led the effort, achieving two clears with his mother Maureen’s eight-year-old Pacino, while Richie Maloney had just one time-fault in the first round, but was otherwise fault-free on Ahorn Van De Zuuthoeve.

Darragh Kerins also provided a first-round clear and the team led at the halfway stage on a score of one, discarding four faults from anchorman Cian O’Connor, riding his London Olympic individual bronze medallist Blue Loyd 12.

In the second round, Cian was not required to jump again because Darragh’s four added to Clem and Richie’s zeros left Ireland out in front.

Many of these riders rode in 12.2hh classes at Dublin and admitted they were fulfilling a childhood dream by winning the Aga Khan.

France finished second, their assault spearheaded by a double clear from Roger Yves Bost (Nippon D’Elle), while Britain moved up from fourth after round one to take third.

Olympic reserve Tina Fletcher jumped two clears on Hello Sailor, while John Whitaker (Argento) and Nick Skelton (Carlo 273) both provided one. And Robert Smith gave a counting score in both rounds with a single fence down in each on Voila IV, plus a time-fault in the first.

Germany finished last in Dublin, but still won the 2012 FEI Nations Cup League. Ireland finished third and Britain fourth, both well out of the normal “relegation zone” of the bottom two teams, although the Nations Cup format is changing next year so this may not apply.

Full report on Dublin in H&H out next Thursday, 23 August.

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Ireland’s showjumping team manager Robert Splaine has announced his squads for the FEI Nations Cup in La Baule, France (11 May) and the four-star Nations Cup in Lummen, Belgium (4 May).

The La Baule squad, from which four will be chosen, is Jessica Kurten, Denis Lynch, Cian O’Connor, Shane Sweetnam and Niall Talbot with horses to be announced shortly.

“We are back into a challenging year of Nations Cups and, while of course my priority has to be the selection of two horse and rider combinations to fill our individual Olympic slots in London, we are also one of the top eight teams in the world and we will be hoping to acquit ourselves well in the ‘super league’ once again,” said Robert Splaine.

“To get a good start, as we did last year, is a great thing and makes my job significantly easier, so that is what we will try to do. We certainly have more depth in Ireland now – more riders who are better mounted – but it’s a tough year with back-to-back shows. It takes a lot of planning!”

One notable absentee from the squad is Billy Twomey.

“Billy is an exceptional talent but, at this point in time, there are other combinations I wish to try out,” explained Robert. “Billy’s services will be needed and called upon in due course.”

The Lummen team is Shane Breen, Alexander Butler, Edward Doyle and Dermott Lennon.

“Lummen has traditionally been a good testing ground for combinations and I will be looking closely at the team there and at other four-star Nations Cups with the hope of moving some combinations up to the ‘super league’ as the year progresses,” said Robert.

With two individual Olympic places secured, Robert also has to make the decision as to which riders will represent their country in London.

“It’s still early days – obviously I have ideas but I will continue to monitor on an ongoing basis and my final decision will be made after Rotterdam,” said Robert.

“I absolutely want to make sure we have the two best riders to ensure Ireland has the best possible chance of an individual medal.”

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Irish showjumpoing team manager Robert Splaine will field a strong team tomorrow (Thursday) in the fifth leg of the FEI Nations Cup Superleague at Aachen in Germany.

The Irish team, which currently lies second in the competition, has been bolstered by US-based Shane Sweetnam.

Splaine this evening confirmed his team will jump in the following order:

Shane Breen/Carmena Z

Shane Sweetnam/Amaretto Darco

Denis Lynch/Lantinus

Billy Twomey/Tinka’s Serenade

The Irish squad has already notched up successes at Aachen this week, with Co Down’s Dermott Lennon winning the 90-starter opening competition on Tuesday with Judith Sossick’s Irish-bred Limmerick mare Loughview Lou Lou.

Cork’s Billy Twomey also picked up €8,000 for a runner-up place later in the night aboard Sue Davies’s chestnut mare Tinka’s Serenade.

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Horse Sport Ireland and Denis Lynch have confirmed that a meeting took place yesterday (28 February) in Dublin between Horse Sport Ireland, Denis Lynch and Team Ireland Equestrian Show Jumping Manager Robert Splaine.

A spokesman for HSI said: “Horse Sport Ireland and Denis Lynch are pleased to confirm that progress was made on all the issues raised and it is hoped that matters will be fully resolved shortly.”

In January Lynch threatened to leave the Irish team, citing irreconcilable differences with Mr Splaine.

But he has continued to ride under Irish colours.

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Irish showjumper Denis Lynch has quit the Irish team, blaming irreconcilable differences with team manager Robert Splaine.

Denis is now considering riding for Germany — where he has lived for the past 16 years.

Denis told the Irish Examiner newspaper: “The team must come first, not me, an individual, but if I cannot give the same commitment, there is no point in continuing.

“I have spoken with Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) and I don’t think we can achieve anything at the moment.

“The relationship between myself and Robert [Splaine] has broken down, but manager/athlete situations like these occur in all sports.

“I have to recognize our relationship is poor and this could definitely affect the team in the future. So I have to question my involvement.”

A spokesman for HSI told H&H: “It is our view that the appropriate way to resolve any issues which a rider may have with the management of any Irish equestrian team is for the rider to sit down with the team manager and discuss them face to face.

“In recent weeks Denis Lynch has repeatedly declined to do this, despite several proposals to this effect from Robert Splaine.”

He said that Mr Splaine, HSI chief executive Damian McDonald and chairman Joe Walsh had offered to visit Denis in Germany on 7 January but their overture had been refused.

“The offer to meet still stands,” said the HSI spokesman. “However, we want to make it clear that it is HSI’s prerogative to appoint the manager of the Irish showjumping team.

“In addition, any rider who wants to ride for Ireland must be willing to comply in full with HSI’s rules and code of conduct,” he added.

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