DRESSAGE
Horse Sport Ireland’s Dressage High Performance Director (HPD) Johann Hinnemann has taken the decision not to nominate a Dressage team to OFI for the Tokyo Olympics. This decision was taken as several key members of the Irish team that had qualified for the Games are unfortunately no longer available for selection due to a combination of horse retirement, veterinary and medical reasons.
In consideration of the remaining qualified combinations, the Dressage High Performance Director, Johann Hinnemann (“the HPD”) reviewed his Olympic Nominations Policy for Dressage as against the combinations available. Director Hinnemann advised the Board that two combinations have not met the specific criteria as set by the HPD, and as such, the HPD is not in a position to nominate these combinations. The resulting consequence being a team of three athlete/horse combinations cannot be fulfilled.
The Board of Horse Sport Ireland has decided, following careful deliberation, to accept the technical guidance of the HPD and formally withdraw the IRL Dressage Team quota allocation with the National Olympic Federation, and our international federation, the FEI. This difficult decision was founded on rational performance considerations and an informed technical position of our retained Dressage expert Johann Hinnemann.
Horse Sport Ireland understands that the IRL qualified combinations will be eligible pursuant to the reallocation of individual quota places, and that one individual Olympic quota place may be offered to IRL. Horse Sport Ireland understands that a final decision on the of reallocation of individual places will be known later this week. If this is the case, Horse Sport Ireland intends to avail of this position.
