Sir Anthony O'Reilly, speaking publicly for the first time about the positive dope test controversy surrounding Olympic show jumping champion Cian O'Connor, told The Irish Times yesterday that he continued to support his godson, writes Grania Willis, Equestrian Correspondent.
After the Eircom annual general meeting in Dublin yesterday, Sir Anthony said: "I continue to support Cian O'Connor, as I'm sure the rest of the country does, and hope that his position will be vindicated by the process that is now under way."
Sir Anthony said he had great sympathy for the rider and his family. "I believe that Cian is going to continue to prove his innocence," he added.
Waterford Crystal, which tested positive for a prohibited substance in a sample taken immediately after the gold medal-winning performance in Greece, is owned jointly by Independent News and Media and Waterford Crystal.
Funding for equestrian sports was at an all-time high in the build-up to the Athens Olympics and the Irish Sports Council's input seemed to be more than vindicated when O'Connor took gold in the individual show jumping final.
However, the chief executive of the Sports Council, Mr John Treacy, refused to be drawn yesterday on the possibility that a confirmatory positive analysis of Waterford Crystal's B sample could result in reduced funding for equestrian sports.
"There's a process to be completed and, in fairness to everyone involved, the Sports Council has to wait for that process to be completed," Mr Treacy said.
Meanwhile, following questions in the media this week about rapping - the practice of sensitising horses' legs to make them jump higher - the Irish Council Against Blood Sports has called on the Minister for Agriculture to launch an investigation into all aspects of the sport horse industry.
In a statement yesterday from the council's spokeswoman, Ms Aideen Yourell, it called for an "exhaustive" investigation to be launched by Minister for Agriculture, Ms Coughlan, who has responsibility for animal-welfare legislation.
The statement expressed particular concern about the use of the "cruel and abusive" practice of rapping.