As the horse world prepares for the biggest week in the Irish equestrian calendar, Irish show jumping was thrown into turmoil yesterday when the director general of the sport's governing body tendered his resignation.
Mr Tony Kelly, who has been director general of the Show Jumping of Ireland Association of Ire- land (SJAI) since April 1992, resigned at lunchtime yesterday, stating that his position had been rendered untenable following a "false and malicious campaign of rumour and innuendo orchestrated against me".
"Without the pressure and, with hindsight, obviously I may have done things differently," Mr Kelly said last night, "but I haven't taken a penny. If I had I wouldn't still be fighting all this."
No annual accounts for the SJAI have been filed with the Companies Office since 1990. Accountants Deloitte and Touche were in the SJAI offices in Ballsbridge in April to carry out the annual audit.
Mr Kelly, who had been on extended sick leave, agreed to meet a four-man standing committee to discuss the accounts. A meeting took place at the Deloitte and Touche offices in Dublin's Earlsfort Terrace on July 10th, when it was agreed Mr Kelly should be invited back to the SJAI offices to work on the 1997 draft accounts and answer queries relating to them.
The association chairman, Ms Bernie Brennan, declined to comment on yesterday's developments, other than stating: "I am precluded from discussing the matter of Tony Kelly's employment until it is formally resolved." She did go on to say: "The timing is unfortunate, but it's an internal matter and we're working towards sorting it out. The association is going to come out of this and the association is going to survive."
Mr Kelly's departure on the eve of the Kerrygold Horse Show could not have come at a worse time.
But for Horse Show week at least it will be business as usual for Mr Kelly as he fills his dual role as judge and commentator from his traditional chair in the international judges' box at Ballsbridge today.
