Irish dressage riders Dane Rawlins and James Connor are now taking their legal challenge to Sport Ireland, the nation’s over-arching body. It follows a confusing 24 hours after both sides announced the independent arbitrator found in their favour regarding Horse Sport Ireland’s (HSI) decision not to send a full dressage team to the Olympic Games.
Ireland qualified an Olympic dressage team for the first time but three top-scoring riders dropped out earlier this month, and on the eve of nominated entries last week, HSI announced that the team place would be handed back, and only Heike Holstein would go to Tokyo, as an individual.
Connor and Rawlins, who were qualified and keen to make up a team with Holstein, lodged an appeal. That hearing took place on Monday before arbitrator Dermot Kelly SC.