Former International Olympic Committee vice-president John Coates
© Getty Images/The Australian
The national authority that runs equestrian sports is facing an internal revolt over rider safety, accusations of conflicts of interest and multiple pending legal actions.
The crisis has prompted Olympics supremo John Coates to issue a stark warning to the international equestrian authority that the future of the sport hangs in the balance.
The internal revolt came to a head last week at Equestrian Australia’s annual general meeting in Sydney when simmering tensions — including over a perceived lack of action to make the sport safer in the wake of the deaths of Olivia Inglis and Caitlyn Fisher in 2016 — caused representatives from five states to call for the resignations of chair Judy Fasher and two directors.
The sport’s elite performance has declined dramatically in the past two decades. Australia’s equestrians failed to win a gold medal in the past four Olympics, a dramatic fall from four gold medals across three Games between 1992 and 2000.
Tensions have also erupted over the installation of three “ineligible” board directors and the body’s controversial and short-lived $50,000 sponsorship deal with Hendra virus vaccine-maker Zoetis.
Mr Coates, a former International Olympic Committee vice-president, emailed the international governing body of the sport last week, warning of the crisis it faces and cautioning it against sanctioning any breakaway body that might emerge from the fighting…
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Source: The Australian
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