It seems that the return of Cian O\’Connor, the Irish show jumper who earned individual gold at the Athens Olympics but then had his medal stripped when his horse, Waterford Crystal, tested positive for restricted medications, has created quite a domestic kerfuffle. After relinquishing his gold medal, O\’Connor served a three-month suspension that ended in early July, returning to international competition on July 17. Then, he and Waterford Crystal were fifth at a grand prix in Germany.

So the Irish team selectors named O\’Connor to the team for the Samsung Super League Nations Cup at Hickstead on July 28. Promptly, Irish rider Jessica Kurten—also named to the Irish team at Hickstead—declined to compete there, claiming she wouldn\’t ride on a team with O\’Connor. At Hickstead, O\’Connor turned in clear and nine-fault rounds on Waterford Crystal, while the Irish finished a respectable fourth. Shane Breen, David Quigley and Denis Lynch joined O\’Connor on that team.

And then more controversy erupted at the Dublin CSIO last week. Harry Marshall (who rides Ado Annie\-he former mount of the U.S. rider Will Simpson) claims that he was originally named to the Irish team for Dublin\’s Super League Nations Cup, but then removed from it following an intervention from O\’Connor. Marshall now states he\’ll never compete on an Irish team alongside O\’Connor.

In a report on RTE.com (Radio Telefis Eireann), Marshall is quoted as saying, “They told me at 6 o\’clock I was on the team, and they told me at 7 o\’clock I wasn\’t.”

The claim prompted a response from the Equestrian Federation of Ireland\’s president, Avril Doyle. After regretting Marshall\’s decision to avoid Irish teams, the press release states, “This comes at a time when Ireland faces possible relegation from the Super League, with the serious implications this has for all our top riders and for the industry in Ireland, and when every rider and horse is needed to strengthen our teams.”

The fallout continued on Aug. 8, when two Irish team selectors resigned. Tom Slattery and Liam Buckley quit after a meeting to discuss the controversy. According to RTE.com, Slattery questioned Irish chef d\’equipe, Eamon Rice, about dropping Marshall from the Dublin team, and Rice claimed to not remember the incident. Slattery resigned immediately.

Doyle has pledged a full review of team selection following the conclusion of the Super League Nations Cup season at Barcelona (Spain) in September. Ireland is standing seventh in the eight-team Super League, 2 points ahead of the Netherlands.