TOP show jumpers from Ireland and all over the world have voiced their support for Greg Broderick and MHS Going Global in the wake of a pointedly critical article posted online about the Olympic pair and Horse Sport Ireland.

Olympic gold medal winner McLain Ward and Irish Nations Cup riders Billy Twomey and Shane Breen have joined a host of riders and show jumping fans at home and abroad to condemn the piece posted on Facebook by former Horse Sport Ireland press officer Colin McClelland.

Billy Twomey, Shane Breen, McLain Ward, Ger O’Neill, Albert Voorn, former Team Ireland vet Marcus Swail, Kevin Babington and Darragh Kerins are among the hundreds who have taken to social media to either condemn the article or voice their support for the Tipperary rider and his efforts at Rio 2016.

US Olympic gold medallist McLain Ward, who employs Broderick’s cousin Oliver McCarthy, wrote: “With no offence to any other Irish rider, I think Greg is a world class rider. Going Global is a horse any top rider would love to ride at a championships and their faults this week were very minor.

“I have no doubt Greg will be very successful in the future. Maybe the bigger problem is promoting articles like this instead of being a team. I for one respect Greg a great deal.”

Read Broderick’s feelings about his Olympic Games

ONLY IN IRELAND

US-based Irish show jumper Darragh Kerins wrote: “Only in Ireland would an article like this even be posted. Congrats to all who made it to Rio. Top job to Greg Broderick.”

A post on The Breen Team’s Facebook page read: “What an honour to have been part of Rio 2016 - it has been a great, great experience, watching the best athletes in the world performing at their very best. Greg Broderick and Going Global put up a sterling performance for our nation.

We sent a horse and rider combination to the Olympics that should make Ireland proud - proud to nurture such a talented rider, proud to produce such an outstanding horse

“We sent a horse and rider combination to the Olympics that should make Ireland proud - proud to nurture such a talented rider, proud to produce such an outstanding horse, and proud to represent a country that consistently fields world class teams who are respected and admired by fellow riders and competitors and the equestrian community at large.

“Well done to Greg, to your whole team and to Robert Splaine. We have never looked stronger as a team so let's get together in striving for great results in Barcleona and at next year's European Championships.”

ON FORM

Florida-based New Zealand show jumper Sharn Wordley wrote: “The horse looked on form. Greg is a top jockey and it didn't go their way this week, like it didn't go the right way for many top combinations. Sh*t article.”

Ireland’s Olympic bronze medallist Cian O’Connor wrote: “Several posts and comments have been brought to my attention as a result of a We Live Horse article below written yesterday by Colin McClelland.

“As one of the riders who has dealt with and worked closely with Colin for many years when he worked for HSI as press officer I always have found him sensible and measured but the whole tone of his article below is quite simply out of order.

The whole tone of his article below is quite simply out of order

“I of course would have loved to have been selected for Rio with Good Luck but that did not happen and while I am never shy to push my case I totally refute that I had any influence or involvement over the quite shocking article below which has been suggested by people who are just simply grasping at straws.

“I am currently in Rio enjoying the Olympics and in my book Going Global looked to be one of the top stars in the whole competition. I hate to get involved with Facebook chatter but I felt compelled to set the record straight.”

UPDATED: Colin McClelland responds

This afternoon Colin McClelland responded to criticism of his article.

He wrote: "We are aware of the reaction that my article on welivehorse.com about the Rio Olympic Games has produced. Aside from the high-profile names who have stated their support for Greg Broderick, much of the criticism we’ve received has sadly been in the nature of one-line foul-mouthed abuse. Very few people have articulated what exactly they felt was wrong with the article, aside from saying that they didn’t like it.

We Live Horse was set up to provide an independent viewpoint on Irish equestrian sport and we are beholden to no special interest group or individual. We have also consistently highlighted achievements by Irish riders worldwide.

My view on what happened at the Olympics was written as a condemnation of the system run by the governing body that has resulted in no Irish show jumping team qualifying for the last three Olympics, despite the presence of a significant number of world-beating riders and horses competing under the Irish flag. It also dealt with the fact that, with the exception of dressage, our performances at Rio had been worse than at London.

Horse Sport Ireland promised a review of the high performance aspect of the sport following the London Olympics, where we failed to qualify a show jumping team, but if this was undertaken it has obviously failed in its implementation.

I’m sorry that some people have interpreted the article as a personal attack on any of our riders at Rio. This was not the intention - rather that fundamental mistakes were made in selecting some of the combinations who went.

I’m sorry that some people have interpreted the article as a personal attack on any of our riders at Rio. This was not the intention

What I wrote was also designed to encourage self examination and critical analysis in order to avoid what has clearly been a failure over 12 years to address qualification for the Olympic Games, a feat accomplished by lesser countries and much weaker show jumping teams. Surely this is to be welcomed by all?

In most other Irish sports, such as rugby, soccer and GAA, bad performances are singled out by media commentators and roundly criticised. Managers' selection is the subject of the most scrutiny when there is a bad result.

In equestrian sport in Ireland an ethos seems to have developed where poor performances are almost always put down to “bad luck”, rather than errors made by the athletes or the selectors.

Finally, getting to the Olympic Games is not in itself a victory. Winning medals is supposed to be the target, but we now seem to have lost sight of this objective. In something as big as the Olympics, taking part is simply not enough."

MORE RIO 2016 NEWS AND VIEWS IN THE IRISH FIELD THIS WEEKEND

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