HORSE Sport Ireland (HSI) has confirmed the departure of Sally Corscadden as High Performance Eventing Director with immediate effect.

In a statement on Thursday afternoon, HSI said that, while Corscadden’s time at HSI has come to an end, “both parties part on amicable terms and HSI appreciates her dedication and hard work, especially in securing team and individual silver medals during the World Equestrian Games in Tryon in 2018”.

The decision follows a tumultuous two-year period, in which Corscadden was suspended pending the findings of an investigation by Justice Frank Clarke, who was engaged by HSI, into Corscadden’s use of metal bar training techniques.

Ms Corscadden was substantively vindicated by the findings, which stated “it was not sufficiently clear that the practice (of metal bar training) was rapping to justify a finding of breach of contract.”

Justice Clarke did however find that Ms Corscadden was in breach of her contract of employment “by not drawing the attention of HSI to the fact that the metal bar training practice was also in use, when an investigation into not entirely dissimilar training methods was in train”.

HSI was not in a position to confirm whether the agreement between the parties involved a financial settlement.

“We are grateful for the contribution that Sally has made to high performance eventing during her time in the High Performance Director role. We wish her all the best in her future endeavours,” said Denis Duggan, Chief Executive of Horse Sport Ireland.

Speaking to confirm her departure from HSI, Ms Corscadden said: “I want to express my gratitude to all the people who have helped and supported me as High Performance Director over the past six years, and to the riders and owners I have worked with.

“The highlight of my tenure has been winning team and individual silver medals for the Irish eventing team in Tryon in 2018.

“I’ve had a good journey and learned a lot and worked with amazing people, coaches, support staff, the management team – there is a wealth of expertise in this country to help athletes ride at the highest level and compete on the world stage,” she told The Irish Field

“Those systems take time to build and we are reaping the rewards of that now – that’s what we do it for. I’ve had great support from HSI to achieve what we have over the years and being able to work with the institute of sport has also been hugely beneficial.

“One of the things I focussed on and an area we didn’t train enough in was the cross-country, before I was the manager we were not completing with clear rounds as a team and that has changed a lot over the past five years. Going forward I love coaching cross-country, all three disciplines really, and I want to follow my passion for coaching and for eventing. I have the training ground here at home, which has given me an opportunity to look at course design and course building which is in the pipeline – it’s an area I’d enjoy and there is a need for people who rode at that level to share knowledge and help design good courses for the future to help in making it a safer sport.

“It’s been a big learning experience and I’m looking forward to broadening my involvement with the sport I love and to supporting it at every level.

“I wish continued success to the eventing team, especially in the year ahead as the squad prepare for Paris.”

It is widely expected that Dag Albert, who has been interim High Performance Eventing Director for the past two years and helped the Irish team secure Olympic qualification in Pratoni last year, will fill the position.