A MAJOR shake-up of the structure of Showjumping Ireland is on the cards with all resolutions proposed at last Friday’s EGM in Mullingar passed unanimously.

The SJI Executive will be significantly trimmed down by nine members and the focus of the now tighter renamed Board of Directors will be to grow the sport of show jumping nationally in a more businesslike and professional manner going forward.

The Mullingar EGM ratified changes related to the Memorandum and Articles of Association of Showjumping Ireland. They included the appointment and ratification of new auditors for 2022 (Item 3) as the current Auditors RBK have come to the end of their term of service.

Item 4 on the agenda related to the reduction of the SJI Executive from 21 members to 12 members plus a chairperson, with a proposal for three nominated directors to come from each region.

The proposed changes will see members of the executive now also referred to as the Board of Directors. Meetings of the directors and of the SJI standing committees may also now be held electronically.

Positive time

Outgoing SJI chairman Eamonn Rice said: “This is a very positive time for show jumping. As an Association, we feel that the time is right to move from what may be considered a legacy structured sporting organisation.

“Our goal as an association is to strive for a more professional/business type structure that will help not only safeguard our future, but allow us to grow the sport, with the conscious effort to respect our ethos, our members and the voluntary nature of Showjumping Ireland.”

SJI Review

Rice added: “As with some other leading sporting organisations in Ireland, on the 28th of February 2020, SJI commissioned an Governance and Organisational review of the association’s structure, policies and procedures.

“SJI decided that it would be the best time to engage with the expertise of an external party (Crowleys DFK, Chartered Accountants) to help with a deeper and more robust audit from an external position.

“The review of SJI governance and organisational structure was aimed to identify the deficiencies and gaps within the existing governance structure of the association.

“The Crowley Report obtained an in-depth understanding of the way the SJI board and those charged with governance were involved in devising the strategic direction of the association.

“We welcome the completed Crowley’s DFK Governance and Organisational Review and the Executive Board established a Project Steering Committee (PSC), with the remit to review the report and come forward with their recommendations from within the report and to manage the implementations of the agreed actions as and when approved by the Board of Directors.”